Last veteran of Hood sinking dies

BBC ^ | 10/06/2008

[Vanders9]

The last remaining survivor of the sinking of WWII battle cruiser HMS Hood in May 1941 has died at the age of 85, his naval association has said.

[abb]

ping

[abb]

http://www.hmshood.com/

[abb]

http://www.hmshood.com/crew/biography/tedbriggs_bio.htm

[CatoRenasci]

Hood never had a main belt sufficient to steam in the line of battle against other dreadnoughts, even German first generation WWI dreadnoughts with 11" main batteries firing at WWI ranges at WWI elevation angles of fall.

Hood's only virtue was showing the flag and looking intimidating. It was a good sea boat and a handsome ship, though not nearly so handsome as her predecessor Tiger which was perhaps the handsomest of all the first and second generation dreadnoughts.

Even with the refits during the 1930s, primarily to add torpedo bulges and improve anti-aircraft defense, it never approached the level of protection it would have needed had it been at Jutland!

[happygrl]

As soon as I saw this thread, the old Johnny Horton song went through my head. All the boys in school sang it and read the one book in our elementary school library about that battle.

I was the only girl at school who read it too, and was considered "OK" by the boys as a result.

No Cooties-:)

Anyway, I'm glad that Ted Briggs lived to have a long life after this horrific incident.

We will never know what horror these men endured, and can never repay the debt we owe.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

hmshood.
Thanks very much. Very interesting and some good history. I own several books on American BBs. Its interesting that Britain couldn't afford to take Hood in for the two years a refit would take. During this time, the US turned out vessels of endless variety.

[abb]

Been a fanatic on WW2 and WW1 BB’s, cruisers, destroyers, etc. all my life. Have a huge library (probably 1,000 books, give or take) on the subject. Several editions of Jane’s Fighting Ships from years ago, plus over 30 years of Warship International quarterly.

http://www.warship.org/

As I get older, I need to find a good home for all these books. Probably will donate them to the USS Alabama in Mobile. They have a library and the guy I talked to said they probably can use them.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KecIdlEAKhU

There’s the video. :)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

What a wonderful idea. I salute you for thinking of those to follow.
My collection of BB books forcuses on the Iowas and where they went. Did you know there were six Iowas, not four ?

[abb]

Yes. Wasn’t the bow of the incomplete USS Kentucky used to replace the bow of one the four? Don’t recall which. Maybe USS Missouri.

[D_Idaho]

Homer and Jethro right?

[D_Idaho]

Homer and Jethro right?

[backhoe]

A sentimental favorite of mine:

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b5d8b70471f.htm
We’ve done it. We’ve found her ... H.M.S. Hood found at last!

Culture/Society Extended News Announcement Keywords: HMS HOOD FOUND AT LAST
Source: CH 4 News (UK)
Author: Rob White reports
Posted on 07/24/2001 07:51:28 PDT by Bob Evans

[Tallguy]

Hood's only virtue was showing the flag and looking intimidating.

I had read a comment from a veteran of the Graf Spee that they'd always considered the Hood to be their 'opposite number'. I guess both ships passed a lot 'showing the flag' during the inter-war years. I thought that was revealing in how the German Navy 'ranked' the panzerschiff. Says a lot about how they regarded Hood, too.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

BB-66 Kentucky was 70 percent completed at Norfolk in 1956, even though her keel had been laid in 1944 and suspended in 1947. The bow section was used to repair the Wisconsin after a collision with the Destroyer Eaton in 1955. The Kentucky was finally scrapped in 1958.
The BB-65 Illinois was canceled when 25 percent complete in August, 1945. Not sure when the Illinois was actually scrapped.
After the Iowas, there was to be the Montana class. Five of these were envisioned but existed only on paper.

[Skooz]

Wore the grooves off this album as a kid.

[PLMerite]

Somewhere I have a print of the “Last Moments of HMS Hood” by Robert Taylor (I think), signed by Ted Briggs.

[abb]

A nice site. Lots of pics.
http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/

[CatoRenasci]

I had read a comment from a veteran of the Graf Spee that they'd always considered the Hood to be their 'opposite number'. I guess both ships passed a lot 'showing the flag' during the inter-war years. I thought that was revealing in how the German Navy 'ranked' the panzerschiff. Says a lot about how they regarded Hood, too.

Hood was quite a bit faster than the German pocket battleships and outranged them. With those advantages, Hood should have been able to sink them handily. While well-enough protected to stand against any 10,000 ton 8" armed Treaty heavy cruiser, and heavily enough armed to sink same, they didn't have the speed to tangle with the later 30+ knot battlecruisers like Renown, Repulse or Hood.

I think the truth of the equivalence was that the ships could project power and clear the seas of London Treaty cruisers.

[Vanders9]

I’m not so sure about that. Hood had a lot of armor plate, its just that it had been added on hotch potch...inch here, two inches there...it all added up to a pretty strong belt, it just wasn’t in the most efficient configuration :)