Raymond Harry Utteridge
1914 - 1941 (27 years)
The Battleship HMS Hood
HMS Hood, the 'Mighty Hood' as she was popularly known in the Royal Navy, was the largest warship in the world on commissioning in 1920 and a symbol of imperial strength throughout the inter-war years. Her sinking in one of the most famous naval engagements in history, against the German battleship Bismarck, has etched itself on Britain's popular memory.
On 19 May 1941 HMS Hood sailed with the brand new battleship Prince of Wales to intercept the German battleship Bismarck that was attempting to break out into the North Atlantic. Bismarck and her compatriot, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, were shadowed on radar by the Norfolk and Suffolk which reported their position to Admiral Holland in Hood. In the Denmark Strait on the morning of 24 May Holland ordered his ships to close the range and shortly before 0600 both sides opened fire. The Bismarck's fifth salvo hit the Hood amidships penetrating the secondary armament magazine. The detonation spread to the main magazine resulting in a catastrophic explosion which tore the ship in half. Only three of her 1418 crew survived.
The loss of the navy's flagship in such dramatic circumstances and the appalling loss of life were greeted with profound shock in Britain. Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously signalled to the fleet 'The Bismarck must be sunk at all costs.' Crippled by Fleet Air Arm aircraft, Bismarck was engaged by the battleships King George V and Rodney on the morning of 27 May before being sunk with torpedoes. The destruction of the Mighty Hood had been avenged after one of the most dramatic chases in naval history.
Ack: Paraphrased from an article from the Royal Navy
| Owner/Source | Courtesy of the Royal Navy |
| Date | Added 26 Apr 2010 |
| Latitude | 63.05628650206088 |
| Longitude | -29.8828125 |
| Linked to | at sea, on board 'HMS Hood'; Raymond Harry Utteridge (Death) |