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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

HMS Shark


Andrew P

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Hi

In my current reserch regarding those people from Fremantle, Western Australia who served in WW1, I've found a man who was on HMS Shark and was killed in the Battle of Jutland.

I've had a look through the search pages on the internet and have only come up with the WW2 submarine HMS Shark. Though the story of that submarine is extremely interesting it's not what I was after.

Would anyone be able to tell me what happened to HMS Shark in the Battle of Jutland, or at least point me to a good book or source on the internet.

Cheers

Andrew Pittaway

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Hi Andrew,

I searched with google and typed "HMS Shark"+jutland and came up with the following.

As the captain of the Shark won the VC I would imagine there's a good deal on him.

I have a copy of John Winton's 'The Sea VCs' and will look it up when I get home tonight. Hope the following keeps you going.

Cheers

Simon

http://freespace.virgin.net/war.graves/register.htm

HMS SHARK (Jutland) 86

http://www.peakfinder.com/panorama.htm

Mount Smuts and Mount Shark are the other two peaks of the Spray Group. General Jan Christian Smuts was a soldier and statesman who became Prime Minister of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and then from 1938 to 1948. The mountain was named in 1918 and commemorates his role in the First World War. HMS Shark was a destroyer of the Royal Navy which was torpedoed and sunk during the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

http://www.numa.net/docs/shipwrecks.htm

H.M.S SHARK

British destroyer. Sunk by the German Imperial fleet during the battle of Jutland, 1916.

http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritis...Destroyers2.htm

SHARK (Cdr Loftus Jones RN, awarded posthumous Victoria Cross) hit by 4.1in shells from light cruiser "Regensburg" and 2nd TBF, 3.5in from other destroyers. Finished by a torpedo from "S-54"; LOST with 86 killed. A division of 4th DF led by "Shark" counter-attacked German destroyers. Her forecastle was wrecked, forward 4in blown away and the guncrew lost. Then hit on the bridge and steering put out of action. Cdr Jones started moving towards the after steering position to find the main engines damaged. Under cruiser fire and wounded, he ordered the boats turned out but these were blown away. Now lying helpless between the two fleets, he joined the the midships guncrew in re-opening fire and damaged German destroyer "V.48". More destroyers closed in to 600 yards, firing heavily. With his leg shot away, Cdr Jones ordered the shot-away ensign rehoisted. "Shark" was now settling and abandon ship ordered as a German destroyer finished her with a torpedo. He was later seen in the sea encouraging survivors, but soon died and was not picked up. Cdr Jones body was later washed ashore in Sweden were he was buried.

http://www.chapter-one.com/vc/award.asp?vc=654

On 31 May 1916, at the Battle of Jutland, off Denmark, Commander Jones of HMS Shark, led a division of destroyers to attack the enemy Battle Cruiser Squadron. In the course of this attack Shark became disabled by shell-fire and was lying helpless between two enemy fleets. Commander Jones was badly wounded in the leg, but with the help of three surviving seamen he kept the midships gun in action until he was hit by a shell which took off his leg. He continued, however, to give orders to his gun's crew, until Shark was hit by a torpedo and sank. Commander Jones was not among the survivors.

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Andrew

A little more information on Shark which was a destroyer.

Shark (1912) 935 tons. Sister to "Contest." Disabled by gunfire of German Light Cruisers, and subsequently torpedoed in the Battle of Jutland, 31st May 1916.

Regards

Myrtle

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Hi Andrew / Simon

While I was writing my little bit of information Simon was providing you with a lot more. His mention of Loftus Jones encouraged me to look at the CWGC site where you will find an extract of the entry for Loftus Jones' VC in The London Gazette on 6th March 1917.

Regards

Myrtle

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Thanks heaps Simon & Myrtle. The information you provided is great.

I think I'll have to sack the search engine I have and start using google.

Cheers

Andrew

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  • 4 weeks later...

Andrew,

HMS Shark was an ACASTA class destroyer. She was built by Swan Hunter and launched on 30.7.12. She was going to be called Kestrel, but that was abandoned.

She displaced 1072 tons, was 276' long (81.5m). She had 3 4" guns and 2 21" torpedo tubes. Her crew numbered 73.

Any good book on Jutland will give an account of her demise.

Rob

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I have checked my small naval archive and may contribute with an official drawing from "Marinearchiv, Band I, Der Nordseekrieg, 1931".

http://users.skynet.be/bk230381/egbert/31_7_1916.jpg

The sinking of "HMS Shark" is depicted at the far right side of the drawing with "Regensburg" ( and its attached Torpedoboot-Flotillen) steaming away at about 5 km distance. If you like more details about "Regensburg" let me know and I will provide them to you.

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Andrew,

HMS Shark was with the fourth destroyer flotilla at Jutland.

The casualties were as follows:

Officers Killed 7

Men Killed 79

Men Wounded 2

Survivors 6

Shark was part of the forward submarine screen for Admiral Hoods 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron along with Acasta, Ophelia and Christopher. The associated light cruisers were Canterbury and Chester (of Jack Cornwall VC fame). The division (the 4 cruisers) were under the command of Commander Loftus Jones in Shark (Jones had made his name in causing the German High Seas Fleet to turn back to base during the Scarborough raid). The Division pursued a number of German cruisers intent on forming an attack on Admiral Hood. Shark got one torpedo away before being smothered in enemy fire and was brought to a standstill.

Shark continued to engage the enemy and Canterbury intervened to turn the enemy away, but the Admiral Hippers German Destroyers of the 9th flotilla and 12th half flotilla piled in with merciless fire and Shark was done for and slowly sank. Jones himself had a leg shot away.

One of the survivors, Able Seaman C C Hope related that after the captain was disabled " The Gaff on which the ensign was flying was shot away and Capt. Jones asked what was wrong with the flag, and appeared greatly upset. Then I climbed and unbent the ensign from the gaff. I passed it down to Midshipman Smith RNR who hoisted it on the yardarm. Commander Jones seemed then to be less worried." A petty officer got the wounded captain onto a life-saving raft but a few hours later he died of exhaustion, to be awarded subsequently a posthumous VC. The six survivors were eventually picked up by the Danish steaner "Vidar"

Regards,

Kate (and Martin)

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Thanks again everyone for that wealth of information about HMS Shark. It's definately given me a good account of what went on.

The man I'm researching from HMS Shark is Surgeon Probationer Robert Walker.

Cheers

Andrew

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  • 14 years later...

Hi Trimmy,

Welcome to the forum.

Is this him?.....Andrew Joseph William Trim, b.22.8.1902, Wincanton, Somerset. RN J 92341. Father Charles Cisrell Trimm,151349 RFA/645, records on Ancestry. Served Royal Australian Navy  1939-48. No.10735. Died 12th Jan 1957, aged 55 yrs,occ. a Rigger lived in Cronulla, buried Woronora Cemetery, Sutherland,NSW, Australia.

Regards Barry

Signed up 4.9.18 - Transf'd 6.5.19 RAN -15.7.1926 NO MENTION OF HMS SHARK on records..

Attended Chilton Cantelo School, Somerset,UK on 7.3.10, father Charles, Registration No.248. A female Annie TRIM b.25.1.1900 also registered on same day, No.247. His sister was Annie Elizabeth Mary Trim, b.25.1.1900, ....ww1 Father's service records.(Cristell,Cisrell, birth record Cicero Charles Trim,5c,483 1878, Wincanton, Somerset.)

1911 census parents married 11 yrs.( 17.4.1899.Mary Macey) 2 surviving children, 1 deceased...Cisrill Charles Trim b.1907 d.1907,7a,147 Oakham,Rutland.UK

 

 

Edited by The Inspector
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Hah - I live in Wincanton (when I'm not at work). Did the 1911 census give a Wincanton address, Inspector? I could go and look for it ... 

 

sJ

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Hi SJ

The 1911 census gives Brickyard Lane, Yeovil. Andrew was born South Brewham, Somerset, according to 1911.... not too far away from chez vous!

Regards Barry

Wincanton, 5c 386, registration district.

Edited by The Inspector
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Chilton Cantelo not too far off either. Yeovil's changed a lot, though!

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  • 6 months later...

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