Deceptive.
Type: Armoured cruiser
Displacement: 12,000 long tons (12,000 t) (normal)
Length: 472 ft (143.9 m) (o/a)
Beam: 69 ft 6 in (21.2 m)
Draught: 26 ft 9 in (8.2 m) (maximum)
Installed power:
21,000 ihp (16,000 kW)
30 Belleville boilers
Propulsion:
2 × Shafts
2 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Complement: 725–760
Armament:
2 × single BL 9.2-inch (234-mm) Mk X guns
12 × single BL 6-inch (152-mm) Mk VII guns
12 × single QF 12-pounder (76-mm) guns
3 × 3-pounder (47-mm) Hotchkiss guns
2 × single 18-inch (450-mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:
Belt: 2–6 in (51–152 mm)
Decks: 1–3 in (25–76 mm)
Barbettes: 6 in (152 mm)
Turrets: 6 in (150 mm)
Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm)
Bulkheads: 5 in (127 mm)
The disaster shook public confidence in Britain and the world in the reputation of the Royal Navy. Surviving cruisers were withdrawn from patrol duties; Admiral Christian was reprimanded and Captain Drummond was criticized by the inquiry for failing to take the anti-submarine precautions recommended by the Admiralty and praised for his conduct during the attack. The 28 officers and 258 men rescued by Flora were landed at IJmuiden and were repatriated on 26 September.[13]
Wenman "Kit" Wykeham-Musgrave (1899–1989) survived being torpedoed on all three ships.[14] His daughter recalled
He went overboard when the Aboukir was going down and he swam like mad to get away from the suction. He was then just getting on board the Hogue and she was torpedoed. He then went and swam to the Cressy and she was also torpedoed. He eventually found a bit of driftwood, became unconscious and was eventually picked up by a Dutch trawler.
— Pru Bailey-Hamilton[15]
Wykeham-Musgrave survived the war and rejoined the Royal Navy in 1939, reaching the rank of commander.[16]
Weddigen and his crew returned to a heroes' welcome: Weddigen was awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class and his crew each received the Iron Cross, 2nd Class. The sinking of the three ships caused the danger of U-boat attack to be taken more seriously by the Admiralty.[17] Commander Dudley Pound, serving in the Grand Fleet as a commander aboard the battleship St. Vincent (who became First Sea Lord) wrote in his diary on 24 September,
Much as one regrets the loss of life one cannot help thinking that it is a useful warning to us — we had almost begun to consider the German submarines as no good and our awakening which had to come sooner or later and it might have been accompanied by the loss of some of our Battle Fleet.
— Pound[18]
In 1954, the British government sold the salvage rights to the ships and work began in 2011.[19]
Type: Armoured cruiser
Displacement: 12,000 long tons (12,000 t) (normal)
Length: 472 ft (143.9 m) (o/a)
Beam: 69 ft 6 in (21.2 m)
Draught: 26 ft 9 in (8.2 m) (maximum)
Installed power:
21,000 ihp (16,000 kW)
30 Belleville boilers
Propulsion:
2 × Shafts
2 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Complement: 725–760
Armament:
2 × single BL 9.2-inch (234-mm) Mk X guns
12 × single BL 6-inch (152-mm) Mk VII guns
12 × single QF 12-pounder (76-mm) guns
3 × 3-pounder (47-mm) Hotchkiss guns
2 × single 18-inch (450-mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:
Belt: 2–6 in (51–152 mm)
Decks: 1–3 in (25–76 mm)
Barbettes: 6 in (152 mm)
Turrets: 6 in (150 mm)
Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm)
Bulkheads: 5 in (127 mm)
The disaster shook public confidence in Britain and the world in the reputation of the Royal Navy. Surviving cruisers were withdrawn from patrol duties; Admiral Christian was reprimanded and Captain Drummond was criticized by the inquiry for failing to take the anti-submarine precautions recommended by the Admiralty and praised for his conduct during the attack. The 28 officers and 258 men rescued by Flora were landed at IJmuiden and were repatriated on 26 September.[13]
Wenman "Kit" Wykeham-Musgrave (1899–1989) survived being torpedoed on all three ships.[14] His daughter recalled
He went overboard when the Aboukir was going down and he swam like mad to get away from the suction. He was then just getting on board the Hogue and she was torpedoed. He then went and swam to the Cressy and she was also torpedoed. He eventually found a bit of driftwood, became unconscious and was eventually picked up by a Dutch trawler.
— Pru Bailey-Hamilton[15]
Wykeham-Musgrave survived the war and rejoined the Royal Navy in 1939, reaching the rank of commander.[16]
Weddigen and his crew returned to a heroes' welcome: Weddigen was awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class and his crew each received the Iron Cross, 2nd Class. The sinking of the three ships caused the danger of U-boat attack to be taken more seriously by the Admiralty.[17] Commander Dudley Pound, serving in the Grand Fleet as a commander aboard the battleship St. Vincent (who became First Sea Lord) wrote in his diary on 24 September,
Much as one regrets the loss of life one cannot help thinking that it is a useful warning to us — we had almost begun to consider the German submarines as no good and our awakening which had to come sooner or later and it might have been accompanied by the loss of some of our Battle Fleet.
— Pound[18]
In 1954, the British government sold the salvage rights to the ships and work began in 2011.[19]
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