I stand in defence of Dudley Pound. He was in a position of 'damned if you do, and damned if you don't,' With the Tirpitz reported as heading north along the coast of Norway and PQ 17 heading for the North Cape they would appear to be on a collision course. A modern battle ship like the Tirpitz could have sat out of range of the allied escorts guns and sunk the ships one by one. Pound made a decission which hindsight says was wrong; but was it? You make your desission on the facts at the time.
My dad was U.S. Navy Armed Guard, he served on the SS Bayou Chico, SS Lafayette, SS Egbert Benson,SS John W. Powell and the SS Chadd Ford from 1942-1946 in the European theater and the Asiatic theater.
600 million dollars of war materal went to the bottom. Many merchant seamen and armed guards, who manned the ships guns, met an icy death. These Merchant seamen were considered non-combatant and received no death benifits. They even had their pay stopped the day their ship was sunk. Sad.
Never Split the Party
stanskistan 2 months ago
@vk45de the Tirpitz was the largest battleship built by the European Navy, I think by that time the US was busy with the Japs.
MrRealmadridbernabeu 4 months ago
I stand in defence of Dudley Pound. He was in a position of 'damned if you do, and damned if you don't,' With the Tirpitz reported as heading north along the coast of Norway and PQ 17 heading for the North Cape they would appear to be on a collision course. A modern battle ship like the Tirpitz could have sat out of range of the allied escorts guns and sunk the ships one by one. Pound made a decission which hindsight says was wrong; but was it? You make your desission on the facts at the time.
Honour42GB 5 months ago
I don't see what's such a big deal about the Tirpitz. The US navy by that time had 9 battleships with bigger guns.
vk45de 7 months ago
On behalf of all British everywhere, allow me to apologise for Pounds being an idiot.
Ag3nt0fCha0s 1 year ago
My dad was U.S. Navy Armed Guard, he served on the SS Bayou Chico, SS Lafayette, SS Egbert Benson,SS John W. Powell and the SS Chadd Ford from 1942-1946 in the European theater and the Asiatic theater.
xxbobdeexx 1 year ago
@MareTranquil A meaningless statement at best. What is revenge to the dead?
navyreviewer 1 year ago
@gtrundle1 Hi - I've written once before - my father also served on the Zamalek in that convoy - did you know Dick Armour?
AngusArmour1 1 year ago
600 million dollars of war materal went to the bottom. Many merchant seamen and armed guards, who manned the ships guns, met an icy death. These Merchant seamen were considered non-combatant and received no death benifits. They even had their pay stopped the day their ship was sunk. Sad.
sr633 1 year ago
I guess this is what they mean when they say `There`s nothing to fear but fear itself!`
The allies were so worried about the Tirpitz that they effectively sunk their own convoy without the Tirpitz even intending to get involved.
My condolences to the brave dead.
seafireliv 1 year ago 2