Whilst researching for another thread, I discovered the tale of the HMS Springbank a Catapult Armed Merchantman (CAM Ship) which, given the information - including a survivors recount - is quite interesting so I thought I'd share.

HMS Springbank was one of a new type of Fighter Catapult Ship developed to counter the threat from land based aircraft. Originally constructed for merchant service in 1926, she was taken up into RN service in 1940 and converted into an anti-aircraft ship with a formidable armament including 8-4 inch (100 mm) guns in four twin HA turrets and two sets of quadruple 2 pounder pom-poms. In March 1941 she was fitted with a cordite powered catapult amidships mounted with a Fulmar two seater naval fighter. In the course of her duties with HG 73 her Fulmar aircraft was launched on 18 September and the enemy aircraft was attacked but escaped; when the aircraft arrived at Gibraltar it was discovered that faulty ammunition had caused all but one of the guns to jam.

A couple of alleged views of HMS Springbank. Note the launch rail on the bow - appears to be a Hurricane, not a Fulmar?



The Fairey Fulmar:


HMS Springbank was torpedoed at 0208 on 27 September by U-201. A survivor, Ordinary Seaman John V. Bales, recalls his experience of the sinking in an extract recorded for the BBC 'WW2 People's War':

"It was 12.20 on the morning of the 27th, pitch dark and blowing a gale that we got hit with two torpedoes both on the port side and after a few minutes the old girl started to list over, I was still manning Xgun and firing away when the order to abandon ship was given, I did rather a silly thing on the spur of the moment and nipped down below to try and rescue a camera I had bought in Gibraltar, the water was pouring in and I had to fight my way out of the ship against waves of water inside. Eventually I got back onto the upper deck and by then a destroyer had come alongside to try and rescue the crew. The weather was so bad that we lost a lot of people by mistiming their jump and falling I between the two ships and others by not timing their jump onto the deck of the destroyer and getting killed by he force of impact against the ship. This is how I lost my best friend "Lofty". Seeing what was taking place I decided that I would take my chance and swim for it and so I went down aft and shinned down a rope that had a early float at the bottom , in that were far too many people and not enough room for me, they were all pushing and shoving so I let go and started to swim for it. I couldn't understand why I wasn't getting away from the ship as I had no desire to be sucked down with it and then I rumbled that the wind was making the ship bear down on me. Then I swam around the stern of the ship only to be greeted with the full force of the gale, one minute it seemed that you were at the bottom of a large basin looking up and then you were taken up high and the white water from the crest would come over and swamp you.

I swam around for ages with nothing in sight and then a sub passed within 20 yards of me on he surface, he was gone in no time and in ant case they never stopped to pick up survivors. Suddenly I saw a barrel floating in the water and thought it could help but no, I tried to get hold of it and span it but it was impossible and with the next wave it clouted me on the head, then a bit of luck came my way, I saw a early float in the distance and made for that only to find just one single person on it and another dead in the bottom, everybody must have been washed overboard. The sole occupant helped me inboard as I was completely exhausted and then we saw a merchant ship the S. S. Starling and they maneuvered to pick us up. They lowered a scramble net over the side for us to climb up but we were too exhausted to climb up and so we just hung on an they pulled the whole net in." You can read the full account Here

A photo of HMS Springbank sinking:


U-201 was a type VIIC - built by Germania shipyard, Kiel. Launched 7 December 1940 and commissioned 25 January 1941. Another U-boat with an outstandingly successful record, at the time of the action against HG 73 she was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Adalbert Schnee:


Here is U-201 and some of her crew:



Finally, U-201's final resting place, sunk by depth charges from HMS Frame or HMS Audacity - there are conflicting accounts - but that's history for you I guess!

Very interesting account RJ. Thanks for sharing it.

It was sad to read about the poor sailors who lost their lives trying to jump across to the destroyer. What an awful moment that must have been for the men who saw it.

The 'cordite powered catapult' caught my imagination. Imagine being the pilot sat waiting for launch in the catapult aircraft... engine running at full power... the loud bang of the cordite charge... then the aircraft is suddenly flung off the side of the ship into the air! (with any luck). I guess that's how most aircraft catapults worked - I just never considered before what it must be like to be launched by one!

I'm thinking that the 'fighter catapult ship' would make an interesting addition to SH3 as an armed merchant class. I know that SH3 doesn't have the capability to launch aircraft from ships (they're just eye candy), but maybe the cordite-powered aircraft catapult could be configured as a gun, launching an 4-ton allied fighter plane (un-manned of course!) at your delicate U-boat?!?!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: VikingGrandad,

thats awesome, great story


uboat.net has the fate of every ship torpedoed and every u-boat sunk as well.

sad.

quote:

I'm thinking that the 'fighter catapult ship' would make an interesting addition to SH3 as an armed merchant class. I know that SH3 doesn't have the capability to launch aircraft from ships (they're just eye candy), but maybe the cordite-powered aircraft catapult could be configured as a gun, launching an 4-ton allied fighter plane (un-manned of course!) at your delicate U-boat?!?!

Now therein lies a Modders Challenge!

quote:

uboat.net has the fate of every ship torpedoed and every u-boat sunk as well.

sad.

It does indeed, Delfin1941 - and it makes for sobering reading I agree. To think that effectively 75% all crew members to leave port aboard a U-Boat during WW2 never came back is quite staggering.

The "photo of HMS Springbank sinking" is actually of HMS Prince of Wales sinking......

quote:

The "photo of HMS Springbank sinking" is actually of HMS Prince of Wales sinking......

You may be right GerritJ9. The information regarding HMS Springfield wasn't so hard to come by, but the photo's were scant and some of the descriptions led me to doubt their validity. I'll look into that sinking photo a bit deeper - if you'll pardon the pun!

RJ, we can forgive you seeing as you were honest
The sad, tragic point of this is that so many lives were lost during the actual rescue.
Being crushed between two rolling ships would not be my idea of a good night out.
I hope for the sake of those who died that way, that it was instant, and they didn't bob around for any length of time drowning in agony.
The sad side to all of this, is that a lot of good brave men died.
Great post RJ, good find

My Grandfather was aboard the Springbank and broke both his legs jumping from her.