Deck G Discussion: Determine RN Tribal Class

The amount of collisions, accidents, friendly fire incidents is really quite staggering. It seemed to happen quite a lot across the war as a whole, obviously lack of technology and human error being paramount.

USS Washington actually couldn't avoid Punjabi after the collision you mention and went straight through the two halves of the sinking wreck. HMS Duchess was another, spun over like a bottle top by Barham. A recent book was made on this (Collision In The Night) and have come across a couple of eyewitness accounts who were on Barham at the time. HMS Imogen was another, sunk by Glasgow. I've not long ago read two accounts about HMS Umpire being sunk in similar. After acceptance trials it was traversing to working up grounds via a northbound UK east coast convoy. It was hit by an escorting trawler on the wing of a southbound convoy whilst on the surface. It should have been avoided but a combination of weather, constrained mine free channels and misinterpretation of standing orders actually led to the two turning TOWARDS each other for a period on sighting. For Umpire it was really a case of turning that way or being hit by a bigger merchantman. Just over half the crew were lost. Some of the crew escaped from 90ft with escape apparatus whilst a group of four free ascended from the conning tower hatch, two survived. The ratings in the area hit by the initial collision sacrificed themselves by managing to shut the watertight doors, giving the rest a chance from the sea bed. The captain was on the bridge with his lookouts out the time and managed, whilst hanging across the side of his bridge and before hitting the water, to scream across to the trawlers bridge whilst the two were joined together "You great bloody b*****d!, You've just sunk a brand new British submarine". He was the only one of the bridge group to survive going into the water. His wife had just bought him a new heavy duty coat and the material of this miraculously kept him afloat.

Some reading on the subject

Wingfield At War - Mervyn Wingfield - The CO of Umpire at the time. Future CO of HMS Taurus.
One Of Our Submarines - Edward Young - Junior officer on Umpire, Survived his free ascent from the conning tower hatch. Future CO of HMS Storm.
You Shouldn't Join If You Can't Take A Joke - Ken Kent. On HMS Imogen at time of collision/sinking.
HMS Duchess - Collision In The Night
Queen Mary & The Cruiser - The better known(not at the time)collision and sinking of the Light Cruiser HMS Curacao by the former.
Friend & Foe - A wide scope of some of the Accidents, Collisions & friendly fire incidents of WW2 at sea. Across most theatres and navies.

"Wars are won by the side that makes the least mistakes..."