Tribal Warfare - The Tribals of WW2

[timlewin]

Today is 24th September, 76 years ago tonight, 0200 Zulu, HMS Somali under tow by HMS Ashanti in the Western part of the Arctic Ocean was overcome by a katabatic storm, broke in two and sunk with a loss of life of 42 of her people. Four days earlier she had been torpedoed while escorting convoy QP14 after successfully having fought through to Russia PQ18. Somali had just changed places on the screen with Ashanti when she was hit immediately below the torpedo tubes flooding the engine and gearing room, the biggest compartment in the ship. She did not sink so after most of her peole were taken off and some 80 remained onboard Ashanti took her in tow. The tow proceeded for 600 Kms and became the legend of the "Long Tow", this was an epic struggle...… here is Commander Onslow's recollection of those events.

[ivorthediver]

Where Tim ......

Never mind...... thats another new word I learnt today KATABATIC -catabatic

Of an air current or wind ; moving downward or down a slope because of cooling especially at night ....

Never heard of that word before Tim so thank you ......it sounds a horrendous natural phenomenon to be avoided at all costs at sea , was this the final straw to a battle damaged vessel or is this common place in those latitudes and temperatures where metal fatigue is present please

[timlewin]

I think the files are too big, I will make them smaller......

[timlewin]

worth a thousand words...….meanwhile

[timlewin]

worth a thousand words...….meanwhile

[timlewin]

some contemporary pictures, Eskimo rescuing the British sailors from the Altmark; Ashanti at Plymouth in the 10th DF; And a double page spread from the Illustrated London News after delivering the Pedestal convoy to Malta in August 1942.

[designeraccd]

Excellent, handsome and well armed destroyers that served with distinction in combat. The ALTMARK episode was particularly "dashing" and would have made Admiral Nelson proud. Definitely a well designed pre-war destroyer capable of serving anywhere...with "TEETH"!! DFO

[ivorthediver]

Well done Tim , and thanks for these and the narrative contained therein much appreciated .

[jbryce1437]

The Tribals were a great class of destroyers.

Afridi

afridi-(pre-ww11)-pt.qtr..jpg

Bedouin

1290845_Bedouin-May-1939[1].jpg

Cossack

hms cossack dated 11939.jpg

Eskimo

hms eskimo 1939.jpg

Gurkha

hms gurkha,seen at devonport,undated.jpg

Maori

Maori[1].jpg

Mashona

Mashona[1].jpg

Matabele

hms matabele, off portsmouth, mar 1939.jpg

Mohawk

HMS%20MOWHAWK%20%20%20..[1].jpg

Nubian

hms nubian, off portsmouth, 21 jan 1939.jpg

Punjabi

hms punjabi ,dated 51939.jpg

Sikh

sikh4 1938.jpg

Somali

hms somali,dated 31939,recently completed-note ensign half-mast.jpg

Tartar

hms tartar at malta,dated 6111945.jpg

Zulu

hms zulu recently completed dated 91938.jpg

[ivorthediver]

Great shots thanks Jim , I cant remember which one [ Eskimo ] but dived on the remains at Malta in 2001 I think , but very little of her there as they had cleared most of her as she had causing a shipping hazard so close to the harbour wall .

I recall it was VERY murky with precious little viz when I dived the remains of her bow .

Wrong Again .... Stupid Boy .....just checked my log book it was HMS Maori in St Elmo Bay

1870 ton lunched 2/9/37 . whilst berthed at Valleta harbour during a bombing raid a parachute flare dropped caught in her foremast ,which illuminated her , she then received a direct hit by a bomb and caught fire .
She was abandoned and shortly afterwards the aft magazine exploded and she sank stern first causing the bows to rise out of the sea , and she slowly filled and then sank .
In 1945 she was cut in half and the forepart refloated and towed out to ST Elmo bay and then near to Marsamxett harbour and left , the stern was later refloated and taken out and sunk in deeper water off the island away from shipping lanes .

Apparently the two forward guns were removed from the wreck and used as shore batteries ashore , so bless her she may have been sunk but her guns still knocked hell out of the enemy from ashore

I wonder if dear Joseph Bonnici is still alive and kicking ashore in Malta ....sadly I dont have any contact details to ask the question of him