Archive for the ‘submarines’ Category

HMS Sturgeon torpedoes a troopship

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
The commander of a Royal Navy submarine at the periscope as he prepares to launch torpedoes.
The target was silhouetted against the sun. One explosion was heard at 19.58 and when the periscope was raised a dense column of black smoke was seen rising from the target to a height of about 2000 feet. The small vessels astern of "Pionier" scattered and no attack on them was possible.

Posted in 1940, September 1940, submarines | No Comments »

Troopship SS Mohamed Ali el-Kebir torpedoed

Saturday, August 7th, 2010
The SS Mohamed Ali el-Kebir had previously operated out of Alexandria before being requisitioned as a troopship in 1940.
Open fractures were reduced under local anaesthesia (2% novatex) roughly splinted and debridement followed by instillation of powdered sulphonamide. Debridement was assisted by staining the wound with an alcoholic solution of 1/1000 Gentian Violet - all stained and dead tissue being removed. Only one death occurred - a naval rating, name unknown (body transferred to Naval Authorities, Greenock) from multiple fractures of tibia, femur, pelvis and humerus.

Posted in 1940, August 1940, submarines | No Comments »

The Arandora Star torpedoed and sunk

Friday, July 2nd, 2010
About 90 Life Rafts were carried on the upper deck, more than half of these were thrown overboard as soon as way was lost, but at that time , nobody would go over the side, they were getting into the boats. The boats were eventually cleared with the help of the guard but they were immediately filled to capacity hy prisoners going down the side ladders and falls. The balance of the rafts were then thrown over. The Ship took a list to Starboard which steadily increased and at about 0715 it was apparent that she was about to sink.

Posted in 1940, July 1940, submarines | No Comments »