HMS Royal Oak
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The
battleship HMS Royal Oak was laid down in Devonport in
1914 and launched 17.November the same year. She
participated during first world war in the battle of
Jutland, and did service with the blockade for German
shipping in the North Sea. She returned to Scapa Flow when
the war ended in November 1918. In the following years she
was refitted several times, and in 1935 she was given a
major rebuilding and fitted with improved armor. She got
the doubtful honor of becoming the first large war ship to
be sunk in the second world war. At night 14.October 1939
the German uboat U 47 led by Günther Prien, managed to
sneak past the block ships and fired torpedoes that hit
Royal Oak. She sank after fifteen minutes and 833 men lost
their lives. The wreck rest today on a depth of 8 to 30
meter at Scapa Bay and is considered a war grave.
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 Picture: HMS Royal Oak Wikipedia, Public domain   Picture: Kapitänleutnant Gunther Prien Courtesy of Uboat.net |
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