Description
Object description
British officer commanded submarine HMS H28, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 8/1940-12/1940; commanded submarine HMS Umpire, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 1/1941-7/1941 including sinking after collision with HMT Peter Hendricks off Blakeney in North Sea, 19/7/1941; commanded submarine HMS Sturgeon, 2nd Submarine Flotilla in North Sea and Arctic, 11/1941-9/1942; commanded submarine HMS Taurus, 8th Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean and Far East, 11/1942-9/1943; commanded submarine HMS Taurus, 4th Submarine Flotilla in Far East, 9/1943-5/1944; served as staff officer to Flag Officer Submarines, Admiral George Creasey in GB, US and Pacific, 1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period with Submarine Service in GB, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, 1939-1940: reasons for joining Submarine Service; character of submariners; question of claustrophobia; relations between officers and men; lack of reaction amongst crew on declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; confidence in tactics; initial lessons; early service in North Sea; joining submarine depot ship HMS Lucia at Columbo, Ceylon; contrast between American and British submarines; size of submarines; contrast in operating in Pacific and Mediterranean; effects of losses on morale; patrolling in Indian Ocean, 1940; length of patrols and patrol areas; brief period in Mediterranean; journey through France from Marseille to Cherbourg, 1940; refusal of permission to aid Dunkirk Evacuation; character of Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) at Lynchmere, GB, 1940; character of French submarines.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of Dutch submarine forces; attending submarine commanders course at Falmouth including using Attack Teacher. Aspects of operations commanding submarine HMS H28, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 8/1940-12/1940: character of submarine; patrols off Netherlands coast; heavy losses; communications and radio silence; threat of mines in Heligoland Bight; lack of targets; air attacks on submarines. Aspects of period commanding submarine HMS Umpire, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 1/1941-7/1941 including sinking after collision off Blakeney in North Sea, 19/7/1941: lack of investigation after loss of his submarine HMS Umpire after collision with armed trawler HMT Peter Hendricks in North Sea, 19/7/1941; number of collisions off east coast. Aspects of operations commanding HMS Sturgeon, 2nd Submarine Flotilla in North Sea and Arctic, 11/1941-9/1942: problems keeping submarine in trim; facilities at Polyarnoe, Soviet Union; relations with Soviets; Soviet Navy submarines; patrol into Trondheim Fjord, Norway; lack of targets in Arctic.
REEL 3 Continues: recreational activities in Soviet Union; Soviet claim to have hit battleship Tirpitz; relations with Soviets. Recollections of operations commanding submarine HMS Taurus, 8th Submarine Flotilla in GB and Mediterranean, 11/1942-9/1943: taking command of submarine at Barrow-in-Furness; submarine's complement; characteristics of submarine; use of QF 4 Inch Naval Gun; sinking of ship in Mediterranean; question of reliability of submarine Oerlikon Gun; Vickers Machine Gun armament; reasons for diving when aircraft appeared; question of role of submarines; transporting Gurkhas; working up prior to voyage to Mediterranean; Axis air raids on Algiers, French Algeria; opinion of Italian anti-submarine forces; bombardment of Italian coast and patrols off French Riviera, 2/1943-3/1943; accommodation in Beirut. Lebanon; engagement with Bulgaria cavalry, 7/1943.
REEL 4 Continues: medical operation on wounded seamen; rum ration; rations; watches; opinion of invasion of Dodecanese Islands; shore bombardments; landing agent in Greek Islands; Axis use of caiques and attitude to sinking them. Recollections of operations commanding submarine HMS Taurus, 4th Submarine Flotilla in Far East, 9/1943-5/1944: attitude to returning to Far East; quality of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officers; operating from Trincomalee, Ceylon; accidental torpedoing of tanker at Trincomalee, Ceylon; sight of sailing ship blown up by controlled minefield; problems with magnetic pistols; character of Mark VIII Torpedo and their range; discipline on board; proportion of time spent on patrol; problems operating in Malacca Straits; opinion of Japanese anti-submarine forces; sinking of Japanese submarine I-34, 13/11/1943; mining operations.
REEL 5 Continues: dangers of invulnerability complex; planning patrols and quality of intelligence; scarcity of targets in Indian Ocean in 1944; resistance to boarding party on Japanese vessel; suicide by crew of Japanese vessel and capture of Korean prisoner of war; return to GB via Mediterranean, 5/1944-7/1944. Aspects of period as staff officer to Flag Officer Submarines Admiral George Creasey in GB and Pacific, 1945: visit to United States Navy fleet in Pacific; American use of submarines; comparison between British and American submarines; surrender of German submarines in Norway; taking German Type 21 Submarines back to GB; character of Type 21 Submarine; behaviour of German crews; selection of German submarines for Royal Navy; opinion of German submariners; treatment of German submarine captain who shot survivors in boats. Memories of working with staff of Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic. Impressions of Lord Louis Mountbatten.