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Whilst heading for this German force the flotilla ran into a newly laid, uncharted minefield and ''Express'' was badly damaged, losing most of her [[Bow (ship)|bow]].<ref name="haining178">{{Harvnb|Haining|2004|p=178}}.</ref><ref name="hayward34">{{Harvnb|Hayward|2001|p=34}}.</ref> The explosion caused heavy casualties, ninety of the 175 men on board were killed or wounded, including her captain, JG Bickford, who was injured by the explosion.<ref name="hayward34"/> The flotilla commander, Lieutenant-Commander Crouch, moved his ship, ''Esk'', to assist the ''Express'' but also hit a mine and the vessel swiftly sank, killing all on board, save one man.<ref name="hayward34"/> The ''Ivanhoe'' then went to transfer the wounded from the ''Express'' but also hit a mine and was badly damaged, the explosion killing a further 53 men and wounding the majority of the crew.<ref name="hayward34"/> Several life rafts, carrying shipwrecked sailors, drifted into the Dutch coast where they were detained by the German authorities as [[prisoners of war]].<ref name="hayward34"/>
Whilst heading for this German force the flotilla ran into a newly laid, uncharted minefield and ''Express'' was badly damaged, losing most of her [[Bow (ship)|bow]].<ref name="haining178">{{Harvnb|Haining|2004|p=178}}.</ref><ref name="hayward34">{{Harvnb|Hayward|2001|p=34}}.</ref> The explosion caused heavy casualties, ninety of the 175 men on board were killed or wounded, including her captain, JG Bickford, who was injured by the explosion.<ref name="hayward34"/> The flotilla commander, Lieutenant-Commander Crouch, moved his ship, ''Esk'', to assist the ''Express'' but also hit a mine and the vessel swiftly sank, killing all on board, save one man.<ref name="hayward34"/> The ''Ivanhoe'' then went to transfer the wounded from the ''Express'' but also hit a mine and was badly damaged, the explosion killing a further 53 men and wounding the majority of the crew.<ref name="hayward34"/> Several life rafts, carrying shipwrecked sailors, drifted into the Dutch coast where they were detained by the German authorities as [[prisoners of war]].<ref name="hayward34"/>


The 1 September brought ''Kelvin'' and ''Jupiter'' from the 5th flotilla to help rescue the shipwrecked crews and later two light cruisers, [[HMS Aurora (12)|HMS ''Aurora'']] and [[HMS Galatea (71)|HMS ''Galatea'']] arrived as an escort.<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-39K-Kelvin.htm Naval History entry for Kelvin]</ref><ref name="uboat"/> ''Ivanhoe'' was scuttled by fire from the ''Kelvin'' and the ships returned to port.<ref name="uboat"/> ''Jupiter'' [[Towing|towed]] the hulk of ''Express'' until tugs could be sent out to take over.<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-37J-Jupiter.htm Naval history entry on Jupiter]</ref> On the way ''Galatea'' hit a further mine and was slightly damaged.<ref name="uboat"/>
1 September brought ''Kelvin'' and ''Jupiter'' from the 5th flotilla to help rescue the shipwrecked crews and later two light cruisers, [[HMS Aurora (12)|HMS ''Aurora'']] and [[HMS Galatea (71)|HMS ''Galatea'']] arrived as an escort.<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-39K-Kelvin.htm Naval History entry for Kelvin]</ref><ref name="uboat"/> ''Ivanhoe'' was scuttled by fire from the ''Kelvin'' and the ships returned to port.<ref name="uboat"/> ''Jupiter'' [[Towing|towed]] the hulk of ''Express'' until tugs could be sent out to take over.<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-37J-Jupiter.htm Naval history entry on Jupiter]</ref> On the way ''Galatea'' hit a further mine and was slightly damaged.<ref name="uboat"/>


== Aftermath ==
== Aftermath ==

Revision as of 02:58, 29 September 2008

The Texel disaster took place off the Dutch coast on the night of 31 August 1940 and involved the sinking of two Royal Navy destroyers and damage to a third and a light cruiser. The disaster was caused by a destroyer flotilla running into an unmarked minefield which caused serious damage to one vessel, two more destroyers were sunk going to the aid of the first and a light cruiser sent as an escort was slightly damaged by a mine on the return journey. In all the disaster caused around 300 deaths with a further 100 men injured or taken prisoner of war.

The disaster

On the night of 31 August 1940 the British 20th Destroyer Flotilla consisting of HMS Express, HMS Esk, HMS Icarus, HMS Intrepid and HMS Ivanhoe sailed from Immingham to the Dutch coast North-West of Texel to lay mines.[1] The flotilla was joined by part of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla consisting of HMS Kelvin, HMS Jupiter and HMS Vortigern.[1] Whilst laying mines air reconnaissance detected a German naval force moving west from Terschelling towards Britain; fearing an invasion the 20th flotilla was ordered to intercept.[2]

Wounded sailors from Express are transferred to Kelvin

Whilst heading for this German force the flotilla ran into a newly laid, uncharted minefield and Express was badly damaged, losing most of her bow.[3][4] The explosion caused heavy casualties, ninety of the 175 men on board were killed or wounded, including her captain, JG Bickford, who was injured by the explosion.[4] The flotilla commander, Lieutenant-Commander Crouch, moved his ship, Esk, to assist the Express but also hit a mine and the vessel swiftly sank, killing all on board, save one man.[4] The Ivanhoe then went to transfer the wounded from the Express but also hit a mine and was badly damaged, the explosion killing a further 53 men and wounding the majority of the crew.[4] Several life rafts, carrying shipwrecked sailors, drifted into the Dutch coast where they were detained by the German authorities as prisoners of war.[4]

1 September brought Kelvin and Jupiter from the 5th flotilla to help rescue the shipwrecked crews and later two light cruisers, HMS Aurora and HMS Galatea arrived as an escort.[5][1] Ivanhoe was scuttled by fire from the Kelvin and the ships returned to port.[1] Jupiter towed the hulk of Express until tugs could be sent out to take over.[6] On the way Galatea hit a further mine and was slightly damaged.[1]

Aftermath

The final toll of the disaster was approximately 300 killed with a further 100 injured or taken prisoner, this was the greatest loss of life suffered by Nore Command since the evacuation of Dunkirk.[4] The German "invasion force" turned out to be a small minelaying unit transferring from Cuxhaven to Rotterdam.[4] The casualties returning from the disaster, some badly burned, contributed to the myth that a German invasion had been repulsed by the use of burning oil floated on the sea.[7] One theory amongst British civilians and press of the time laid the blame for the disaster with Lord Mountbatten.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e U-Boat reference site entry on Ivanhoe
  2. ^ Hayward 2001, p. 33-34.
  3. ^ a b Haining 2004, p. 178.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Hayward 2001, p. 34.
  5. ^ Naval History entry for Kelvin
  6. ^ Naval history entry on Jupiter
  7. ^ Hayward 2001, p. 33.

References

  • Hayward, James (2001), The bodies on the beach:Sealion, Shingle Street and the burning sea myth of 1940, Dereham, Norfolk: CD41, ISBN 0954054903.
  • Haining, Peter (2004), Where the eagle landed:The mystery of the German invasion of Briitain, 1940, Robson, ISBN 1861057504.
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