HMS Erebus

[james_harvey]

Hi Can anyone help me.

My Partners Grandfather served on HMS Erebus during WW1. He was an aircraft Mechanic.

Did monitors carry Aircraft?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

James

[joseph]

James,

The Erebus didnt carry aircraft, but as a monitor worked very closely with them, if the spotting aircraft developed a problem and was a seaplane it would land nearby. Whilst working off the belgian coast the ships company was expanded from 204 to 315.

Regards Charles

[Borden Battery]

Here is some information from the following website and then some source material from within this website. You can also access a photograph of this ship circa 1944.

Borden Battery

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U-Boat

This website contains detailed information on the German U-Boat from both the Great War and the Second World War. The site also contains a small discussion forum and a good source of referenced material and articles. While the site is primarily Second World War, there is a growing commitment to the Great War. Statistics indicate apparently in WWI a total of 375 U boats sank 6596 merchant ships, a total of 12,800,000tons. The site is operated from Iceland by Gudmundur Helgason with a detailed database being developed by Michael Lowrey. [April 2005]www.uboat.net

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Navy: The Royal Navy

Type: Monitor

Class: Erebus

Pennant: I 02

Built by: Harland & Wolff Ltd. (Govan, Scotland)

Laid down: 12 Oct, 1915

Launched: 19 Jun, 1916

Commissioned: 2 Sep, 1916

Scrapped in July 1946.

Noteable events involving Erebus include:

28 Oct, 1917

While engaged in the shelling of Zeebrugge, she was struck amidship by a German "Linsen" explosive motor boat, packing a charge of between 135-225 kg explosive. The detonation occurred against the outer bulge and damage was not severe.

Jul, 1943

Damaged by an Axis air attack while deployed in support of the Sicilian landings (Operation Husky).

http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5461.html.

[kin47]

Hello

In the October 1917 damage, one rating was killed and two ratings died of wounds.

In July 1943 HUSKY operation, six ratings were killed.

All best

don

[Tim]

From Jane's Fighting Ships © for 1919.

EREBUS

Displacement: 8000 tons.

Complement: 226

Length: (p.p.) 380, (o.a.) 405 feet.

Beam: 88 feet.

Mean Draught: 11 feet.

Guns: 2 - 15 inch, 42 cal. (Dir. Con.), 8 - 4 inch, 2 - 12 pdr., 2 - 3 inch (anti. aircraft), 2 -2 pdr. (anti-aircraft) 4 MG.

Armour: 4" Bulkheads; F. & A., 8" Barbettes, 13" - 4.25" Gunhouses, 4' Box Citadel (over magazines), 6" C.T., 1" Fo'xle &Upper D'ks, 4" Main Deck (Slopes), 2" Main Deck, 1.5" - .75" Lower Deck; Anti-torpedo Pro. Bulges

Machinery: Triple expansion. 2 screws.

Boilers : Babcock. Designed H.P. 600=12 kts.

Fuel: 650 tons normal, 750 tons, maximum, oil only.

Gunnery Notes.- 15 inch are high angle and can range up to 40,000 yards. Smoke screen apparatus fitted. Erebus has 15 inch removed from M. Ney.

Special Protection.- Bulges about 15 feet deep, sub-divided into 50 w.t.c. Erebus hit full amidships by distance controlled boat carrying heavy charge. Was repaired in a fortnight and rails were fitted to " blisters ' of both ships to prevent distance-controlled boats riding up blisters. Terror hit by three torpedoes in succession - 2 right forward beyond bulge protection inflicted heavy damage. The third torpedo hit the bulge and did no harm at all.

General Notes.-Both Emergency War Programme. Designed as an improved " Abercrombie " type to outrange the 15 and 11 inch guns mounted by Germans on Belgian Coast. Their speed, considering their great beam. is remarkable. Were the "crack" monitors of the famous Dover Patrol.

[Horace Bachelor]

Here's another photo of Erebus taken in August 1939.

Rich

[james_harvey]

Many thanks for the replies everyone.

It has helped my understanding of them

Kind Regards

James

[domwalsh]

Not sure if this is relevent, but during the Zeebrugge raid of 23/4/18 a contingent of RNAS, mostly ranked AM (aircraftsman), were posted to various ships. The majority were designated to operate flamethrowers to support the landing parties from Vindictive, Daffodil and Iris, while others aboard various vessels were responsible for the smoke screen that was put up to protect those three ships plus the blockships. I haven't looked this up, but I guess it's possible some RNAS AMs were aboard the monitors.

Dom