HMS Repulse (Battlecruiser, 1916-1941)
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Topic: HMS Repulse (Battlecruiser, 1916-1941)
Posted By: Cookie Monster
Subject: HMS Repulse (Battlecruiser, 1916-1941)
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:07am
HMS Repulse, a 26,500-ton Renown class battlecruiser, was built at Clydebank, Scotland. Completed in August 1916, she joined the Grand Fleet following post-trials modifications and operated in the North Sea for the remainder of World War I. The light protection of this class of two battlecruisers was a considerable cause for concern and, soon after the Armistice, Repulse received an extensive refit. This significantly increased her armor, and her displacement, which rose some six-thousand tons. The work was completed in 1922, after which the ship began a peacetime career of fleet operations and long-distance cruises.
In 1933-36, Repulse was again modernized, emerging with improved deck armor, a hangar and catapult for aircraft, and a greatly increased anti-aircraft gun battery. She operated with the Home Fleet in the North Sea and Atlantic during the first two years of the Second World War, taking part in the pursuit of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941. Later in the year she was sent to the Far East, accompanying the new battleship Prince of Wales. The two ships arrived at Singapore just before Japan began the Pacific War. As soon as hostilities commenced, both steamed northwards to intercept a reported invasion force. While returning to Singapore on 10 December 1941, Repulse and Prince of Wales were attacked by Japanese high-level bombers and torpedo planes. Repulse was moderately damaged by bombs early in the action and was later hit by several torpedoes. After receiving this heavy underwater damage, she sank rapidly, followed less than an hour later by the Prince of Wales.
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Replies:
Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:07am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h00001/h00525.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:08am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h47000/h47372.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:09am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h00001/h00525a.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:09am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h55000/h55608.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:10am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h55000/h55609.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:10am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h57000/h57164.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:11am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h57000/h57183.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:12am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h57000/h57181.jpg">
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:12am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h60000/h60566.jpg">
This was taken from a japanese plane
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:13am
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g410000/g413520.jpg">
This photo was also taken by the Japanese
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 6:15am
Date |
Details |
Place |
25th January 1915 |
Laid down |
Clydebank, Scotland |
8th January 1916 |
Launched |
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18th August 1916 |
Commissioned |
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16th September 1916 |
Joined Battle Cruiser Force as flagship of No.1 Battle Cruiser Squadron. |
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17th November, 1917 |
Admiral Sir Charles Napier on board his flagship HMS Repulse and with Captain John Dumaresq in command, H.M.S. Repulse took part in the Battle of Heligoland bight, along with the Battle cruisers HMS Courageous and HMS Glorious, also the light cruisers Calypso and Caledon. against the German battleships Kaiser and Kaiserine. |
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12 December 1917 |
The battle cruiser HMAS Australia was in collision with the battle cruiser HMS Repulse. HMAS Australia was damaged, and subsequently underwent repairs for several weeks. |
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April`1922 |
Captain Frederic Charles Dreyer in command of H.M.S. Repulse as part of the Battle Cruiser Squadron with H.M.S. Hood. |
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1923 |
World Tour by Prince of Wales accompanied by Lt Louis Mountbatten. (accompanied by HMS Curlew) |
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1924 |
RN Special Service Squadron (Hood, Repulse and five light cruisers visit Australia - sailed accompanied by cruiser HMAS Adelaide (on exchange to the R.N.) This was called the 'Empire Cruise', (or the 'Booze Cruise' by the crew members). |
Australia |
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April 1933 to May 1936 |
HMS Repulse was rebuilt at Portsmouth yard. |
England |
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My Grandfather served for two years on the Repulse as a Royal Marine. This itinerary is copied from the original document.
Michael Richardson |
April 14th, 1936 |
Commissioned at Portsmouth |
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June 8th, 1936 |
Repulse left England |
England |
June |
Arrived and embarked Battalion of Gordon Highlanders at Gibraltar left same day for Malta. |
Gibraltar, Malta |
July |
All the fleet assembled at Alexandria due to Abyssinian Crisis. Fleets dispersed: Repulse left for with Gordon Highlanders. Outbreak of Spanish War. |
Alexandria, Gibraltar |
July |
Repulse does great work with Refugees especially in Palma Majorca. |
Majorca |
August |
Thrilling rescue of British Steamer Gibel Zerjon by Repulse when stopped by Republican cruiser Miguel de Cervantes |
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August 30th |
Ship inspected by First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Samuel Hoare: General leave each watch. Exercises off Malta |
Malta |
September |
Left Malta for cruise to Greece. Visited Skiathos: Volo: and the Greek capital Athens, where H.M. King of Greece inspected Med: Fleet ships. |
Malta, Greece |
October |
Also visit to Crete, returned to Malta. Refit in floating dock |
Crete, Malta |
November |
Ship’s Marathon Race won by A.X. Division. R.M.’s in camp at Ghain Tuffieha. |
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December |
Left Malta for Gibraltar and Tangier. Christmas in Gibraltar. |
Gibraltar, Tangier |
January 1937 |
Malta, and cruise to Greece |
Malta, Greece |
February |
Exercises off Malta |
Malta |
March |
Combined Fleet maneuvers in Atlantic |
Atlantic |
April |
Final of Inter-part ship Football won by Accountant Div: Refit in floating dock Malta. Left for England..... |
Malta |
May 9th |
.....to take part in Coronation Review at Spithead, Portsmouth |
England |
May 12th |
Coronation Day - Review of the Fleet and foreign ships by their Majesties the King and Queen on board the Royal Yacht: 7 days leave each watch. Ship’s companies at home. |
England |
June 9th |
Repulse once more leaves England |
Malta, Haifa, Corfu |
July 4th |
Arrived Malta. , sudden departure for Haifa. Jewish-Arab tension in Holy Land. Left for Corfu where King of Greece inspected ship. |
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August |
Exercises off Malta. Mew A.C.Q. inspects ship. Summer cruise, visits to Argostoli and Corfu: Valona-Albania. |
Malta, Albania |
September |
Nyon Agreement left for Aegean Sea – Submarine patrol: Mudros-Skyros main islands in patrol. Coast of Turkey shows ruins of Great War. |
Malta, Aegean Sea, Turkey |
October |
First Lord of Admiralty, Mr. Duff-Cooper inspects ship in Kalamitza Bay: General leave at Athens. Malta once more. |
Athens, Malta |
November |
Left for patrol in Aegean Sea. Skyros-Mudros: Phalerum Bay and more general leave. To sea to hold up a gun runner S.S. African Trader, Repulse hands capture over to destroyer escort. Left Skyros for Malta. |
Aegean Sea, Malta |
December |
In floating dock . Christmas 1937 in Malta. Exercises and A.C.Q.’s inspection. |
Malta |
January 1938 |
Left with four minesweepers for Alexandria. |
Alexandria |
February |
Malta – “Centurion” Shoot A.C.Q. – general drill and ship’s inspection. Inter-part ship Football Final won by Torpedo Div. |
Malta |
March |
Left Malta for Gibraltar for combined fleet manoeuvres series one and two exercises: Left for Palma and spell in Spanish Waters. Barcelona-Marseilles-Valencia-Caldetas. |
Gibraltar, Palma, Spanish waters |
April |
Left Palma and Spanish War behind for French Riviera. Monte Carlo – general leave – San Raphael. |
French Riviera |
May |
Back to Malta. “Centurion” Shoot. |
Malta |
June |
Malta “Black Out.” Stokers “A” Ship’s Cricket Champions. Left for Corfu. |
Malta |
July |
En-route for Navarin. Signalled to proceed to Haifa scene of Jewish-Arab riots. Officers, Ratings and Marines landed. Valuable assistance by Repulse. |
Corfu |
August |
Haifa-Jaffa, arriving at Limasol was ordered to return to Haifa. Once more troops landed, at last our welcome relief the Malaya arrived G.O.C. – March-past. Presentation and Address. With “paying off” pendant hoisted left for Malta. Arrived and left Malta for Gibraltar and Tangier. |
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Thursday, September 8th |
Arriving at Portsmouth, to give leave and pay off after a very eventful commission. |
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24th September, 1938 |
Ship’s Company recalled from leave owing to International Crisis. |
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Sunday, 25th September, 1938. |
The ship sailed for Scapa Flow. Remained with Fleet for two weeks |
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12th October, 1938. |
returning to Portsmouth, First Watch recommenced leave two days later.
Approx: Mileage covered during Commission from June 1936 – October 1938, 48,000 miles. Signed,
John Godfrey, Captain |
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September 3, 1939 |
The Royal Navy at the start of the war. |
Great Britain |
October 5, 1939 |
Hunting groups against corsairs. |
North Atlantic |
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1940 |
Repulse operated off Norway. |
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1941 |
Convoy duty until the summer of 1941. |
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October 1941 |
Repulse joined the Eastern Fleet in October 1941. |
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December 2, 1941 |
Arrived at Singapore with HMS Prince of Wales. |
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December 10, 1941 |
Sunk as part of Force Z along with HMS Prince of Wales. |
Singapore, Malaysia |
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Posted By: Hatchetman
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 8:03am
When the HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse were sunk the empire was in real trouble, and high command basically abandoned Singapore.
After that the empire lost it's air of invinceability, and left the door wide open for Australia to be attacked.
It also pretty much ended the age of the Battleship, as they were sunk so easily by aircraft.
------------- But the winters coming,
And the snow will cover tracks,
And I'll be watching,
Because I'm hunting you
- Sarah Blasko, The Gardens End
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Posted By: Tony
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 12:04pm
When the HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse were sunk the empire was in real trouble, and high command basically abandoned Singapore.
The empire was fighting in the ETO ( European Theatre of Operations) short of manpower and munitions. If the brass had been on their toes they should have heeded the warnings that were passed to the USA re Pearl Harbour! The air of invincibility as you call it was good enough to stand alone against Facism in Europe until empire troops were drafted in to help.
------------- Rottie (PitBulls dad.)
“If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons
Born free taxed to death!!!
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Posted By: Hatchetman
Date Posted: October 26 2007 at 12:21pm
I guess tony.
The brits did a good job standing up to the nazi's when the low countries and the Scandinavians folded.
Pity there was not enough gear in "fortress" Singapore to keep the fight up for longer
------------- But the winters coming,
And the snow will cover tracks,
And I'll be watching,
Because I'm hunting you
- Sarah Blasko, The Gardens End
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Posted By: Tony
Date Posted: October 27 2007 at 1:43am
We were down to rock bottom with equipment. At one stage there were no reserve planes and pilots left during the battle of Britain. Adolf changed tactics and bombed cities if he'd carried on battering the RAF we'd have been in a real bad way! Thats why so many enfields were made overseas we just hadn't got the facilities to replace kit and arm new recruits. Industry wasn't geared up to mass produce like it was later on. Sheffield my home town was flattened in the Blitz they were after the steel works especially as they were the only place with facilities for turning out crank shafts for spitfire and hurricane engines.
------------- Rottie (PitBulls dad.)
“If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons
Born free taxed to death!!!
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