HMS Edinburgh 1939-1942

[The Sailor]

HMS Edinburgh and the loss of Stalin's gold payment

The full story of HMS Edinburgh's Final Voyage

Edinburgh's final journey was to be escorting the return convoy QP-11 of 17 ships, which left Kola Peninsula on 28 April, as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Stuart Bonham-Carter On 30 April, the German submarine U-456 (under the command of Kapitänleutnant Max-Martin Teichert) fired a torpedo into the starboard side of the cruiser. The ship began to list heavily, but the crew reacted quickly and competently, and closed watertight bulkheads, preventing the ship from sinking immediately. Soon after, Teichert launched a second torpedo, which struck the ship's stern wrecking her steering equipment and effectively crippling her.

Taken in tow, she attempted to limp back to Murmansk. Along the way she was hounded constantly by German torpedo-bombers On 2 May, as she progressed at a snail's pace under her own steam, off Bear Island she was attacked by three German destroyers. The Edinburgh opened fireand the cruiser's second salvo straddled the Schoemann and disabled her severely enough that her crew scuttled her. While the small ships with the Edinburgh drove off the attackers, she was torpedoed yet again. The torpedo struck the ship amidships exactly opposite the first torpedo hit from U-456. As the ship was only being prevented from breaking in two by the deck plating and keel, which was likely to fail at any time, the crew abandoned the ship. Fifty-six ratings and two officers had been killed in the attacks.

Stalin's gold payment

At the time of Edinburgh's sinking she was carrying a 4.5 ton consignment of gold bullion, which formed part of Stalin's payment for the supplies that the Allies were shipping to the USSR. The 465 gold ingots, carried in ninety-three wooden boxes, were being transported in the armoured bomb-rooms situated on the starboard side of the vessel, not far from the original torpedo's impact point. At the time, the estimated worth of the bullion was somewhere in the region of £1,547,080 sterling.


Salvaging The Bullion

In April 1981, the survey ship Dammtor began searching for the wreck in the Barents Sea. After only ten days, they discovered the ship's final resting place at an approximate position of 72°N, 35°E, at a depth of 245 metres (800 feet).

Later that year, on 30 August, the dive-support vessel Stephaniturm journeyed to the site, and salvage operations began in earnest. Several divers were injured during the operation, but on 15 September 1981, a diver finally penetrated the bomb room and recovered a bar of gold. On 7 October bad weather finally forced the suspension of diving operations, but by that time, 431 of 465 ingots had been recovered, now worth in excess of £43,000,000 sterling.

Britain sure could have used that gold at the end of the war. I have often wondered who at the top wouldn't think of splitting the gold up or even sending a heavy cruiser for it. One would wonder.

Note the incredible increase in the gold's value from then to now.

[herakles]

Gold risen? What about food costs?

It sticks in my throat that we gave Stalin anything. Still I guess he was the lesser enemy.

Very interesting post Sailor. And another example of an under-protected convoy.

[Batstiger]

I'm a bit low on pics of the Edinburgh!

Bob.

[stontamar]

I really think 'herakles' comment 'another example of an under-protected convoy' needs some tempering and balance.

QP.11 was made up of a total of 13 merchant ships. These ships were escorted by no less than;

KUIBYSHEV - Russian destroyer escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
SOKRUSHITELNY - Russian destroyer escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS GOSSAMER - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS HARRIER - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS HUSSAR - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS NIGER - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS AMAZON - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS BEAGLE - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS BEVERLEY - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS BULLDOG (SOE) - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS CAMPANULA - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS OXLIP - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS SAXIFRAGE - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS SNOWFLAKE - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMT LORD MIDDLETON - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS FORESIGHT - Escorted convoy 28-30 Apr 1943
HMS FORESTER - Escorted convoy 28-30 Apr 1943
HMS EDINBURGH - Joined convoy 30 Apr 1943 and scuttled 2 May 1943
HMS KING GEORGE V - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS VICTORIOUS - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS KENYA - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS BELVOIR - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS ESCAPADE - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS FAULKNOR - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS HURSLEY - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS INGLEFIELD - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS LAMBERTON - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS MARNE - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS MARTIN - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS MIDDLETON - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS ORIBI - Home Fleet distant cover

After HMS EDINBURGH was torpedoed by U .456 she was escorted on her return to Murmansk by HMS FORESTER and HMS FORESIGHT and joined by the Russian vessels GREMYASCHI, SOKRUSHITELNY and RUBIN.

Meanwhile the Germans had not been sitting around, the destroyers SCHOEMAN, Z24 and Z35 attacked the convoy whilst searching for HMS EDINBURGH and during this action the Russian merchant ship TSIOLKOVSKY was torpedoed and sunk and HMS AMAZON badly damaged. Meanwhile the convoy had also to fight off U-boat and air attacks.

The German destroyers then found HMS EDINBURGH and during their attack a further torpedo hit EDINBURGH but she caught SCHOEMAN with a heavy salvo, which sank the German destroyer. HMS EDINBURGH had to be scuttled with a final torpedo from HMS FORESTER, which in turn was heavily damaged by the German destroyers.

The convoy reached Reykjavik on 7 May 1943 without further loss. So for a convoy which, it has been suggested was under protected, 12 out of 13 merchant ships were fought through by RN and Soviet surface forces against a concerted effort by German destroyers, submarines and aircraft to stop them. In all 29 RN ships were committed by the Admiralty to the defence of this convoy. Hardly a story of 'example of an under-protected convoy' If we are going to have these narratives can we please make sure they are meaningful.

stontamar

[herakles]

In does indeed!

So many?

:(

[John Brown]

Sailors comment about using a light cruiser to carry such a valuable cargo is an interesting one as this did seem to be the vessel of choice for this type of operation.

In 1939 and 1940, when Britain most feared a German invasion, the government decided it may have to move to Canada and run the war from there through its colonies. In preparation for this eventuality something like £70 million in gold was transported across the Atlantic to Canada to be used to help fund the war effort from there. The ships selected to carry the gold were the light cruisers HMS Emerald (£60m approx) and HMS Enterprise (£10m approx).

Interesting though that Battleships could be spared to transport politicians across the Atlantic.

[stontamar]

Maybe not so odd as may initially seem. Cruisers had the range and speed to sail independently across the Atlantic and were pehaps the most suited type of warship for the task transporting the gold reserves to Canada. Why HMS EDINBURGH sailed in conjuction with QP.11 is anyones guess; again a fast independent passage would have seemed the safest option (i.e. as with HMS CAIRO's independent run to Murmansk with the trade delegation as discussed in one of the other recent threads).

Conveying Winston Churchill to the United States in a cruiser would have, at least, been an uncomfortable physical experience for the man and a ship of that size would have lacked the necessary accommodation for the Prime Minister, his staff and undoubtedly the masses of uniformed hangers on that would have accompanied the trip. Perhaps more importantly travel by cruiser would not, in those days, have conveyed the same political message or provided as suitable an impression as arriving the United States in one the latest battleships to enter the Fleet.

Perhaps more interesting was the fact the Winston Churchill having sailed out to the United Staes decided to fly back to the UK - now that was rather a brave decision.

Regards

stontamar

[tim lewin]

There wasa TV film about the operation to recover the gold much of which was filmed aboard Belfast. There are actually a couple of extremely good, well written books about the loss of the Edinburgh and the Trinidad, speaking of cruisers on the Kola run, their fate was quite intertwined. The books are first hand accounts and very well worth finding through secondhand dealers. In the morning i'll post the titles and authors. just not to hand at them moment.

Speaking of the gold I recall a story told to me, i think it is in the book by Richard Hill as well, of a subsequent payment in gold by the Soviet Govt which was collected by the cruiser Bellona in late 1945 from Murmansk. My father was gunner officer and responsible for the loading which was done under incredible security at the docks. No one had ever seen gold before so they contrived to drop one of the wooded boxes to check it out! they battled back to Rosyth (??) in the teeth of a gale which blew like fury the entire way (I gave the barograph trace he kept a a souvenir to the director of the Belfast last year). On arrival the gold was loaded into a knackered old railway wagon and left in a siding under invisible security over the weekend before shunting off to London!

Another good book on the whole arctic campaign is Richard Woodman's book published in about 1998/8, followed by the Malta convoys book.

[herakles]

"Old railway wagon?" Oh dear. I can't help but see comparisons to the habit of sending vast amounts of money by train on other occasions. Ronald Biggs .. .. ..

And on the matter of flying, if my memory doesn't fail me, I think Churchill flew to Lisbon once.

[AlZictorini]

Guys

Being a diver myself I got hold of the book "Goldfinder" by Keith Jessop some years ago. It tells the story of Mr Jessops extensive research into the project, the espionage, diplomatic wrangling and final locating and raising of the gold. A very interesting read.

AlZ

[The Sailor]

I have read all the points made about selecting a suitable mode of transport for the gold and stand by my statement that a light cruiser wasn't up to the task under the circumstances. The fact that Edinburgh was sunk and the gold lost in fact bears out my view.
As I said, I would have used a heavy cruiser which comes with an attendant destroyer shield.

I'd like to add how pleasing it is to see proper forum discussion. Some great additional information there particularly from Stontamar.

[tim lewin]

for a firsthand and very well written account of the loss of the Edinburgh I reccomend the following book;
Last Call for HMS Edinburgh by Frank Pearce, pub in 1982 by Fontana. For a wider appreciation he also wrote Running the Gauntlet, the battles for the Barents Sea which I also highly recomend and The Ship that Torpedoed herself about the loss of the Trinidad. These are by far the best accounts I have read, on a par with Dudley Pope's "73 North".
all best
tim

[The Sailor]

Thanks Tim. I have read 73 North some years ago and will source it again at your suggestion.
The other books would be much harder to find in Australia, but I will look.
Graeme

[tim lewin]

you won't be disappointed; if you draw a blank let me know and i'll try to help. There were also a lot of books about PQ17 but one of the best first hand accounts is that by Godfrey Wynn who was a journalist aboard one of the escorts, hardly objective in regards to strategy but helps to put you one the spot which 99% of the others do not, they all seek to explain the tradgedy one way or another.
All best
tim

[The Sailor]

I just looked through my library books for 73 North and discovered another one I had read and forgotten. War at Sea. The Kola Run by Ian Campbell.
I will read them both again.

[Hume Waring]

I really think 'herakles' comment 'another example of an under-protected convoy' needs some tempering and balance.

QP.11 was made up of a total of 13 merchant ships. These ships were escorted by no less than;

KUIBYSHEV - Russian destroyer escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
SOKRUSHITELNY - Russian destroyer escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS GOSSAMER - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS HARRIER - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS HUSSAR - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS NIGER - escorted convoy 28-29 April 1942
HMS AMAZON - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS BEAGLE - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS BEVERLEY - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS BULLDOG (SOE) - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS CAMPANULA - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS OXLIP - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS SAXIFRAGE - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS SNOWFLAKE - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMT LORD MIDDLETON - Ocean escort 28 Apr-7 May 1943
HMS FORESIGHT - Escorted convoy 28-30 Apr 1943
HMS FORESTER - Escorted convoy 28-30 Apr 1943
HMS EDINBURGH - Joined convoy 30 Apr 1943 and scuttled 2 May 1943
HMS KING GEORGE V - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS VICTORIOUS - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS KENYA - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS BELVOIR - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS ESCAPADE - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS FAULKNOR - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS HURSLEY - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS INGLEFIELD - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS LAMBERTON - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS MARNE - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS MARTIN - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS MIDDLETON - Home Fleet distant cover
HMS ORIBI - Home Fleet distant cover

After HMS EDINBURGH was torpedoed by U .456 she was escorted on her return to Murmansk by HMS FORESTER and HMS FORESIGHT and joined by the Russian vessels GREMYASCHI, SOKRUSHITELNY and RUBIN.

Meanwhile the Germans had not been sitting around, the destroyers SCHOEMAN, Z24 and Z35 attacked the convoy whilst searching for HMS EDINBURGH and during this action the Russian merchant ship TSIOLKOVSKY was torpedoed and sunk and HMS AMAZON badly damaged. Meanwhile the convoy had also to fight off U-boat and air attacks.

The German destroyers then found HMS EDINBURGH and during their attack a further torpedo hit EDINBURGH but she caught SCHOEMAN with a heavy salvo, which sank the German destroyer. HMS EDINBURGH had to be scuttled with a final torpedo from HMS FORESTER, which in turn was heavily damaged by the German destroyers.

The convoy reached Reykjavik on 7 May 1943 without further loss. So for a convoy which, it has been suggested was under protected, 12 out of 13 merchant ships were fought through by RN and Soviet surface forces against a concerted effort by German destroyers, submarines and aircraft to stop them. In all 29 RN ships were committed by the Admiralty to the defence of this convoy. Hardly a story of 'example of an under-protected convoy' If we are going to have these narratives can we please make sure they are meaningful.

stontamar
Do you have any prior history on HMS Amazon -my father served on her as an Electrical or radar officer seconded from the RCN. He was on board from Aug.42 to March '43 so just prior to this convoy.

Many thanks for help

Hume Waring

[tim lewin]

Returning the the Edinburgh story; I would hardly call her a light cruiser, apart from the Counties I din't recall any heavier than the Southamptons (or modified Southamptons). The last moments of Edinburgh were remarkably heroic. torpedoed and bereft of almost all electrical power, steam on one shaft only they were determined to not give up surrounded by so many hostile forces. So they steamed slowly in a circle as the guns (think it as A) came to bear on the Schoeman (A Narvick with 5.9 inch guns herself) the fired a full salvo which by a miracle struck the Schoeman full on reducing her to a total loss in a single blast.
tim

[Kevin Denlay]

Another excellent book with regards the salvage of the gold from HMS Edinburgh (besides Keith Jessup’s Goldfinder) is The Salvage of the Century by Ric Wharton.

However, as much as I admire the technicalities of the salvage I find it rather incongruous that the British Govt has since banned simple scuba diving outright on some (about a dozen) HM shipwrecks, and restricted diving on some others, all where sailors lost their lives hence are considered war graves, yet had no qualms about letting a salvage company literally tear the guts out of Edinburgh (a war grave where 57 sailors lost their lives) to get at the gold so it would get its share. Yes, it was a lot of gold but…………………….

It seems that when $$$$ came into the equation that the desecration of a war grave was not that important to the Govt after all.

Smacks of double standards if you ask me!

Kevin

[spruso]

Hi All,
Came across this photo of HMS Edinburgh wearing what appears to be the buff and white of the pre war Far East Station. Does anyone know of her wearing this color scheme and when it was. Any other photos out there.
Cheers
Spruso

[Batstiger]

I can't help you there Spruso. I see that it is taken from pehaps a book. Is it just a poor print?
Here are a couple more pictures for you to peruse.

Bob.

[spruso]

Yes- a poor print from a book on the life of Admiral Gatacre RAN. Found the service history of Edinburgh and Belfast on www. navy history.net and can't see why either would have been painted up in the far east colors but obviously one of them was. I think the photo was probably from Adm.Gatacres private collection.
Cheers
Speuso

[tim lewin]

something tells me that the Med fleet also wore white paint pre-war??
tim

[tonclass]

Here's another pic of her in, what appears to be, two-tone white and buff.
Rik

[herakles]

So, what colours did they have for the Battle of Matapan?

[tonclass]

Battle of 'Matalan' ? Probably a chique shade of pink with a smattering of brown - This years Black !! (all at a very reasonable price !!) :):D:o:eek:

[herakles]

Hmmmmm. Not exactly the answer I was hoping for!! :rolleyes:

[tim lewin]

by that time all was shades of grey or camo.

[herakles]

by that time all was shades of grey or camo.

So, that's that.

Thanks for the information.

[Batstiger]

Nothing to do with the Edinburgh but here is the Birmingham sporting her China station colours.

Bob.

[historydavid]

The Med fleet certainly wore white between the wars and a captain who dirtied the paintwork or dulled the brass by practice firing his guns would be marked down in the Admiral's estimation.

[qprdave]

I have placed Edinburgh's losses in the "Crew Losses" Thread

Dave

[steve roberts]

Hi Kevin. I totally agree with you.She is a War Grave,but because of the gold,a double standard was applied.Web sites are now not even allowed to put up pictures of Ships sunk around the UK where loss of life occurred.But at one time a few years ago you could google a wreck site and find tons of pictures.I don't see what harm external photography of a wreck can do,as long as it's carried out with respect...Many Regards Steve.