HMS Resolution

[Jennifer Cook]

I am looking for any information about my father Edward Snell who was Able Seaman No 265 on HMS Resolution around 1924.

[stontamar]

Hi Jennifer

Your father's service record up to approximately 1928/29 should be available on line from The National Archive, Kew. You need his date and place of birth to ensure you purchase the correct record. It cost £3.50 for a digital copy.

If his service extended beyond 1929 you will need to contact the MOD.

His service number that you quote looks incorrect but if you have the details above the service number will be identified against the appropriate line entry.

If you need any help interogating the record please contact me on carnock@davemallinson.fsnet.co.uk

Regards

Dave

[The Sailor]

HMS RESOLUTION was ordered from Palmers at Hebburn, Newcastle on Tyne and laid down on 29th November 1913. She was launched on 14th January 1915 as the 16th RN ship to carry the name.
Completed in December 1916 and cost £2,449,680.

D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
In 1 9 3 9 Based at Plymouth for defence of convoys in SW Approaches against attacks by German surface ships.

Transferred to Halifax in continuation of defence of North Atlantic convoys.

Escorted military convoy TC1 taking Canadian troops from Halifax to UK with HM Battlecruiser REPULSE, HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS and HM Cruiser EMERALD.

1 9 4 0 - 42
Returned to Halifax in continuation of convoy defence role.

Joined Fleet units at Narvik as relief for HM Battleship WARSPITE.

Embarked four tanks and two Motor Landing Craft for the assault at Bjervick by French Foreign Legion troops. Passage to Bjervik with HMS AURORA

Provided naval gunfire support with HM Cruisers AURORA and EFFINGHAM during landings.
Hit by 250lb armour piercing bomb on starboard side aft between “X” and “Y” turrets during air attacks anchored off Tjeldsundet, 30 miles west of Narvik.

Covered passage of returning convoys after evacuation of allied troops. Taken in hand for permanent repair on arrival in UK. Nominated for duty with Force H at Gibraltar
Participated in attack on Vichy French warships at Mers el Kebir with HM Battlecruiser HOOD, HM Battleship VALIANT, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL, HM Cruisers ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE (Operation CATAPULT).

Deployed with HMS HOOD, HMS VALIANT, HMS ARK ROYAL, HM Cruisers ARETHUSA, DELHI and ENTERPRISE screened by HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, ESCORT, FORESTER, DOUGLAS, ACTIVE, VELOX,
VORTIGERN and WRESTLER to carry out a series of air attacks at Cagliari.

Joined HMS VALIANT, HMS ARETHUSA, HM Destroyers ESCAPADE and VELOXto form Group 2 and provide cover for Malta aircraft delivery and air attacks on the Italian airfield at Cagliari, Sardinia
Deployed at Gibraltar with Force H.

Deployed to cover landings by Free troops at Dakar with HM Battleship BARHAM, HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE, HM Australian Cruiser AUSTRALIA.
Joined Force M with HMS ARK ROYAL and HM Battleships BARHAM.

Deployed for patrol off Dakar to prevent Vichy French cruisers sailing from Casablanca to Dakar. Sailed from Freetown for Dakar operationwhere she came under attack from French shore batteries and withdrew.

Deployed with HMS BARHAM to carry out bombardment of Vichy French warships in harbour at Dakar, which included the battleship RICHELIEU.

Note: These were unsuccessful and RN ships withdrew after HMS BARHAM was hit twice
Returned later to continue bombardment during which RICHELIEU received minor splinter damage. Ship received minor hits by return fire. Again withdrew from area.

During manoeuvres to take bombardment position for third time came under attack by Vichy French submarine BEVEZIERS.

Hit on port side by torpedo and sustained major structural damage.

Fifty feet of bulge structure wrecked and thirty feet of double bottom destroyed. Extensive flooding took place with some fires. A 15degree list made main armament useless and ship had to withdrew from operation. After the planned attack on Dakar was abandoned, taken in tow by HMS BARHAM.
At Freetown under repair.
Passage to UK to complete installation of radars and other alterations not possible in USA.

Joined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow for defence duty. Deployed with Home Fleet for trade protection.

1942
Transferred to East Indies Station to supplement convoy defence and for duty with 3rd Battle Squadron in Eastern Fleet.

Took passage to Indian Ocean as part of Ocean Escort for Military Convoy WS15.

Joined WS15 as Ocean Escort during passage to Cape Town.

1943 (
Withdrawn from operational duty and took passage to UK.

[Harley]

Just to add;

In September 1943 "Resolution" returned to Britain to take up duties as part of the "Imperieuse" stokers' training establishment, first in the Gareloch near Glasgow, then at Southampton, then at Devonport before being sentenced for breaking up on 5 May 1948, being sold to Metal Industries at Faslane.

Harley

[Batstiger]

Here we have HMS Revenge on the left and HMS Resolution on the right at Devonport in 1947 as part of the establishment HMS'Imperieuse'.
She was placed on the disposal list in July 1948 and arrived at Inverkeithing on September 5th 1948 for scrapping.
My 12th birthday for anybody who is interested!
The third ship in the group looks very much like the Renown.
Bob.

[Batstiger]

A couple more of the Resolution in her prime.

[Harley]

What an awfully sad picture of the three ships together. The one on the right has to be "Renown" due to having only one turret aft. According to Parkes she was part of "Imperieuse" also.

Harley

[The Sailor]

I notice that there is what seems to be a "Great Cabin" arrangement at the stern of Resolution. It is like a something left over from the Nelson days.
Is it what I think it is? Great cabin and senior officer accomadation?

[Harley]

Admiral's day cabin, dining room and admiral's personal stern-walk. The officer's quarters would have been aft as well. From what I gather it was part tradition (i.e. "Great room") and also practical, as most battleship's superstructures were filled with secondary armament. "Dreadnought" was unique in having the officers' accommodation forward but I don't think this was repeated in any of the following dreadnoughts.

Harley

P.S. The Admiral's cabin would thus be well-placed for a nice party on the quarterdeck, "Royal Oak" incident aside!

[astraltrader]

Without a doubt this is my favourite HMS Resolution picture...
I really like the way that there is little difference between the sea, the hills in the background and the beginnings of a stormy looking sky. This to my mind provides the perfect frame for this mighty battleship.
I would have thought that this was probably taken at Scapa Flow...

[Batstiger]

You will probably notice that there is a slight difference between the officers accomodation on the Resolution and the seamens messdeck on the Hood.

[The Sailor]

Thanks Harley. It does seem to be the most practical cabin arrangement to put the cabins at the stern like that, as they did in the wooden ships.
Don't know what the cavitation noises would have been like at speed. Maybe that is why it was fairly rare.

On a recent cruise in the Oriana, we dined in the Peninsula dining room which is directly over the propellers.
About the time we left ports in the evenings we would be seated.
When they started the engines, it was like an explosion at the stern.

[Harley]

By the way Bob, the picture I commented on above, of the three ships together; that on the left is "Valiant", also part of the "Imperieuse" establishment. I was momentarily struck by how damn good "Revenge" looked until I realised it wasn't "Revenge"!

Harley

[Harley]

Sailor!

I was on the 3rd Cruise of "Oriana" back in 1995. However, when I went aboard the stern restaurant was the "Oriental" and the midships one the "Peninsular", have they changed them round? If I recall (oh to be nine again) the stern one had a great view but was also awfully dark, maroon and other such colours abounding.

Edit: And upon further examination of the aforementioned photograph, I think that the centre ship isn't "Resolution" at all, as she seems to never have been fitted with a stern-walk during her long career.

Harley

[The Sailor]

Harley, that was the old one you were on. This one was launched in 2001.

[alansi]

I am new to the site and I hope you do not mind my having copied this great photo. My late father (Richard Stanley Simkin) served on Reso in WWII. Thanks

[Powers]

After consulting a copy of the Devonport Ship Movement Diary of 1947, I can add a few more details relating to Bob Batstiger's interesting photograph at post 5.

As fellow member Harley has already pointed out, the battleship HMS VALIANT, not HMS REVENGE, is occupying one of the 'Imperieuse' river moorings on the left of the photograph, and, as he intimated, the other battleship in the picture is not HMS RESOLUTION - it is in fact the previously mentioned REVENGE, complete with distinctive stern walk. The battlecruiser HMS RENOWN is nearby on number 4 'Battleship Trot' mooring.

Although not in the picture, RESOLUTION was also present at Devonport throughout 1947 occupying various berths and moorings. For several months she lay just ahead of RENOWN at number 1 'Battleship Trot'.

Regards.....Paul

[Grosser Kreuzer]

Gentlemen,

I note that the Imperial War Museum has a very fine 1:192 scale model of the subject HMS RESOLUTION complete with "Swordfish" aircraft on the catapult.

GK