British navy ships HMS Royal Oak, Oberon and Cumberland harassed by sabotage according to the Dutch newspaper Marineblad dated 1936 no. 2

HMS Oberon

Revenge-class

HMS Cumberland. Drawing by G.J.F. Naerebout in Van Zee tot Zee

An item referred to the magazine N.M.R. dated 12 December 1935 reported two cases of sabotage at the navy yard at Devonport, England on board of the submarine HMS Oberon (1) and the battleship HMS Royal Oak (2). The magazine Marine Rundschau dated January 1936 reported that a sail maker’s needle was pushed into the main cable of the fire control of the Royal Oak damaged all strings within the cable. The head of the nail was filed down. The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 17 February 1936 mentioned also a case of sabotage on board of the cruiser HMS Cumberland.(3)

Notes
1. First of the O class submarines, laid down at the Chatham Dockyard, England on 24 September 1924, launched on 24 September 1926, commissioned on 24 August 1927, decommissioned on 5 July 1844 and sold to be broken up on 24 August 1945. Pennant number P21.
2. Part of the Revenge-class although often referred to as the Royal Sovereign-class or even ‘R‘_class. There were totally 8 ships planned of which two the Renown and Repulse were built using another design as battle cruisers and the third one the Resistance was cancelled. The 5 sister ships were the Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Revenge, Ramillies and Resolution. Preceded by the Queen Elisabeth-class and to be succeeded by the planned but never realized N3 class and the realized Nelson-class. Laid down at the Navy Dockyard, Devonport, England on 15 January 1914, launched on 17 November 1914, commissioned on 1 May 1916 and sunk by the German submarine U-47at Scapa Flow on 14 October 1939. Pennant number 08. Building costs 2.468.269 pound sterling. Nicknamed The Mighty Oak.
3. Part of the County-class heavy cruisers Kent sub class consisting of the Berwick, Kent, Cumberland, Cornwall and Suffolk of the British Royal Navy and the Australia and Canberra of the Royal Australian Navy, preceded by the Hawkins-class and succeeded by the York-class. Laid down by Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow in Furness, England on 18 October 1924, launched on 16 March 1926, commissioned on 23 February 1928, decommissioned in 1946, refitted, rearmed and converted into a gunnery trials ship at Devonport, England between 1949-1951, recommissioned in 1951 and sold to be broken up in 1959.