| Identifier: |
PCRIND_0028_0001 |
| Title: |
Letter from a Royal Navy officer describing a fleet action against the Italian navy (probably the Battle of Cape Spartivento, 27 November 1940), fragment |
| Type, original: |
letter; original |
Content |
| Abstract: |
A Royal Navy officer, serving in a gun turret on one of the ships of Force H, writes to a relative or close friend about his first fleet action. He names Renown, Ark Royal and Berwick as part of the force. Toward the end of the forenoon, reconnaissance aircraft reported the Italian fleet, and the British then sighted destroyers, cruisers and two battleships. After so many false alarms, the writer could hardly believe a fight was coming. The British opened fire at extreme range, and for about 45 minutes he was so busy with the turret that he never looked through his periscope or saw the enemy, though he heard Italian shells falling. He promises to send photographs taken during the action if they pass the censor. He describes the crew's high morale, saying the action did the sailors as much good as a fortnight's leave, and feels the training since the war began has been justified. He regrets that the Italians got away but finds it encouraging that so strong a force ran. The letter closes with the crew's hunger and a lunch of sandwiches, and with the Chief Yeoman hoisting two enormous ensigns as battle flags, "like one of Drake's ships, — all flag." He holds back turret details because the censor would cut them. |
| Issued by and to: |
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| Place: |
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| Donor, king: |
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| Type of endowment: |
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| Region of endowment: |
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| Purpose of endowment: |
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| Amount of endowment: |
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Date |
| Date: |
CE 1940 November unspecified unspecified unspecified |
| Further details: |
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| Converted: |
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Script and language |
| Language, script: |
English; Roman |
Physical appearance |
| Width, height, and unit: |
17; 13; cm |
| No. of folios: |
3 |
| Material, binding, and colour: |
paper; loose; light brown |
| Condition: |
good; incomplete |
Institution |
| Institution and reg. no.: |
Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Research Unit "Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Premodern Nepal"; Walter Rindfleisch Collection |
| Source and details: |
unspecifed |
| Running no., exposures: |
6 |
Project specific information |
| Created, modified, ID: |
9/28/26, 5:53 AM; 9/28/26, 6:51 AM; 43 |
| Notes: |
data entered/checked by: #RT
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| Technical terms: |
Admiralty communiqué; forenoon; reconnaissance aircraft; destroyers; cruisers; battleships; opened fire at extreme range; turret; periscope; censor / censored; fortnight's leave; scrap (naval slang fo |
