Fleeting Images from a Bloodied Past

Index

About the Author

Bernard Fredericks has previously written freelance, contributing a multiplicity of published articles to various magazines, newspapers and, on occasions, local radio; was also an active member of a Writers’ Club in the North West during the late ’80s and into the early ’90s; edited a monthly arts magazine published in NW, UK, during the period 1998–2002; is retired and residing in North Wales, but presently finalising completion of further scripts for future publication.

Also by Bernard Fredericks:

WRITERS’ WORLD

(History of Liverpool Writers’ Club 1922 – 1994)

ISBN 9781906823672 – 2013

THE GREEN GATES STORY

(Escape from the Liverpool Blitz)

ISBN 9781786126849 – 2017

Dedication

This script is dedicated to all those hard-working shipwrights, toolmakers, metal workers, welders, etc., most of whom were born ‘n’ bred on the banks of the River Mersey, and who—over the years—toiled at Cammell Laird shipyards to build, assemble and produce fine warships to serve the White Ensign. With equal dedication to the brave seamen who manned and sailed those ships of war into harm’s way.

It can be safely said, in conclusion, that the workforce’s commitment to excellence and craftsmanship is unexcelled.

Copyright Information ©

Bernard Fredericks (2020)

The right of Bernard Fredericks to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781788782340 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781788782357 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781528955232 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2020)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Acknowledgments

For assistance with this book, I should like to thank Director D J Foulis and Frank Lindstrom of Ship Design Department, Cammell Laird Shipbuilders Ltd, who penned numerous letters and supplied detailed lists of warships and naval vessels built for the British Admiralty at their yards over the years. Also, John Taylor, acting archivist at Williamson Museum, Birkenhead; my heartfelt thanks to Paul Melton, Mike McAloon and David Ashby, Naval Staff Duties (Historical Section), Ministry of Defence, London, who readily responded and closely supported my efforts by delivery of many vital historical details at their disposal and some of which were used in the compilation of this script.

I would also like to thank Defence Attaché Brig General M Meyara, Israel Embassy, London, for assisting in obtaining photographs of Israeli vessel Eilat (ex HMS Zealous); Commander B A Groenendijk, RNLN, Royal Netherlands Embassy, London, for his detailed notes of the Dutch aircraft carrier Karel Doorman (ex HMS Venerable); Rear Admiral José M T P Germano, Naval Attaché at Portuguese Embassy, London, with reference to Portuguese navy submarine Neptuno (ex HMS Spearhead) and forwarding of relevant photographs, plus an accompanying booklet ‘Esquadrilha De Submarines’.

Eternal thanks to Peter Surridge, Senior Assistant Editor, Liverpool Daily Post & Echo Ltd, who kindly gave me the opportunity to submit my early scripts, for his professional guidance and invaluable editorial advice which subsequently led to publication within various later issues of the Daily Post.

Grateful acknowledgement and thanks to Chris Walker, Senior Managing Editor, Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Ltd, for allowing reprint of articles which were previously published in past editions of the Liverpool Daily Post newspaper.

Liverpool Central Libraries for assisting me in researching this subject through the use of historical microfilm.

Colin M Simpson, Principal Museums Officer, Wirral Museums Service, Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, Slatey Road, Birkenhead, Wirral CH43 4UE.

William Meredith, Archivist, Wirral Archives Service, Transformation & Resources Dept, Information & Central Services, Canning Street, Birkenhead, Wirral CH41 1ND.

Ken J Milne, Legal Counsel BAE Systems Plc, Warwick House, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU.

Thomas ‘Andy’ Anderson, ex-submariner, for his recalled war service experiences.

Special thanks to Helen, Senior Computers, who helped towards solving computer technical problems which arose during the production of this script.

Last but not least, the whole Production Team at Austin Macauley for their patience, advice and support in the completion of this script.

Foreword

A Dimension of Laird’s Navy

The following collection of Royal Navy historic anecdotes and associate notes (not a naval history) and including historical fiction (based on fact) is introduced in support of continuity for this script are in the main short articles, involving some of the warships built at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, especially to provide Britain’s Navy with the weapons of sea power to defeat the axis naval might of World War II. These articles were compiled during the late ’80s and early ’90s. Abridged and selected specific reports, during their separate operational activities, reveals salutary and responsible wartime service under the constant threat of total and instant annihilation and subsequent painful death. Some of these scripts (where indicated) were reproduced with the kind permission of Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Ltd, from previously published centre-page articles in the Liverpool Daily Post.

The script is split into four sections:

The EARLY PAST (American Civil War)…

The PAST

Submarines (WWII)…

Destroyers/Frigates (WWII)…

and

The RECENT PAST (Falklands War)

The EARLY PAST: Concerns an early political decision and subsequent construction of the CSS Alabama, which became an armed high-seas raider. It was built with earnest intent of serving the cause of the Southern Confederacy of America, in order to challenge and combat the Union Service Fleet during the American Civil War of 1861–65

The PAST:

Submarines: speedy construction and launch onto the fast-flowing Mersey, prior to and including the Second World War years. Provides a glimpse into the daring and hazardous naval warfare service undertaken and experienced by these valiant undersea vessels and their crews, built at the yard during and before this period, together with their death-defying exploits.

Destroyers/Frigates: this collection of WWII surface vessels is a short history of their gallant wartime expeditions, showing enormous endurance, enterprise and valour in naval actions across the globe against tenacious enemy forces on land and sea. The inclusion of HMS Shakespeare, built at Barrow-in-Furness, is the one exception to this collection of Cammell Laird built vessels.

These lists, of course, are not exhaustive.

THE RECENT PAST: is concerned with a partial but significantly major sea actions of the Falklands War of 1982 by warships constructed and launched down the slipway at Cammell Laird Shipyards, in earlier years. Describes how fate brought these former Royal Navy vessels together after many years of absence and use, being sold-off, to then provide continued service in foreign naval forces and under different flags but coming full-circle and subsequently, to face each other on opposing sides during this recent conflict.

Conclusion: The following articles, flagging up some of the warships built and launched from this famous British shipyard, are sometimes referred to—colloquially—as LAIRD’S NAVY.

Cammell Laird Shipyard is not just solely famous in the UK, but throughout the world!

Illustrations

Originally authorised for use by the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, later under the authority of Wirral Archives Services, with notable exceptions.

Twenty-nine B&W photographs are reproduced by permission of the BAE Systems plc unless otherwise noted.

Some photographs were unobtainable at the time of publication.

Front Cover:

30. HMS ZEALOUS, which was later transferred and became Israeli Destroyer INS Eilat (by kind permission of BAE Systems plc).

2. HMS CONQUEROR

3. HMS SAFARI

4. HMS SALMON

5. HMS SARACEN

6. HMS SEALION

7. HMS SPEARFISH

8. HMS SPEARHEAD

9. HMS STORM

10. HMS STRATAGEM

11. HMS STUBBORN

12. HMS STYGIAN

13. HMS SUBTLE

14. HMS TAKU

15. HMS TEMPEST

16. HMS THRASHER

17. HMS TRIDENT

18. HMS ALDENHAM

19. HMS ATHERSTONE

20. HMS FEARLESS

21. HMS FORESIGHT22. HMS HARDY

23. HMS INGLEFIELD

24. HMS SCORPION

25. HMS TEAZER

26. HMS TENACIOUS

27. HMS RAIDER

28. HMS RAPID

29. HMS VENERABLE

The Early Past – 1865

Liverpool – The ‘Johnny Reb’ Connection

(Appeared in the Liverpool Daily Post – Thursday, October 22nd, 1987)

Although most of the good people in this knowledgeable—once principal port—City of Liverpool, are very much aware of events which occurred in the Continental United States during the years 1861–65, to wit, the American Civil War, many are unaware of this city and neighbouring Birkenhead’s involvement with the Confederacy, and in particular, its contribution to that cause. Merseyside businessmen gave much support to the slave-owning Southerners. The profits from trade with the Confederacy were too good to lose.

The construction, building and launch of Screw-Steamer ‘290’ (known later as the notorious Confederate commerce-raider Alabama), by shipbuilders Cammell Laird of Birkenhead, at a cost of £51,716, and paid for by a Liverpool Cotton Merchants out of Southern cotton credits, was the focal point of this intrigue.

It was again, recently, the centre of a battle—this time between three countries. Wirral (Cheshire), wants to raise the ship from the English Channel near Cherbourg to become a museum attraction, the Americans also look likely to lay claim to her as original owners, although they may now be having a change of heart, and the French are trying to get in on the act because they say the sunken vessel is in their territorial waters.

As if that were not enough, there was, and perhaps still is, an alleged disagreement locally, between some Wirral County Council interests and the Merseyside Development Corporation. The local county council, it is believed, wanted to restore the ship and display it on the site where the Laird Brothers built the vessel, while the MDC has already invested more than one million pounds, it is claimed, preparing to build new workshops there to create jobs. It was also considered as a top tourist attraction and a magnet for all naval history buffs.

During the American Civil War, feeling was running high in the United Kingdom. It was said that she might recognise the Confederacy, especially when General Robert E. Lee advanced into Virginia after the battle of Antietam, on 17th September 1862.

British Prime Minister (Henry John Temple) 3rd Viscount Palmerston in a letter to his foreign secretary Lord Russell in September said, Washington and Baltimore may fall into the hands of the Confederates’ to which Lord Russell is alleged to have replied,I agree with you that the time is come for offering mediation to the United States government with a view to the recognition of the independence of the Confederates."

It is claimed that President Lincoln was concerned by the fact that warships were being built in British yards to fulfil requisitions sent by the Confederate States.

Although, a certain amount of secrecy was maintained, agents and sympathisers of US Ambassador to London, Charles Adams, had penetrated screw-steamer 290’s cover, but he was too late to prevent her maiden voyage.

This brand-new 1,000-tonne ship, a mix of barkentine-rigged sail and screw-driven steamer, left the River Mersey on or about the end of July, 1862. By the third week in August, she had arrived at the Azores, replaced her British flag and master, and signed up a crew of mostly Scousers at the princely sum of £4.0.0 per month for seamen and £7.0.0 for firemen. She then raised aloft her ‘Stars-n’-Bars’ flag of the Confederate States of America and her new name, the commerce-raider CSS ALABAMA, commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes, Maryland born, a tall, slim and clean-shaven ’cepting a large moustache, which added to his distinguished appearance and a Southern gentleman. He was a keen disciplinarian. Fair, but firm, it was said. His character revealed a personality which contained grit, ambition and personal determination. His naval career began as a midshipman in the United States Navy. He had, at one time, commanded a brig and saw action in the Mexican Gulf. Later, was promoted to the rank of commander, prior to the Civil War.

Capt Semmes was well satisfied and pleased with the Alabama’s performance useful at ten knots from its two 300 hp engines, and with raised sail, a further three or four knots boosting her capability. Her ordnance included six 32-pounders and two pivot guns—a healthy and fearsome heavy armament for a ship of this size.

James D Bullock, a Confederate navy agent in Britain, made contracts with Laird’s shipyard for two powerful double-turret sea-going ironclads to be built, and which were to be used against the Union fleet blockading Southern Confederate ports.

Over the next two years, the CSS Alabama was to intercept and interrupt some 50 to 60 ships flying North American registry.

Her first interception at sea was the Ocmulgee, a whaler, of Edgerton, Massachusetts. After taking off her crew, she was set afire, burned and sunk. The Confederate privateer set a new course west nor’-west toward an area frequented by grain ships headed for European ports and destinations.

An interesting similarity lies between the Alabama and the later German WWII converted former freighter ‘Atlantis’. Both were commerce raiders operating alone and deep into the enemy’s trade routes, using speed and deception when approaching an enemy ship, and both were recognised as effectively causing a great deal of disruption and damage to enemy shipping, besides consternation and distress to the owners.

But the enemy was not confined to a Union Banner and her warships—there was the sea.

The Alabama set course for and steered toward the Newfoundland Banks. After an all-night stern chase pursuing a New England grain ship, the brig Dunkirk which she captured at dawn. The barometer began dropping dramatically, which indicated to the captain and his officers, they were in for a ‘rough ride’ on wild seas, and that a cyclone was imminent!

Old sweats among the crew scowled up at the darkening sky and the increasing and ominous movements of the sea around them. The word ‘hurricane’ was muttered