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Archiver > GREATWAR > 2001-08 > 0997162055


From: "Ken Wilson-Wheeler" <>
Subject: Re: [WW1] HMS Creasy
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 06:27:35 +0100
References: <7b.18988ca9.289ec3d7@aol.com>


Gill,
I think you must almost certainly mean HMS CreSsy, the last of three British
cruisers to be sunk on 22 September 1914 in the infamous "Three before
breakfast" incident. Despite warnings that these ships were too old, slow
and
as a result too vulnerable for such duties, HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue, and HMS
Cressy were on patrol duty in the north sea off the Dutch coast early that
morning. The German submarine U9 (Kapitanleutnant Otto Weddigen), which was
returning to base, came across HMS Aboukir and sank her with a torpedo. HMS
Aboukir radioed for assistance and HMS Hogue came to aid her. Instead of
going off in pursuit of the submarine HMS Hogue stopped to pick up survivors
from HMS Aboukir, thus making a "sitting duck" of herself.. The submarine
fired two torpedoes at HMS Hogue, sinking her too. HMS Cressy then arrived
on the scene and similarly stopped to pick up the survivors from her two
sister ships. Weddigen could scarcely believe his luck and similarly sank
HMS Cressy. Although some 837 men from the three ships were eventually
saved, another 1459 were lost, which is said to have more than the total of
British casualties at the battle of Trafalgar. The dead included boy sailors
from the training "ship" HMS Ganges and also a number of officer cadets from
Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.
Ken.
(In rural West Sussex, UK.)

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: 05 August 2001 16:44
Subject: [WW1] HMS Creasy


> Dear listers,
> Whilst researching family tree in Suffolk I came across a memorial to my
> great uncle
> William Henry HUBBARD lost with HMS Creasy in the North Sea.
> The parish church war memorial lists his death as 1914
> Any information greatfully received.
>
> Please note I shall be leaving for France - Bethune cemetery on Tuesday
7th.
> Any last request for photographs should be sent today as I shall be
> unsubscribing for a month.
>
> Yours,
>
> Gill
>
> ______________________________


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