DESTROYER HMS GLOWWORM AND HEAVY CRUISER ADMIRAL HIPPER

[PotatoGunsRule]

So who rammed who?

[TheHamsterBrigade]

my second cousin Jim Brown went down with the glowworm he was only eighteen i believe he was in the magazine loading ammo

[WALTERBROADDUS]

Wish we had more men like Roope today. 

[bluejacketbugler]

An act of bravery in the face of the enemy,has to be witnessed,no witness no V.C.

The V.C. for this action,on an account by the enemy is rare. Remember the captain of H.M.S. Glowworm, was awarded a V.C. not as a individual,but for the whole crew.IMHO it should be H.M.S. GLOWWORM V.C. In my countries military,in death all are equal.

[JacquelineNoa]

1,300 tons vs. 18,000 tons. 4 x 4.7 inch guns verses 8 x 8 inch guns. A mismatch of mythical proportions. Everyone from Lieutenant Commander Roope, all the way down to the stokers who knowingly faced death, but remained below decks were heroes. Wasn't the reason the little destroyer was not with her task force was because she was searching for single young rating that had fallen overboard? She found Admiral Hipper instead. Little Glowworm should not ever be forgotten.

[elswick1542]

@JacquelineNoa Yes Glowworm was searching for a man overboard at the time she found the German convoy and the Hipper.

[chew1047]

@elswick1542 Nice video, i'm proud and saddend to say my uncle Reg ( WILTSHIRE, Reginald G, Ordinary Seaman, P/SSX 25709, MPK ) went down on the Glowworm and it's nice to see these brave men are not forgotten. Thanks, R.I.P. Reg.

[elswick1542]

@chew1047 Never forgotten!

[willowwillow59]

@willowwillow59 to @elswick1542 could you tell me who you are the child of if you are reggies niece/nephew as i am also reggies nephew i am stephen son of joe

you can reach me by e-mail @ swiltshire1959@hotmail.com

[elswick1542]

@willowwillow59 Think you need to send your post to chew1047.

[jimmywrangles]

At the raid on St Nazair a british gunner on board one of the fairmiles was awarded the VC on the recomendation from an enemy commander.

Not trying to make light of the Glowworms heroics but pointing out that it happened more than once.

Not every German was a nazi bastard especially in the German navy

[jimmywrangles]

Lest we forget.

[dgoodey]

Read 'The German Invasion of Norway' by Geirr Haar. This is the definitive account of that period in the English language. Heye is to be respected. A true professional with honour.

David Goodey. Son of Albert Goodey HMS Havock.

[ruVader]

Brave ship, brave men, brave captain.

[rupertaynsworth]

A cousin of my mother was killed when the glowworm was sunk. It's great to see that this action is still remembered. Apparently the destroyer managed to get the signal off to alert the rest of the navy about the invasion. Episodes like this can be so easily forgotten, but this was in true British naval tradition, and one must equally respect the actions of the German commander.

[elswick1542]

@rupertaynsworth Never Forgotten.

[TheHamsterBrigade]

@rupertaynsworth my mothers cousin AB james Brown was also lost

[lingerslongest]

RIP

[cornskid]

Hell of a fight, gallentry and courage on both sides with no collateral damage.....wish they were all that way.

[russelljackthomas]

my great uncle was a stoker on the glow worm and went down with the ship

jack moss r,i,p,

[elswick1542]

@russelljackthomas A true hero.

[Puschit1]

I don't want to spoil the fun nor dishonour the fallen or anyting like that. But I am a little bit irritated that the british captain and crew are called "brave" and "heros" and so on. First, the crew did not have the choice, right? Second, attacking a battleship with a destroyer and not fleeing after all torpedoes have been spent could as well be called "idiocy", "megalomania" or "greed for fame". Most of the GLowworm's crew paid with their life for this. Is that really heroic?

[elswick1542]

@Puschit1 Actually I agree with most of that,as far as I am concerned the captain of the German ship acted with balls of steel to pick up the survivors as his ship was in danger from other RN units in the area but after the torpedoes were fired Glowworm had no chance of escape in seas that heavy at so close a range it would have been blown out of the water,a large number of crew who survived the sinking were killed in the water by the detonation of depth charges as the ship sank.

[elswick1542]

@elswick1542 Continued a number were killed by Glowworms own Charges.Just my opinion but a German Destroyer Captain probably would have done the same thing,it almost happened at the Battle of the Barrents Sea.

[Puschit1]

@elswick1542

Well, they also layed down a smokescreen. But okay, I will give you that point. Still, reading most of the comments here gives me the chills. Let's just assume the roles were reversed and the destroyer was german. I bet most people here would have said "this nazi bastard of german Captain was so ruthless that he sacrifized his men in a battle without hope. Damn fanatics. Deserves him right that he was killed". Or something like this.

[elswick1542]

@Puschit1 Maybe some would have that attitude but if you watch this video you probably are going to have an interest in WW2 Naval History so will know the Kriegsmarine were the least Nazi of the German armed forces.Hipper,s commander was defiantly no Nazi,I made this video to honour the brave of both sides not just the Brits.

[Puschit1]

@elswick1542

Yes, I know, it's all cool, don't worry :)

[Greaselburger]

@elswick1542 Agreed, reminds me of "a war without hate" in North Africa, amazing that the sense of honour remained even in the crucible of total war. To honour one's foes is something truly to be respected and seen as the mark of a good man

[robinhood48]

@Puschit1

I don´t know how I should call the behavior of the Glowworm crew. But i´m sure the crews of HMS Renown and the destroyers which covered her would call this action heroic.

The German Admiral called it heroic and you may be sure the Germans know what they are talking about when they call a deed heroic.

My opinion.

[LarS1963]

@Puschit1 War IS idiocy.

However, Glowworm sighted Hippers destroyer escort, and got into an exchange with them, before they withdrew. At this point Glowworm would have neglected it's duty, if not attempting to discover what they were guarding.

So she follows, put down a smokescreen, and goes through it, spots Hipper, immidiatly signals the admirality and attempts a withdrawal. However, she is hit even before the message is finished, and is then forced to fight. The rest is history.

[JacquelineNoa]

@Puschit1 Calling heavy cruiser Hipper a "battleship" is well..ok it must one of the new BB... you know the ones that have the same armament and armor as a cruiser..

[JacquelineNoa]

I understand that drowning very much against your own will doesn't make you a hero. However, the men of the Royal Navy knew the costs and dangers but still served their country anyway,. It is the ones who knew the risk who that gave their very existences.

And tell me there's no bravery in remaining below to keep steam or running dangerous damage control parties. Glowworm fought on, while the Germans may have scuttled.

[clive3262]

Good one mate.

[kuklok1989]

keep up the videos man they great

[elswick1542]

Thanks more to come.

[kuklok1989]

@elswick1542 good

[pointy2]

Congratulations on a wonderful video on such a deserving subject. Roper's V.C was not the only one awarded due to enemy recommendation. F/O Trigg was also awarded a posthumous V.C for attacking a U-Boat which had set his Liberator on fire. He sank the U 468 then crashed. The U-Boats crew survived and told the British, who rescued them, about his and his aircrews bravery.

[elswick1542]

Thanks for the great comment.

[SugarTomAppleRoger]

I was speaking today to a gentleman who served on HMS Phoebe, HMS Carlisle and SGB 7 during the war. He was captured after the sinking of SGB 7 and was then a POW for two years.

I am interested to hear from anyone who served or knows someone who served on these ships.

[seangrie8]

A great tribute to a 1st class British Skipper and crew.

[elswick1542]

Thanks.

[jimmywrangles]

The other victoria cross awarded on recomendation from the enemy was a gunner on a fairmile at the raid on St Nazair.

[MarsFKA]

There was another Victoria Cross awarded on the testimony of an enemy. On 11 Aug 1943, Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg, Royal New Zealand Air Force, was flying with 200 Squadron out of Dakar, West Africa, when he attacked a surfaced U-boat. His Liberator bomber was hit by by AA fire, but Trigg maintained the attack, straddling the U-boat with 6 depth charges. The bomber crashed, killing the crew and the U-boat sank. The captain survived and it was on his testimony that Trigg was awarded the VC.

[elswick1542]

Thanks for the info,the Royal New Zealand air force are heroes of mine from an early age,my grandfather read an account of the raid on Amiens prison(op Jericho)to me about 39 years ago,I will never forget this,all the best from the UK.

[hoplite1766]

Legendary bravery, Glowworm, Ardent, Acasta, Jervis bay, ...Names to revere in the history of the royal navy

[2shacks1house]

How about that The Theme from" Where Egles Dare" . Broadsword calling Danny Boy, Broadsword calling Danny Boy , Can you hear me?? Epic!!

[shathriel]

i cant remember who , think it was reader but not certain.

when hitler visited the fleet he did not use the nazi salute but the old naval salute.

glowworm was full of heroes , running into the german invasion forces for norway in bad weather and being outnumbered she took the fight to the biggest ship their and went down fighting.

[elswick1542]

I know for sure that Lutjens of Bismarck and Langsdorff of Graf Spee refused the Nazi style salute.

[kevinmeath1]

Thought you could have mentioned CPO Scott who kept the lone gun firing even after the ramming and as the ship sank. Not the only VC awarded on the Recommendation of the enemy. Sergeant Durrant RE took on a German Destroy at St Nazaire. The German captain report it. Flight LT Tubridy was recommended by Captain of the U-boat he sank.

[elswick1542]

I can edit these videos after upload,will insert CPO Scott,no hero of the RN will go unrecognised by me.

[kevinmeath1]

Good to see, but see a further problem recognise all the heroes of the RN, the words 'paint' roadbridge' and 'Forth' spring to mind, worth a try mind you.

[elswick1542]

Always worth a try.

[hoplite1766]

Not to be a know all, but wasn't that Lindemann on the Bismarck. Wasn't Lutjens a nazi?

[elswick1542]

It,s thought by most that Lutjens was a raving Nazi because of the 1960 film sink the Bismarck,in the film he is portrayed as a Nazi,in reality he was absolutely the opposite,his wife had Jewish relatives,Lindeman was Captain of Bismarck,Lutjens was Admiral in overall command.

[hoplite1766]

Thanks for clearing that up, that's probably where I got the idea. Yes I knew about the rankings. I would also like to add HMS Rawalpindi to the shortlist I made below while I'm at it. Thanks for the vids, keep em coming!

[elswick1542]

Yes Rawalpindi for bravery of the first order.

[frankklaassen]

Yes those where the days when the heroes where shifted from the cowards. The great story about the war at sea was that the commanders of the naval ships respected their enemies. Interesting detail is that the most of the German naval officers were no Nazis but lived by their own traditional codes.

[elswick1542]

100% agree!

[bv141a]

Hitler didn't trust the navy,the 1918 mutiny gave creedance to the stab in the back myth,why Germany lost WW1

[JacquelineNoa]

@frankklaassen Indeed the Kriegsmarine was of a different cloth. Time and time again, brave German captains and admirals have been stuck, they didn't care for Hitler, but loved Germany. Admiral Lütjens, Cpt Heye and many more. Hans Langsdorff, of Graf Spee had refused to give the "Hitler Salute" rather he used only the salute of the Imperal Navy. Langsdorff defied Hitler's "fight to the death" order and scuttled to save his boys. After his suicide, many Englishmen attended his funeral.

[frankklaassen]

@JacquelineNoa Thank you for your comment Jacqueline.

[robinhood48]

0:14 Beside Hipper new Steamer "Vaterland" designed with turbo- electric propulsion. Was planned to substitute ex "Vaterland" ex "Leviathan". Scrapped 1946, never finished, because hit by several bombs.

Yard used to build VII C.

[robinhood48]

2:43 Photo taken through stereoscopic range finder on command post A. ???

[elswick1542]

Didn't say on the site how that picture was taken not sure its a range finder as I understand it the Zeiss finders used wander marks these look more like mill radians not sure?

[robinhood48]

@elswick

Wander marks are visible when empowered, if not picture looks similar as binoculars. But also possible Exacta Ihagee Camera with telescope and mirror reflex finder.

But probably you are right, as always.

[elswick1542]

@ROBINHOOD48

Also thought it could be from an AA rangefinder in one of the domed mountings possible?

[robinhood48]

@elswick

Possible but problematic

1. Mount camera on rangefinder

2. Permission to mount camera

3.Access to AA guns for owner of camera

But possible.

[elswick1542]

@robinhood48

another possible,always wanted a Leica range finder camera 35mm from the 1930,s but have never looked through one,some of the pictures taken from German warships are of so good a quality for the time I have always suspected they were taken from these cameras,so for your reasons above maybe it was taken with a Leica with long lens and the marks were then drawn on for some reason?

[elswick1542]

@robinhood48

I am always sceptical of old photos,in 1915 a Zeppelin flew over my home town there are 2 locally famous photographs,try and tell people they are fake and they think you are mad,but look close and all the people in the back ground are looking at the camera not the Zeppelin,no doubt most had seen a camera but a Zeppelin!

[robinhood48]

@elswick

Those cameras (Exacta, Leica,Rollei flex) were used on land for military use only. The marks helped to analyze the photos. My father had a Leica was stolen when he was captured by US "Soldiers" near Aachen. When the first Leopards were tested (British gun) the photos looked similar. A private camera of an officer? Probable.

[elswick1542]

@robinhood48

you must be right an officer of the ship or possibly a war correspondent I think Bismarck had some on board so may be also ADM Hipper.

[jers59]

@robinhood48 I have that camera going on ebay next week

[jers59]

@robinhood48 Have to ask my father he was near Aachen with 104th division

[robinhood48]

@jers59

Cannot have been your father. My father was captured in Hospital tent operating whatever came under his knife. The soldiers were criminal offenders on parole.

They had Mohawk Haircut and no helmets.

They looted even the British wounded in that Military Hospital until an officer stopped them.

[jers59]

He never had mohawk as far as I know most Paratroopers 82 and 101 had mohawk haircuts they might take offence if regular army infantry had them

[robinhood48]

@jers59

My father was 290 Infanteriedivision and was to be on medical duty with 34 SS Landstorm.

My father in law was 343 Infanteriedivision, was one among six survivors.

[NAIAD49]

This is one of the reasons the royal Navy is the Greatest Navy to sail the seven seas.......they have always been the best.

They will never be 'A fleet in being' it's not our way.

[elswick1542]

Yes my old china plate,fight to last gun the last torpedo the last cannon ball or the last longbow arrow.

[robinhood48]

elswick1542

"...to the last longbow arrow." Very British!

[elswick1542]

Yes I suppose it is,Fighting to the last shell is also of course very German!

[elswick1542]

Yes its very similar to Dorsetshire,Heye had the balls to pick up all the survivors.

[robinhood48]

3:16 At the first moment I thought this is the ship´s side of Dorsetshire!

Well done, my friend, and thank you for posting!

Some don´t want to hear this, but the real fighting was among the small ships and boats.