An amazing picture

Bang



That's HMS Barham blowing up. She was torpedoed, began to sink and the pic is of her magazine blowing up.

Can you imagine taking a pic of a sinking ship and the very same instant as you push the button on the camera... the ship blows up?

Coincidence? Yeah probably, but kind of freaky all the same 8O

 

Would have shit myself if I'd been in the heads at the time , good laxative though :roll:

 

Over 2/3 of her crew were apparently lost at this moment, Gawd bless 'em.

What an amazing piece of photography, though.

 

Got to agree with you there Chalky , god bless 'em all , amazing it was only 2/3s when you look at the phot , :cry:

 

It's not a photo - its a still from a newsreel video - see here.

 

Ah. :roll: :lol:

 

On 15th April 1941 Churchill via Admiral Pound proposed using HMS Barham as a blockship for Tripoli harbour-Stop supplies to Rommel (along with an old Light Cruiser) Admiral Cunningham stated that due to secrecy he would not be able to ask for volunteers, therefore ships would have to be 2/3rds manned & without crews knowing that their ships/lives were to be sacrificed. He stated it would be totally abhorrent to him & would jepordise/if not destroy the confidence of the personnel of the Fleet in the higher command.
Idea dropped.
Book Churchill & the Admirals by Stephen Roskill
Riviting account of the relationship from WW1 & 2.

 

Was going to say, would be bit worried if the photographer then said "Here shippers lets get one of you." "Dont point that thing at me!!!!"

 

A gallant ship dies!!

And all the poor souls on board!!

 

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g10000/g17489.jpg

Try this one - it's reasonably well-known. The poor b*gger who took the shot was killed as he did so...

 

Tells me server not found

 

Re The Barham

Is it really the Magazines blowing or is it when the sea water hits her boilers.

I have watched the film a couple of times and the explosion seens to occur just as the water rushes down the funnels??

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Barham_(1914)

Not sure why sea water would cause the boilers to explode? - would the compression caused by the water rushing in cause the boilers to burst, or something?

 

Works for me, here's the pic

 

I'm not sure either, not being a stoker. Is it an urban myth then that boilers explode when the sea water hits them??
Rapid cooling etc

 

USS Enterprise? Is that the same as the Starship Enterprise? Or worst still, the Herald of Free Enterprise... :? :roll:

 

You know how the US gets, They'll have a USS Scotty next :wink:

 

pass the bag of soft wood wedges then! makes you think doesnt it

 

Oh you are soooooo old navy. We only have 1 type of wedge now :cry:

 

Defence cutbacks eh :roll: