As I recall we were shortly informed by ship’s broadcast that we had attacked and destroyed an enemy vessel, and for some reason which I cannot now explain, a number of us were permitted to leave the turret and go out on deck to see this dark grey wreck of a vessel a short distance away, some 200–300 yards [180–275 m] at most, listing over with her hull exposed and with fires burning at various points along her deck, so slowly passing down our ship’s side. The upper deck short-range weapons raked the burning deck with gunfire as she drifted astern of us into the darkness and oblivion. I cannot remember seeing any movement nor signs of life on board, nor could I understand why this was so… It was an eerie and to my mind ghostly vision, unreal, as though in a black-and-white film, but the flames already dying as they were, seemed to illustrate the submissive though reluctant finality of a gallant foe.[111]
Friedrich Eckholdt went down with all hands.
—♦—
Kummetz must have been aware that the destroyer had run into the British cruisers, and being unable to contact her after 11.45 must have guessed her fate. With this in mind and with Hipper damaged, moreover mindful of his strict instructions not to risk the heavy ships, at 11.49 the vice-admiral signalled to both squadrons: ‘Break off battle, turn off west.’[112]
—♦—
Aboard Obdurate, Obedient and Orwell, the sight and sound of Rear-Admiral Burnett’s guns to the north-east was a godsend. They had been laying smoke to cover the convoy and knew he was on his way, but had only a sketchy idea of where or when he would arrive. Despite the smoke, at 11.42 Lützow finally caught a glimpse of her quarry and opened on the merchantmen with her secondary armament, straddling the freighter Calobre, peppering her with splinters and forcing her to drop out of line and transfer the convoy vice-commodore to Daldorch.[113] The convoy made an emergency turn to course 225°, while the British destroyers came around to the eastward to cover it with smoke and open fire on the German pocket battleship, although all their shots fell short. In reply one of the Lützow squadron destroyers, in all probability Z30, also opened fire. Johann Hengel was at his action station at the aft radio station and remembers:
My service started at 08.00 and went on until 12.00. During this time we came to a full-scale alert, everybody was at battle stations… At approximately 11.00 hours we had our first battle contact. I remember this exactly because at the time I briefly left the radio station. Dawn was breaking, one could see the visible horizon very well.[114] Our ship’s artillery as well as our fourfold torpedo came into action.[115]
None of Z30’s shells or torpedoes found their target, and following one broadside with her main armament, Lützow also ceased firing. At 11.45 she made a turn to port, coming onto course 290° to join up with Hipper.
Shortly thereafter Commander Kinloch sighted Admiral Hipper and her two destroyers 4–5 miles (7.5–9.2 km) to the north, on a southwesterly course. The British destroyers turned together to the north-west and with Obdurate leading, steered to place themselves between the convoy and this new enemy. By this time, however, Lützow was rapidly closing the distance to Hipper and with her secondary armament opened an accurate fire on the British destroyers, to which they replied. At 12.00 Lützow’s main armament joined in, and Obdurate immediately suffered damage from a near miss.
—♦—
The twenty-year-old officers’ cook aboard Orwell, Smith Belford, witnessed the duel between the destroyers and their fearsome opponent from his action station at ammunition supply for the destroyer’s ‘Y’ turret. Ammunition was stored under the captain’s cabin (not to be confused with the captain’s day cabin under the bridge), sent up via two chutes then pushed by hand up a slide to the turret. Standing on the upper deck, Belford saw in the distance the telltale ripples of flame as Lützow opened fire and the first salvo screeching over the speeding destroyer. He remembered Lieutenant-Commander Austen ordering ‘Astern!’ The abrupt change in pace evidently upset the pocket battleship’s gunnery as the next salvo fell just ahead, where Orwell would have been.[116] Lützow was also considerably hindered by the freezing up of her navigation perioscopes and target instruments.
As both the Hipper and Lützow squadrons continued off to westward, the British destroyers again fell back to cover the convoy.
—♦—
Bearing round in a wide loop to port, having engaged Eckholdt and Beitzen, at 11.54 Force ‘R’ altered course to westward and at 12.15 obtained an RDF contact on a large ship bearing 230°. This was Hipper retiring from the battle, and was followed at 12.23 by the sighting of two destroyers to the south at some 8000 yards (7315 m) distance. These were almost certainly Richard Beitzen and Z29, and they were in a good position from which to launch a torpedo attack. Rear-Admiral Burnett altered course southward to engage them, however in the director control tower above Sheffield’s bridge, observers had spotted Lützow beyond the destroyers at a range of some 17,000 yards (15,544 m). Closing to 14,000 yards, (12,801 m), Sheffield and Jamaica opened fire on the pocket battleship at 12.29. Lützow replied immediately with main and secondary armament, and was joined a few moments later by Admiral Hipper. Observation positions on the German flagship were now clear of ice and smoke, and within minutes her salvos straddled the British cruisers. Force ‘R’ was now coming under fire from Lützow to the south and Hipper to the west, and had also to watch for torpedo attacks from the destroyers.[117] In view of this Rear-Admiral Burnett altered away to the northward, and by 12.36 the battle was over. Jamaica claimed one hit on Lützow but there are no reports of damage to the pocket battleship in the German records.
Rear-Admiral Burnett maintained contact with the withdrawing German forces until 13.45 when radar contact was lost. He first swept south then north to ensure that the enemy were not doubling back, then returned to cover the convoy, which he had still not seen, and of whose position he was still very uncertain.
—♦—
As the drama of the battle was being played out, another drama, and one that was to have disastrous consequences for the Kriegsmarine, was just beginning. Observing the battle from some distance, at 11.45 (just as Force ‘R’ engaged Hipper and Eckholdt in quick succession), Kapitänleutnant Herschelb of U354 despatched a curiously worded message to Admiral Kluber in Narvik – a message destined to be dramatically misunderstood by the German high command: ‘Watching from this locality the battle has reached its climax. I can see only red.’[118]
PHOTO INSERT 2
Robert St Vincent Sherbrooke, VC, DSO, RN, Captain (D) 17th Destroyer Flotilla, awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in command of the JW51B close escort. Captain Sherbrooke suffered serious injuries in the action. (Photo: IWM HU1920)
British destroyer HMS Onslow, leader, 17th Destroyer Flotilla. (Photo: IWM A9285)
Direct hit to Onslow’s funnel, one of three 8 in shell hits sustained while engaging Admiral Hipper. Splinters from this explosion showered the bridge, badly wounding Captain Sherbrooke. (Photo: IWM. MH10406)
Vice-Admiral Oskar Kummetz. His plan for Operation Regenbogen was a good one, but the German high command, principally Hitler himself, placed the admiral under crippling restrictions. (Photo: IWM A 14900)
Grand Admiral Erich Raeder. He held the post of C-in-C German navy from 1928, but felt compelled to resign at his meeting with Hitler of 6 January 1943, called as a result of the Battle of the Barents Sea. (Photo: IWM A14906)
Vice-Admiral Kummetz’s flagship for the attack on convoy JW51B, the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, at anchor in Trondheim Fjord.
Kapitän zur See Hans Hartmann captained Admiral Hipper for the Barents Sea action – pictured later as a vice-admiral. (Photo: Mr Klaus Hartman)
With Admiral Hipper spending much of her time in Norwegian waters, concerts, with entertainers from home, made a welcome break. Josef Schmitz is pictured above and to the right of the singer’s head, looking towards the left of the picture.
Admiral Hipper, Division VII, weapons technicians for artillery, anti-aircraft guns, torpedoes
and ammunition. Four officers and approximately ninety crew.
British destroyer HMS Obedient. (Photo: IWM A17864)
Rear-Admiral Robert Burnett, C-in-C Force ‘R’, comprising the light cruisers Sheffield and Jamaica. (Photo: IWM FLM1225)
British light cruiser HMS Sheffield, Rear-Admiral Burnett’s flagship, Force ‘R’ (Photo: IWM A13970)
British light cruiser HMS Jamaica, a brand-new ship – the Battle of the Barents Sea was her first action (Photo: IWM A30157)
German Maasz Class destroyer Richard Beitzen. This ship had a lucky escape while in company with her sister vessel and flotilla leader Friedrich Eckholdt. In poor visibility they mistook Sheffield for Admiral Hipper, and in the ensuing engagement Friedrich Eckholdt was sunk with all hands. (Photo: IWM HU1051)
British destroyer HMS Achates, sunk by Admiral Hipper while laying a smoke screen to cover the convoy. (Photo: IWM FL51)
British minesweeper HMS Bramble. Detached from the convoy to search for stragglers, she strayed across the path of Admiral Hipper and was sunk with all hands. (Photo: IWM A6338)
Royal Indian Navy corvette Hyderabad. Finding herself in position to make several important enemy sightings, she failed to pass most of them on. (Photo: IWM FL 22671)
CHAPTER 7
‘ROLL OUT THE BARREL’
By the time Hipper had switched her fire to Obedient, the situation aboard Achates was less than encouraging. Chief Engineer Peter Wright, his head and shoulders poking up over the starboard edge of the wrecked bridge, reported to Lieutenant Peyton-Jones that the ship had taken a direct hit just below. The shell had torn a gaping hole in the port side before exploding in the seamen’s bathroom, putting the nearby gunnery transmission station out of action and killing most of its crew. The explosion also fractured the after bulkhead of compartments already flooded earlier in the day, and extended the area of hull damage along the port side of the forecastle. A huge hole had been made in the ship’s side abreast No. 2 boiler room, which had to be closed down and abandoned. Light and power in many parts of the ship had failed, and casualties had been severe. Decks and passageways were encumbered with the dead and wounded, but of James MacFarlane, the ship’s doctor, there was no sign. It was assumed that he had been blown over the side as he journeyed between first-aid stations established at either end of the ship. Lieutenant Peyton-Jones ordered the crew to fall out from action stations, and for all available hands to assist Peter Wright in his efforts to restore what services he could and limit further flooding.[119]
By now Achates had taken on a 15° list to port, and being down by the head became difficult to steer. Nevertheless, with the aid of a boat’s compass in the wheelhouse, it was possible to maintain a zigzag course across the stern of the convoy while laying a smokescreen; however, speed had reduced to 12 knots. Gun flashes could still be seen to the north and north-west, and at 11.45 a visual signal was flashed to Hyderabad to ask if the smokescreen was still effective. The reply was that it was ‘most useful’.[120]
As time passed the list slowly increased, and as it did so more and more holes, as yet unplugged, sank below the water line. Eventually, at 13.00, Peter Wright reported to Peyton-Jones that, although the struggle still went on to save the ship, it was no longer possible to maintain steam in the only remaining boiler. Smoke stopped belching from the funnel, and Achates wallowed to a halt some 3 miles (4.8 km) on the starboard quarter of the convoy. The two men discussed the possibility of arranging a tow, and Wright went off to make preparations. Sadly, that was the last that Peyton-Jones saw of the Chief Engineer.[121]
On a salvaged box lamp, Yeoman Albert Taylor called up the nearest escort, the trawler Northern Gem, signalling ‘Not under control. Please stand by me’, adding a request to be taken in tow. However, this proved to be impractical with the existing degree of list, and Peyton-Jones had no option but to issue instructions to launch boats and carley floats, and get the wounded and everyone else onto the upper deck. Northern Gem’s skipper, Lieutenant Aisthorpe, later explained that the message flashed on the box lamp had been so difficult to read in the poor light that he half-thought that it might be transmitted by an enemy destroyer. As Northern Gem slowly approached, Achates started to roll slowly onto her port side, Peyton-Jones and Yeoman Taylor having to climb over the edge of the bridge onto the side of the wheelhouse, hauling crewmen up out of the wheelhouse passage, now at their feet, as they did so. The ship lay completely on her beam ends, with water pouring through ventilator outlets, doors, hatches, and the horizontal funnels. Lieutenant Peyton-Jones had time to hang his binoculars neatly on a convenient projection before the ship capsized completely, and the men found themselves in the freezing Arctic waters. As he struck out to get clear of the ship, Peyton-Jones looked back and saw her stern pointing skywards as she slowly disappeared.[122]
Achates sank at around 13.00, her position approximately 73°03’ N, 30°42’ E.
A good number of rafts and carley floats had been launched from the ship, and the First Lieutenant swam to one and climbed on, his chief concern now being that Northern Gem might have trouble locating them in the gathering darkness. The floats were provided with a flashing light for just such an emergency, and Peyton-Jones held it aloft for several minutes, thanking Providence that it was functioning correctly. Attracted by the light and his calls, some fifteen men gathered around the float, including Coxswain Daniel Hall. Wounded men, and those who seemed most distressed, were manhandled onto the float, and Peyton-Jones told them that Northern Gem was on her way. A suggestion was made that a sing-song would keep up their spirits, and they began to sing, a little uncertainly at first, the popular pub anthem ‘Roll out the Barrel’. This was taken up by others in the water around them, and whether it helped them or not, it is on record as having amazed and inspired their rescuers.[123]
As Northern Gem approached, members of her crew climbed out onto the trawler’s rubbing strake or were clinging to rescue nets which hung over the gunwale, ready to pull survivors aboard. Without this assistance, few could have hauled themselves up the trawler’s side to safety. As it was, some, wounded, exhausted, and suffering the debilitating effects of hypothermia, could carry on no longer even with rescue so close, and drifted away. Peyton-Jones and his companions paddled towards Northern Gem and someone threw them a line, which was made fast to the float. Unfortunately, in the urgency of the moment, everyone crowded to one side and the float capsized, throwing them all back into the sea. The trawler’s crew struggled manfully to get survivors inboard but it was no easy task, the men in the water being weighed down as they were with bulky sodden clothing, and able to do little to help themselves. Lieutenant Peyton-Jones became aware of increasing numbness, and climbed back onto the empty carley float, pulling off his heavy sheepskin jacket and seaboots. Another survivor appeared and was helped onto the float. By now most of the swimmers had been rescued, and someone hauled the float back alongside while a member of Northern Gem’s crew hoisted Peyton-Jones’s companion aboard on a bowline. The lieutenant was suddenly gripped by an overpowering feeling that if he did not get off the float now he never would, and stepping on to the side of the rolling and plunging raft, he leapt to hook his elbows over the trawler’s gunwale, where willing hands grabbed him and deposited him in a heap on the deck.[124]
Referring to the part played by Achates in the battle, the C-in-C Home Fleet, Admiral Tovey, later remarked:
I consider the action of Lieut. Commander A.H.T. Johns, RN, and subsequently Lieutenant L.E. Peyton-Jones, RN, to have been gallant in the extreme. They only had one idea, to give what protection they could to the convoy, and this they continued to do up to the moment of sinking. The behaviour of all officers and ratings was magnificent.
The admiral also highly commended Lieutenant Aisthorpe, RNR, for the ‘courageous and seamanlike handling of the Northern Gem’, which resulted in the rescue of so many survivors.[125]
—♦—
The danger from further attack having passed, at 14.4
5 the convoy altered to 110°, back on course for Murmansk, and at 20.15 Obedient closed with Northern Gem to hear for the first time of the sinking of Achates. The trawler was fitted out as a rescue ship, and had bunks, blankets and dry kit for the destroyer’s eighty-one survivors, but she had no doctor. It was decided that when Northern Gem caught up with the convoy, Obdurate should transfer her medical officer to the trawler.
Obedient sighted two ships at 20.47, bearing 180°, and made an enemy report, but this was cancelled when they were identified as two stragglers returning to the convoy.
—♦—
Like Achates, flotilla leader Onslow had taken a severe pounding. As she took station at the head of the convoy following her engagement with Hipper, flames and smoke belched from her forecastle and beneath ‘B’ turret. The engine room still produced a monumental smoke screen which occasionally blew forward over the bridge, compounded by passing through a very effective smoke screen being laid by the convoy. Add to this steam issuing from escape pipes with such a roar that it was impossible to hear anyone speak, and the destroyer presented a spectacle which Dante would have recognised instantly.
Red Sky in the Morning Page 9
