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Tuesday, 17 July 2018

Badly damaged ... but still useful

Warships are expensive to build and when they are damaged as a result of military action, navies are reluctant to scrap them. If possible, heavily damaged ships are repaired so that they can continue to perform useful service. Examples of this are:
  • HMS Zubian (Royal Navy)
  • HMS Eskimo (Royal Navy)
  • HMS Iron Duke (Royal Navy)
  • HMS York (Royal Navy)
  • HMS San Giorgio (Royal Italian Navy, then Royal Navy)
  • Konstruktor (Imperial Russian Navy, then Soviet Navy)
  • Marat (Imperial Russian Navy, then Soviet Navy)
  • Hibiki (Imperial Japanese Navy)
  • Amatsukaze (Imperial Japanese Navy)
All of the above were badly damaged (and in some cases actually sunk) but their hulls were repaired or re-used, and in some cases, they were re-commissioned as active warships. Over the next few days I hope to look at each of the above in more detail.

HMS Eskimo after she had been hit by a torpedo fired by the German destroyer Z2 Georg Thiele during the Second Battle of Narvik in April 1940. Almost all of her bow was blown off.

Posted by Robert (Bob) Cordery at 7/17/2018 10:42:00 am
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4 comments:

  1. CelticCurmudgeonTuesday, July 17, 2018 11:36:00 am

    Hi Bob,

    these are interesting choices. You might also want to look at the five US Battleships that were heavily damaged at Pearl Harbor and repaired. They later formed the nucleus of the bombardment group used in places like Iwo Jima and Okinawa and which also fought - and sunk - Fuso and Yamashiro during the Battle for Leyte Gulf.
    All the best,
    Jerry

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    Replies
    1. Robert (Bob) CorderyWednesday, July 18, 2018 7:26:00 am

      CelticCurmudgen (Jerry),

      I did think about including the repaired/rebuilt battleships that were sunk during the Pearl Harbour attack, but decided to cover less well-known ships instead. Some of the battleships were so extensively rebuilt to be almost completely new, both in outline and armament, and looked far more 'modern' than their contemporaries in other navies.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  2. PatGWednesday, July 18, 2018 10:45:00 pm

    You might also consider the Thetis/Thunderbolt Sunk on trials in 1939 she was raised and renamed the following year. One of my great uncles was supposed to be aboard her as part of the yard crew but a change in duties took him elsewhere on the day.

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    Replies
    1. Robert (Bob) CorderyThursday, July 19, 2018 7:10:00 am

      Pat G,

      That is an excellent suggestion, and if time permits I’ll add it to the list.

      Your great uncle was lucky that day. It is sometimes quite amazing how an otherwise insignificant event can have such a major impact on someone’s life.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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