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HMS Franklin N84 (later J84)
Source: NMM N31652
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HMS Franklin -
Principal Surveys 1940
England, East Coast
Dover Strait and Harbour; The Downs. Mine barrage.
England South Coast
Spithead underwater defences.
Cromarty Firth; River
Tay entrance.
Scotland,East Coast. Cromarty
Firth; River Tay entrance.
Orkney Islands.
Shapinsay.
Faeroe Islands.
Skaalfjord.
Commander: C W Sabine
FRANKLIN made surveys
in Scapa Flow to help blocking operations, at Dundee for the
submarine base there, and at Skaalefjord in the Faeroes for its use
as a fleet anchorage.
She was also involved
in the very large scale surveys for positioning the Maunsell
pre‑fabricated forts in the Thames Estuary for the anti aircraft
defence of London.
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Date of Arrival |
Place |
Date of Departure |
Orders, Remarks etc |
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5.2.40 |
Portsmouth |
15.2.40 |
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15.2.40 |
Dover |
6.3.40 |
29/2 from V A Dover:
Intend to sail FRANKLIN 6/3 to deammunition at Sheerness before refit
at Green & Silley Weir, Tilbury |
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6.3.40 |
Sheerness |
8.3.40 |
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8.3.40 |
Tilbury (London) |
11.4.40 |
10/4 Date of completion
of FRANKLIN is to be advanced if possible and she is to be sailed for
Scapa with despatch |
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11.4.40 |
Sheerness |
12.4.40 |
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14.4.40 |
Scapa |
15.4.40 |
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...The
sinking of Royal Oak
by
Commander Prien in Scapa Flow in October 1939 had exposed the
insecurity of this major fleet anchorage. In his U‑Boat Prien had
entered the Flow through one of the Eastern Sounds despite the
numerous blockships and strong currents. Winston Churchill was
determined to close this loophole by building causeways across the
three sounds; but first it seemed prudent to ensure that such closures
would not increase the tidal streams in Hoxa Sound, the main entrance
to the anchorage, to such an extent that protective anti‑submarine and
torpedo booms could not be maintained there.
A
model of Scapa Flow was rapidly devised at Liverpool University to
resolve this important query and FRANKLIN sailed from the
Faroes to Scapa to provide the missing data ‑ the strength of the
tidal streams flowing through the Eastern Sounds. This survey was to
be made by releasing buoyed drogues into the current at the entrances
to each Sound. The floats were then plotted through the Sounds by
synchronised theodolite observations from shore. The recovery of the
floats and their carriage back to the start line at half‑hourly
intervals, against currents expected to exceed twelve knots, required
the use of a speedboat which was shipped to Scapa Flow for the
purpose. It was a thrilling experience to ride the speedboat through
the Sounds. One actually travelled downhill as the boat raced through
the narrow gaps in the jumble of blockships in pursuit of the drogues;
then followed the long slow climb back to the start line. One could
not stifle one's admiration for Commander Prien's superb skills as a
seaman.
One
night whilst at Scapa a signal came in from the Hydrographer ordering
our First Lieutenant, Carl Oom, to fly to London the following day. A
farewell dinner in the wardroom was quickly arranged during which an
air raid on the Fleet developed. In hilarious mood we gathered on the
bridge with the captain and, whilst our six pounder blazed away from
the forecastle, we joined in with stripped Lewis guns. The countless
tracer bullets and exploding shells made a magnificent display above
the Fleet. It was a great farewell for Carl.
On
arrival in the Hydrographer's Office in Whitehall, Oom was ordered to
report to a location in Cricklewood in north‑west London, not far from
Staples Corner which in later years we all came to know so well. He
arrived in uniform at the entrance to an impressive new building
nearing completion where an official, speaking in hushed tones,
ordered Carl to go away and return the following day in plain clothes
as this was a highly secret area. An air raid over London developed
during the night and on returning to the site next day, suitably
clothed in sports jacket and flannels, Carl found the building a
smoking ruin and the secretive official nowhere to be seen. Back at
the Hydrographic Office Admiral Edgell seemed only mildly surprised ‑
'Oh well, we'll have to find you another appointment.’
Extract from ‘No Day Too Long’, G S Ritchie
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27.4.40 |
Scapa |
3.6.40 |
10/5 To rejoin the Dover
command |
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12.6.40 |
Scapa |
12.6.40 |
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? |
Scapa |
15.6.40 |
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16.6.40 |
Dundee |
4.7.40 |
3/7 FRANKLIN is to
proceed to Kirkwall to complete tidal stream observations
24/7 from FRANKLIN:
Intend sailing for Invergordon to undertake Hydrographic Instruction
No. 8 25/7 |
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21.7.40 |
Scapa |
25.7.40 |
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25.7.40 |
Invergordon |
11.8.40 |
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12.8.40 |
Humber |
? |
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29.10.40 |
Humber |
11.11.40 |
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12.11.40 |
Gt Yarmouth |
18.11.40 |
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About this time our
engineer officer was relieved by Lieutenant Commander Jimmy Maguire
RNR., who had in peacetime been for some years the staff engineer
onboard the luxurious Queen of Bermuda which ferried tourists
from New York to those happy isles. This had been a social
appointment, hosting the chief engineer's table and, in spotless white
overalls, conducting passengers around the engine room, leaving the
Chief to perform his engineering duties unhindered.
During his eighteen
months in FRANKLIN Jimmy was never known to enter the engine
room, his self‑appointed action station being on the roof of the
chartroom at the after end of the vessel where he manned the Holman
projector. This curious weapon consisted of a pipe set at an angle of
65' to the horizontal which could be rotated through a fixed arc
astern by means of bicycle handlebars affixed to the pipe. The object
was to deflect an aircraft coming in from astern by exploding hand
grenades in the air ahead of it. The grenades, stacked in a rack
alongside, were pre‑set to seven seconds delay, and whilst Jimmy
directed the weapon his writer pulled the pins from the grenades as he
dropped each one down the pipe. The weight of the grenade on reaching
the bottom of the pipe opened a steam valve, the pressure from which
projected the grenade skywards. Practising with water‑filled beer cans
Jimmy and his writer had reached a high standard of Holman efficiency
and were probably responsible for saving our lives on our way south
for a refit in West India Dock.
Extract from ‘No Day Too Long’, G S Ritchie
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19.11.40 |
Source: ADM
267/102
From: The
Commanding Officer, HMS FRANKLIN
Date: 26th
November 1940
To: The Director of Naval Air Division, Admiralty (Copy to
Hydrographer of the Navy)
Subject:
report on enemy
air attack
1. Date: 19th
November 1940 1000 BST
Position: 52˚25’ North, 02˚02’ East
Course: 180˚; 13 knots
Weather: Wind – South force 1, Sea – Calm, Visibility – 15
miles,
Cloud – small cumulus with gaps, height of base 4,000 feet.
2. Aircraft
was sighted crossing the bow from port to Starboard just below the
cloud base distant one mile, and was identified as a Junkers 88. It
then passed down the starboard side disappearing into the clouds and
was next seen carrying out a shallow dive attack on one of a group
of four trawlers about four miles 350˚; four splashes were observed.
The aircraft then climbed steeply to starboard and carried out an
attack on FRANKLIN from the Port beam, commencing a shallow dive
from 4,000 feet and passing over the fore-mast at about 300 feet.
3. A stick of
six bombs (estimated 100 lbs) was released when the aircraft was at
about 400 feet. The bombs straddled the ship close forward of the
bridge, two falling to Port and the remainder to Starboard.
Explosions took place below the surface of the water. The nearest
bomb on the starboard side was approximately 40 feet from the ship;
the nearest of those falling to Port 30 feet.
4. Ship
increased to full speed altering to Starboard to clear the range for
0.5” machine guns situate abaft the mainmast, and to keep the
aircraft on the Port beam.
5. The
following defects were discovered after the above attack occurred:
Several joints found to be leaking on H.P. side of CO2 machine,
causing heavy gas leakage.
Main stop valve of No.2 boiler leaking at flange
connection.
Several thermometers and sight glasses broken on F L
system.
Several pressure gauges broken.
Valves and recorder scales in Asdic and Echo Sounding
gear were broken.
Most of the Lower Deck electric light bulbs were broken.
Glass cover to Master Gyro broken
6. Four
minutes after the attack a heavy underwater explosion was observed
bearing 339˚ 2.5 miles. It is estimated that the aircraft passed
over this position prior to attacking the trawler. There was no ship
within 2.5 miles of the explosion.
Signed: C W Sabine, Commander in Command
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19.11.40 |
Gt Yarmouth |
27.11.40 |
21/11 From FOi/c
Yarmouth: Damage to FRANKLIN cannot be repaired till 28/11 |
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27.11.40 |
Gt Yarmouth |
5.12.40 |
28/11 Yeoman of Signals
Ernest Tompkin C/JX133894 died aged 28. |
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5.12.40 |
Harwich |
10.12.40 |
7/12 From F O I/c
Harwich: Regret to report damage to HMS FRANKLIN during heavy gale
6/12. FRANKLIN can be made seaworthy by 5/12 |
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10.12.40 |
Harwich |
11.12.40 |
To join FS58 for
Sheerness |
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11.12.40 |
Harwich |
12.12.40 |
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12.12.40 |
Southend |
? |
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13.12.40 |
London |
7.3.41 |
14/12 Taken in hand by
London Graving Dock Co. Estimated time to complete defects A & A's 5
to 6 weeks |
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