FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: HMS Glowworm ~ 14 November 2016

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC and The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

HMS Glowworm
All info and photos from this website.

           

HMS Glowworm, (H92)  a 'G' class destroyer was launched on 22nd  July 1935. She weighed 1,345 tons. She was armed with four 4.7 inch guns; seven anti-aircraft/machine guns; ten 21 inch torpedo tubes and depth charges. She cost £300,000 to build and had a complement of 145. (Picture: Glowworm in 1936)

 

Her first peacetime duties were in the Mediterranean which included escort work at the time of the Spanish Civil War and the Munich Crisis. It seemed that  Glowworm was developing a habit of colliding with things in an uncanny similarity to her destiny, after she hit HMS Grenade, her sister ship, in May 1939, whilst on night exercises and the Swedish Ship Rex in February 1940. Both collisions resulting in her undertaking extensive damage repair.      (Picture: Glowworm at Alexandria after colliding with Grenade  in May 1939. Note the extensive damage.)

 

On 22nd July 1938 Lieutenant Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope was appointed in command of Glowworm. A competent career naval officer, well liked  and respected by his men. His ship's company called him 'Old Ardover', for his habit of altering course at a moment's notice and 'Rammer Roope' as a result of the events described above. At the Outbreak of World War Two, Glowworm was based at Harwich. On 5th April 1940 She left for the stormy waters of Norway as one of the escorts for the Battle Cruiser Renown, dispatched to intercept the expected German invasion force. (Picture: Glowworm in heavy seas)

On 6th April whilst screening a minelaying operation (Operation Wilfrid) off the coast of Norway, Glowworm, in heavy weather conditions, lost a man overboard. After seeking permission from the Renown, Lt Cdr Roope turned her around to look for him. After spending the day fruitlessly searching they gave up and attempted to rejoin the group. On the morning of  8th April Glowworm, still on her own, sighted a destroyer who when challenged, initially identified itself as Swedish. The destroyer was in fact German: Bernd Von Arnim, which began firing. The Glowworm promptly returned fire. Another German destroyer soon appeared: Paul Jakobi. Glowworm's fight against the odds had begun. Picture:  destroyer in the distance: Glowworm as photographed from the Hipper.

 

In the ensuing exchange Bernd Von Arnim, packed with invasion troops and Paul Jakobi, both turned and fled into a rain squall. Lt Cdr Roope guessed that they were trying to lead him on to their main force, but gave chase in an attempt to find the main German Invasion fleet, so he could report their position to the Admiralty. After emerging on the other side of the squall, Glowworm came face to face with the 10,000 ton German Heavy Cruiser Admiral Von Hipper, armed with eight 8 inch and twelve 4 inch guns. 

Picture (above) The Heavy Cruiser Admiral Von Hipper

 

Roope immediately ordered that the Glowworm make smoke and  for an enemy sighting signal to be sent. Using the cover of her smoke screen the Glowworm made two torpedo attacks. Firing a total of ten torpedoes. One missed the Hipper by yards but none found their mark. All this time Glowworm was taking crippling hits from the Hipper's big guns. Lt Cdr Roope then ordered a sharp turn to starboard and headed straight for the Hipper giving the famous order "Stand by to ram".

 

The Hipper, realising too late what was happening tried to turn and ram the Glowworm but was much too slow. Glowworm, all guns firing and siren wailing like a banshee, tore into the Hipper's starboard side. Striking her amidships, She tore away 100 feet of Hipper's armoured plating, damaging the starboard side torpedo tubes, killing one man at his gun and puncturing two fresh water tanks. Picture: (left) Glowworm on fire but still fighting

 

After ramming the Hipper, Glowworm drew clear. Although her decks were swept by a storm of fire from Hipper's 4.1 inch and close range weapons, she still managed to get off another salvo hitting Hipper at a range of 400 yards. The salvo came from the only gun on Glowworm still firing, commanded by Petty Officer Walter Scott. She was by then starting to sink. Her bows wrecked, a major fire raging amidships and all steam pressure lost, Roope gave the order to abandon ship. 

Picture: (above) Admiralty Artists Impression of Glowworm ramming the Hipper.

 

Lt Cdr Roope was seen on her keel talking to a Petty Officer, Townsend, about the fact that they wouldn't play cricket for a while again. He then went to open the sea cocks to sink her. As the Glowworm went down, men climbed onto her bow or dived into the stormy, freezing, oil covered water. As she slipped under, her siren which had been going all through the action, abruptly stopped causing a momentary eerie silence. Until her depth charges blew up, killing yet more men.    The Captain of the Hipper, Helmuth Heye, chivalrously stayed for over an hour picking up survivors. Picture: (left) Glowworm sinking  as  seen  through Hipper's gun sights

 

Heye positioned Hipper so that the current in the sea would bring the drifting survivors to him. All the personnel on deck, including the soldiers, helped to pull in the exhausted, oil covered survivors. Many grabbed ropes but were too exhausted to hold on to them and slipped to their deaths. Lt Cdr Roope was in the water helping his men to the ropes and to get life jackets on. Finally he took hold of a rope himself and was pulled some distance up the side. But with a combination of the huge waves and his exhaustion, he let go and slipped beneath the waves.

Out of a total crew of 149, only 31 survived. The only officer was Torpedo Control officer Lt. Robert Ramsey. The Germans congratulated the survivors on a good fight and treated them as equals. Captain Heye told the survivors that their Captain was a very brave man. Later Heye sent a message through the International Red cross, recommending Lt Cdr Roope for the Victoria Cross. The only time in British History that the VC was recommended by the enemy.

 

Picture: (above)  Survivors are pulled aboard the Hipper. The man in the water is believed to be Bert Harris. Below: Oil covered survivors board the Hipper from a Carley float.	Picture (above) German Sailors and soldiers haul survivors aboard. Note the oil blackened face of the survivor on the far left. Below: Captain Heye oversees the rescue on board the Hipper.

 

 

The Survivors spent the rest of the war as POWs. It was only after the war when they returned and Lt Ramsey told the story, that the events of that fateful day in April 1940 came to light. As a result of the gallant action Lt Cdr Roope was awarded the Victoria Cross; Lt Ramsey the Distinguished Service Order; and three other ratings got the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal; Engine Room Artificer Henry Gregg; Petty Officer Walter Scott and Able Seaman Reginald Merritt.
 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

And thanks, Biglook, for the heads up on this hero!

 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Welcome to the Canteen, okie01...glad you enjoyed this week’s hero story.

[radu]

Well, turns out I wasn’t far from full zoom before. At full zoom, the edges are cropped out and that’s no fun. Can’t see the crater bumps along the edges.

[luvie]

Nicon’s are great cameras. I don’t even use another camera besides my phone camera any more, though. Totally easy to share immediately without having to plug anything into the laptop.

The pictures aren’t bad, and I’m lazy. LOL!

[MoochPooch]

I don’t work far from Trump Tower, but so far, there hasn’t been anything in my area. The rabbis in my community keep talking about the election. Definitely a miracle, and a disruption.

[Kathy in Alaska]

She did love a good flight....soaring above the clouds.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country and thank you Star for this morning's thread.

How's everyone doing this morning?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Please, please, stay safe.

Are the rabbis onboard? Ready for a change to get America back on track?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...glad you had a good visit with you brother and SIL.

You and Bo have a great Monday and happy hunting.

[radu]

Neither of us has (or wants) a cell phone so we need cameras, and we don’t mind plugging them into the ‘puters. Never in that big a hurry to share them since we don’t do Facebook or anything like that.
I’ve had a cheapy Canon for years that takes great close-ups and sunset shots but its zoom stinks. I still use it quite a bit but when I need to zoom on something, I’m glad I broke down and got the other one. Set for any occasion. LOL

[MoochPooch]

Definitely they look forward to working with Trump.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Prayers for Arrowhead's recovery, and in his absence....

[Kathy in Alaska]

He is possibly the last chance we have of righting this “ship” called America...and we need as many as we can to help.

It has been very painful seeing it sink before our very eyes.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning/afternoon/evening/night Troops, wherever you are.

Thank you for doing your part to help keep all of us free and safe.

Thanks, unique, for the pastries.

Coffee is always on........

How about a cupcake?

Cookies?

Veggies?

Sandwich?

[Kathy in Alaska]

God bless and keep safe our troops worldwide.

Good night.

Statler Brothers ~ How Great Thou Art

[mylife]

fantastic!

[mylife]

fantastic!

The moon is huge right now

[mylife]

fantastic!

The moon is huge right now

[left that other site]

Penny is doing much better walking on a leash.

Either that, or I am developing biceps.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning to our

Military, our Allies, and their families.

Thank you, Star, for preparing
the Canteen for today's activities.
HMS Glowworm seemed to function under Murphy's Law.

No gym this week as I am watching
the youngest granddaughter while her mother
is on travel and her daddy works.
She's 2 and although her vocabulary is good,
it's been a while since I had to decipher baby talk.
I sure hope this week doesn't throw off my gym schedule too much
as I was getting used to going 3 mornings a week.
Don't want to fall into the habit of making excuses
not to go (and the cold mornings will do it LOL).

But please stay right where you are.
Chat up the military or a family member.
No need to fret...you know I'll be back!

The FR Canteen is

Come in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

Well, off to do grandmother stuff. LOL
Have a great Monday, y'all.

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.