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Sunday 26 June 2016

Germany claiming sinking British battleship HMS Warspite according to the Dutch newspaper De Tribune dated 5 June 1916


An item referred to a statement of the British Admiralty reporting that the claim by the German chairman of the Parliament as mentioned in a telegram sent to the German embassy at Washington, USA that the British battleship War spite (1) during the last battle (2) was nonsense. She returned safely in the harbour just like the Alcasta did. The Royal British navy lost 8 destroyers included the until then unknown Nomade (3), Nestor (4) and Shark (5).

Notes
1. Of the Queen-Elizabeth-class consisting of the Queen Elizabeth, Malaya, Warspite, Valiant, Barham, Malaya and the in 1914 cancelled Agincourt. Preceded by the Iron Duke-class and succeeded by the Revenge-class. Pennant 03. Laid down at the HMD Dockyard Devonport, England on 31 October 1912, launched on 26 November 1913, commissioned on 8 March 1915, modernized in 1924 and March 1934-March 1937, decommissioned on 1 February 1945,while underway to be broken up run aground at Prussian Cove around 19 April 1947. Efforts to salvage her in 1950 were not successful and after she was finally beached off St. Michael’s Mount {Marazion, England] and there broken up. Displacement 33.110 (normal)-33.794 (deep load) tons and as dimensions 196,82 (over all) x 27,58 x 10,1 metres or 643.9 x 90.7 x 33 feet. Two sets Brown-Curtiss direct drive steam turbines and 24 Yarrow boilers supplied via 4 shaft 75.000 shp allowing a speed of 24 knots. With a oil bunker capacity of 3.400 ton and a speed of 12 knots was their range 5.000 nautical miles. The crew numbered between 1.025-1.262-1.920 (as flagship) men. The armament consisted of 4x2-38,1cm/15” Mk I guns, 14x1-15,2cm/6” breech loading Mk XII guns, 2x1-3” quick firing anti aircraft guns, 4x1-3pd/4,7cm saluting guns and 4-53cm/21” submerged torpedo tubes. Krupp cemented armour consisted of a 4”(end aft)-6” (end fore)-13” middle thick belt, upper belt 6”, 4 and 6” bulkheads for and aft, gun turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 4.25” (top)-11” (sides)-13” (face), 4-6” (below belt)-7-10” (above belt) and 3” (roof)-4” (revolving hood)-11” (sides), 6” guns protected by 6” thick armour and conning tower tube, torpedo conning tower and torpedo conning tower tube by respectively 4-6”, 6“ and 4“.
2. Battle of Jutland or Skagerrak between the British and German navies 31 May-1 June 1916. British losses 6.094 men killed, 674 men wounded, l3 battle cruisers, 3 armoured cruisers, 8 destroyers total tonnage lost 113.300 tons and German losses 2.551 men killed, 507 wounded, 1 battle cruiser, 1 pre-dreadnought, 4 light cruisers, total tonnage 62.300 tons.
3. The Nomad of the M-class, launched by Styephen on 7 February 1916, sunk during the Battle of Jutland.
4. Of the M-class, launched at Swan Hunter on 22 December 1915, sunk during the Battle of Jutland.
5. Launched at Swan Hunter on 30 July 1912 sunk during the Battle of Jutland.