Photo submitted by Simon Manchee

Commodore Augustus Willington Shelton Agar, VC, DSO, RN (1890-1968) was a noted Royal Navy officer in both World War I and World War II and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. photo of Victoria Cross recipient Augustine William Shelton Agar migrated from Victoria Cross Reference website with permission. ... photo of Victoria Cross recipient Augustine William Shelton Agar migrated from Victoria Cross Reference website with permission. ... Commodore has several meanings: Commodore International is a computer company Commodore 64 and Amiga were home computers Commodore (rank) is a naval rank Commodore (yacht club) is the senior officer of a yacht club The Holden Commodore is a type of car The Opel Commodore is a type of car... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, the majority of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

Victoria Cross

He was 29 years old, and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the North Russia Relief Force when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ...

On 17 June 1919 at Kronstadt, Russia, Lieutenant Agar took HM Coastal Motor Boat 4 into the bay, penetrated a destroyer screen and was closing a larger warship further inshore when CMB4, whose hull had been damaged by gunfire, broke down. She had to be taken alongside a breakwater to do repairs and for 20 minutes was in full view of the enemy. The attack was then resumed and a Russian cruiser, the Oleg, was sunk, after which Lieutenant Agar retired to the safety of the open bay under heavy fire. June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1888 map of Kronstadt bay Kronstadt (Russian: Кронштадт; also Kronshtadt, Cronstadt) is a strongly fortified Russian seaport town, located on Kotlin Island, near the head of the Gulf of Finland, at 59°5930 N and 29°4630 E. It lies... HM Coastal Motor Boat 4 was one of a large series of small fast shallow draught vessels used during World War One. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, launched in 1992. ...

Early life

Augustus Agar was born in Kandy, Ceylon on January 4, 1890. He was the thirteenth child of John Shelton Agar, an Irishman from Woodmont, County Kerry who had left his native land in 1860 to become a successful tea planter in Ceylon. Agar's mother, who was an Austrian, died shortly after his birth and at the age of eight he was sent with one of his brothers to school in England. His father died in 1902 when he contracted cholera during a visit to China. The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy Kandy (මහ නුවර in Sinhala, கண்டி in Tamil) is a city in the centre of Sri Lanka. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Tralee Code: KY Area: 4,746 km² Population (2006) 139,616 Website: www. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Cholera is a water-borne disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which is typically ingested by drinking contaminated water, or by eating improperly cooked fish, especially shellfish. ...

Augustus (Gus) Agar attended Framlingham College in Suffolk, England. He was now without parents or a fixed home and his oldest brother, Shelton, determined that he should go into the Navy. Gus, who idolized his older brother, willingly agreed. To prepare he attended Eastman's naval academy in Southsea. Framlingham College Framlingham College is an independent boarding school in England. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern tip of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. ...

A friend of the family, Sir Henry Jackson, later an admiral and First Sea Lord, nominated Agar for a spot in the annual intake of cadets. After time spent with a "crammer", he passed the entrance exams and in 1904 joined the naval cadet school, HMS Britannia, at Dartmouth, England. The Britannia was a wooden man of war launched in 1820, but long since tied up at Dartmouth and used as a stationary training ship. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. ... The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the British Royal Navy. ... Seven vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Britannia, after Britannia, the goddess and later personification of Britain. ... Map sources for Dartmouth, Devon at grid reference SX877514 The town seen from the River Dart Dartmouth is a town in Devon in the south-west of England. ... A man of war (also man-of-war, man-o-war or simply man) is an armed naval vessel. ...

As a part of his training, Agar went to sea in the 5,650 ton second class cruiser, HMS Highflyer, and afterwards on the slightly older HMS Isis. These ships were stationed at Bermuda and many classes were held ashore when the ships were in port. Agar had many pleasant memories of sports, swimming, boating and picnics during this period. USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, launched in 1992. ...

Agar served at sea in a number of ships in the prewar period, including the battleships HMS Prince of Wales attached to the Mediterranean Fleet, and HMS Queen with Captain (later Admiral) David Beatty in command. He greatly admired Beatty's dash and style. HMS Prince of Wales was a Formidable-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. ... Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. ... HMS Queen (1902) was a Formidable class of battleship in the British Royal Navy. ... David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (17 January 1871- 11 March 1936), was an admiral in the Royal Navy. ...

Agar's early training gave him a thorough grounding in basic naval matters, especially in handling small boats. This was to prove a great asset later in his career. In 1910 Gus passed his seamanship examination with flying colours and was made an acting sub-Lieutenant. During 1911 he served aboard a destroyer, HMS Ruby. He spent the next period on course at Portsmouth and studying at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, England. He was promoted Lieutenant on June 30, 1912. A Lieutenant, Junior Grade, is a division officer in the United States Navy. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Portsmouth is a city of about 189,000 people located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of England. ... Crest on the gate of the Royal Naval College The Royal Naval College was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, in the centre of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site in London, United Kingdom. ... Greenwich (pronounced grenn-itch , or by the locals) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

After his courses were complete, Agar was assigned to small ships, his first being Torpedo Boat #23. In April 1913 he was sent to learn to fly. It was not entirely his metier, though he obtained his license after enduring three crashes in the very primitive aircraft of the time. He joined the pre-dreadnought battleship, HMS Hibernia, in September, 1913, attached to the Home Fleet. A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to launch torpedoes at larger surface ships. ... USS Massachusetts, a pre-dreadnought battleship launched in 1893 The term pre-dreadnought refers to the last type of battleship before the British Royal Navys HMS Dreadnought (1906). ... HMS Hibernia was a King Edward VII-class battleship of Britains Royal Navy, the last generation of British pre-dreadnoughts. ... The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ...

During this period, Agar became a gunnery expert.

Character

In his naval biography, Footprints in the Sea, published in 1961, Agar described himself as "...highly strung and imaginative...". To this must be added courageous, competent, determined and calm in a crisis. He was held in high regard by many of the men who served under him.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says that Agar "... epitomizes the 'sea dog' of British naval tradition: honourable, extremely brave and totally dedicated to King, country and the Royal Navy."

World War One: The Grand Fleet

Agar was aboard the Hibernia when World War I broke out and soon sailed with her to Britain's then secret wartime base at Scapa Flow. He was a part of the Grand Fleet under the command of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul... Aerial Photo of Scapa Flow Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. ... During World War I, the British Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet. ... Admiral of the Fleet Lord Jellicoe Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe (December 5, 1859- November 20, 1935) was a British Royal Navy admiral. ...

As newer and faster dreadnoughts joined the fleet, the pre-dreadnoughts became increasingly obsolete, being slower, with much less firepower and poor design features. Hibernia and her sisters of the King Edward VII class battleships had their secondary 6" guns placed too low in the water, where they were liable to be submerged in all but the calmest seas. Dreadnought may refer to: Battleships were called Dreadnoughts, following the launch of the HMS Dreadnought in 1906. ... The King Edward VII class was a class of battleships launched by the Royal Navy between 1903 and 1905 in response to the emerging navies of Japan and the USA. The navies of these two nations were smaller, but their ships possessed superior secondary armament, a key part of a...

The Dardanelles and guard duty

In the summer of 1915 it was decided to send Hibernia out to the Dardanelles to provide gunnery support to the Allied landings on the Gallipoli peninsula. She arrived in September 1915 at the Royal Navy base at Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos at the entrance to the straits leading to the Black Sea. Map of the Dardanelles The Dardanelles (Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı, Greek: Δαρδανέλλια, Dardanellia), formerly known as the Hellespont (Greek: Eλλήσποντος, Hellespontos), is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... Gallipoli peninsula (Turkish: , Greek: ) is located in Turkish Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... Lemnos (mod. ... Map of the Black Sea. ...

The sheltered waters of the Aegean Sea and the straits enabled Hibernia to use all her guns and she was employed in firing at Turkish targets on Gallipoli and the nearby Asia Minor shore. She was hit once by a Turkish shell, but not seriously damaged. The Aegean Sea. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to...

Hibernia returned to Britain when the Allies evacuated Gallipoli and was stationed at Rosyth with others of her class to guard against raids on the British coast by German ships. Because of their slow speed and weak offensive power, the pre-dreadnought battleships were not ordered to join the Grand Fleet for the Battle of Jutland on May 31, 1916, though they got up steam pending the outcome of the engagement. Rosyth (pronounced Ross-sythe) (Scottish Gaelic: Ros Saoithe) is located on the Firth of Forth on Scotlands east coast, a mile (1. ... Combatants Royal Navy (Grand Fleet) Kaiserliche Marine (High Seas Fleet) Commanders Sir John Jellicoe, Sir David Beatty Reinhard Scheer, Franz von Hipper Strength 28 battleships, 9 battlecruisers, 8 heavy cruisers, 26 light cruisers, 78 destroyers 16 battleships, 5 battlecruisers, 6 pre-dreadnoughts, 11 light cruisers, 61 torpedo-boats Casualties 6... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

North Russia

After Jutland the battleship threat from Germany receded somewhat and the danger from mines and submarines grew. Especially vulnerable were the two ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in North Russia used by British merchant ships bringing war materials to their ally. Mine sweeping trawlers were sent out to counter this threat and two old cruisers were modified to act as repair workshops and headquarters for this flotilla. Agar joined one of them, HMS Iphigenia, in December 1916, as executive officer. The Iphigenia dated from 1892 and displaced 3,400 tons and her early days could make 20 knots. Murmansk, Archangelsk, Dikson, Tiksi, on the Arctic Ocean Murmansk coin Murmansk (Russian: ) is a city in the extreme northwest of Russia (north of the Arctic circle) with a seaport on the Kola Gulf, 12 km from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from... Arkhangelsk (Russian: ), formerly called Archangel in English, is a city in and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. ... Categories: Water-transport stubs | Ship types ... The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. ... A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a flota of small ships, and this from French flotte), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. ... While Executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an organization, the exact meaning of the role is highly variable, depending on the organization. ...

Iphigenia arrived at Murmansk in March 1917, just as the Russian Revolution was beginning. She operated out of Archangel in the summer when the White Sea was clear, and from the ice free Murmansk in the winter. Although it was apparent to local Allied commanders that the war material landed after the spring of 1917 was not being put to good use, their advice to stop the flow was ignored by Whitehall. Indeed much of the material was either destroyed or ended up being used by the Bolsheviks or the Germans. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the system of autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal Provisional Government (Duma), resulting in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Map of the White Sea Two satellite photos of the White Sea The White Sea (Russian: ) is an inlet of the Barents Sea on the North Western coast of Russia. ... Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ...

While at Murmansk, Agar had the opportunity to renew acquaintance with Russian officer friends from the Cruiser, Askold, which was berthed alongside. He had served with them in the Dardanelles, when he was on the HMS Hibernia. He met them again at the Devonport dockyard. But, mutiny soon broke out on the Askold, and Agar was shocked to see his officer friends arrested one by one and taken ashore, not to be seen again. Discipline aboard the ship broke down completely, and after the last of the food and supplies were comsumed, she was abandoned, to rust away. Askold (Höskuldr) and Dir (Dyri) were according to the Primary Chronicle, two of Ruriks men. ... Devonport in 1909, courtesy WW1 Archive Devonport Dockyard and the Hamoaze from the Rame Peninsula, Cornwall Her Majestys Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport (HMS Drake), commonly called Devonport Dockyard, is a major Royal Navy base located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon. ...

This difficult and occasionally dangerous mission occupied the Iphigenia until the end of February 1918, when worsening conditions and a hostile Bolshevik government prompted a withdrawal. The British were able to take away with them a number of Russians fleeing the Bolsheviks.

The Russian experience was of value to Agar later in his career.

Coastal motor boats

Agar served in coastal motor boats (CMB's) in home waters during the latter part of the war. These small vessels displaced just 5 tons compared to the 1,110 tons of a World War One era destroyer. Their main offensive weapon was a torpedo. They were of shallow draught and could operate close inshore. USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... A modern torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled projectile that (after being launched above or below the water surface) operates underwater and is designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ...

The CMB's carried one or two torpedoes, depending on whether they were "forty footers" or "fifty-five footers". Mines could be substituted for torpedoes and they also carried depth charges and Lewis guns. It was planned that they be either towed or carried into battle on the German coast by the light cruisers and destroyers of Commodore Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt's Harwich Force. With their shallow draught they could skim over the mines and attack the German patrol craft around Heligoland. As 1918 wore on a more ambitious scheme matured, to send the CMB's in over the shallow coastal waters to attack the German fleet at its anchorage. But the Armistice occurred on 11 November 1918 before these plans could be put into effect. Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ... The Lewis Gun was a pre-WWI era American design of machine gun most widely used by the British Empire and Imperial armies that continued to see service all the way through to WWII, it first saw combat with the Belgian Army in WWI. It is visually distinctive because of... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Commodore has several meanings: Commodore International is a computer company Commodore 64 and Amiga were home computers Commodore (rank) is a naval rank Commodore (yacht club) is the senior officer of a yacht club The Holden Commodore is a type of car The Opel Commodore is a type of car... Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt (1870-1951) was an admiral of the Royal Navy in World War One who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich on the east coast of England during the first part of the war. ... (This article is about the town in England. ... Heligoland (in German, Helgoland and in North Frisian, Lun, Hålilönj) is a small German archipelago in the North Sea. ... A white flag is traditionally used to represent a truce. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

It was as torpedo and mining officer that Augustus Agar was selected for this service. He participated in the famous raid on Zeebrugge led by Commodore Roger Keyes, CMB's being used to lay smoke screens outside the mole to cover the escape of the crews of the blockships. During the summer of 1918, he was stationed at Dover and at Dunkirk, the CMB's leading an exciting life attacking German patrol craft along the Belgian coast. Zeebrugge (French: Zeebruges) is a harbour-town at the coast of Belgium, a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. ... Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes ( 1872- 1945) was a noted British admiral and hero, with a life of adventure stretching from African anti slavery patrols to Allied landings in Leyte in World War II. Early Days The son of a famous hero father, Keyes was born on October... A mole is a massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater, or junction between places separated by water. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Carnival in Dunkirk. ...

The Baltic and the Bolsheviks

The end of the war found him at the CMB base at Osea Island in Essex, England. He was asked in late 1918 by Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming, head of the foreign section of the British Secret Intelligence Service, to volunteer for a mission in the Baltic Sea where Coastal Motor Boats (CMBs) were to be used to ferry British agents back and forth from Bolshevik Russia. The shallow draught and high speed of the CMB made it ideal for landing on enemy occupied shores and making a quick getaway. The chief British agents in Russia were Sir Paul Dukes and Sidney Reilly. During this time Agar and his two boats were technically under the command of the Foreign Office. Osea Island is an inhabited island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Captain Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming RN (April 1, 1859 - June 14, 1923) was the first director of what would become MI6. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6, is the United Kingdoms external intelligence agency. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. ... Bolsheviks (Russian: IPA , derived from bolshinstvo, majority) were members of the Bolshevik faction of the Marxist Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split apart from the Menshevik faction[1] at the Second Party Congress in 1903 and ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. ... Sigmund Rosenblum, later known as Sidney Reilly, circa 1899. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. ...

Agar set up a small base at Terrioki just inside Finland, close to the Soviet frontier. From here he undertook secret missions to drop off and retrieve British agents on the coast of the Bay of Petrograd. To do this his boats had to cross Bolshevik minefields and pass by a number of forts and ships guarding the entrance to the Bolshevik naval base at Kronstadt and to Petrograd, now St. Petersburg. 1888 map of Kronstadt bay Kronstadt (Russian: ), or Kronshtadt, Cronstadt, is a strongly fortified Russian seaport town, located on Kotlin Island, near the head of the Gulf of Finland, at , . It lies thirty kilometers west of Saint Petersburg, of which it is the chief port. ... Saint Petersburg  listen (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and...

Also operating in the eastern Baltic Sea was a Royal Navy detachment of light cruisers and destroyers under Admiral Sir Walter Cowan. Though technically not connected, Agar regularly reported to Cowan and received assistance from him. Cowan's mission was to keep the sea lanes open to the new republics of Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania which were under threat of being overrun by Soviet Russia. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Walter Henry Cowan (June 11, 1871 to February 14, 1956) was a British Admiral who saw service in World War One and was in World War Two the oldest British serviceman on active duty. ...

On their missions Agar and his crews dressed in civilian clothes, to maintain the fiction that Britain was not involved. They had a uniform on board in case they were in danger of capture. Without the uniform, they could be shot as spies, though it probably would not have made much difference to the Cheka, the Bolshevik secret police. Cheka-KGB emblem: sword and shield The Cheka (ЧК - чрезвычайная комиссия) was the first of many Soviet secret police organizations, created by decree on December 20, 1917 by Vladimir Lenin and led by Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky. ... // Secret police (sometimes political police) are a police organization which operates in secrecy for the national purpose of maintaining national security against internal threats to the state. ...

Agar felt that his small force should be doing more than acting as a shuttle service. The Bolsheviks had seized much of the Russian fleet at Kronstadt, and Agar considered these vessels a menace to British operations and took it upon himself to attack the enemy battleships. He set out with his two boats on 17 June 1919. One had to turn back before completing its mission. The battleships were not in the harbour, and Agar took his boat, under heavy fire, to torpedo the 6,645 ton cruiser Oleg which sank. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross Agar was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 30 June 1919. June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Realizing the utility of the CMB's, Cowan ordered a number more sent out from England to add to his fleet.

On 18 August 1919, Agar took his remaining boat against the Russians, acting as guide-ship to a flotilla of six others, leading them through the minefields and past the forts. Staying outside the attack was lead by Commander Claude Dobson. They entered Kronstadt harbour, this time sinking two battleships, the 23,360 ton dreadnought Petropavlovsk and the 17,400 ton pre-dreadnought Andrei Pervozvanny, both of which were subsequently salvaged, and a submarine depot ship, the 6,734 ton Pamiat Azova. August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Rear-Admiral Claude Congreve Dobson (VC, DSO)(1 January 1885- 26 June 1940) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... HMS Victory in 1884 Battleship was the name given to the most powerfully gun-armed and most heavily armored classes of warships built between the 15th and 20th centuries. ... The Petropavlovsk (Russian: ) was a Russian battleship of the Gangut Class. ... USS Massachusetts, a pre-dreadnought battleship launched in 1893 The term pre-dreadnought refers to the last type of battleship before the British Royal Navys HMS Dreadnought (1906). ... The Andrei Pervozvanny class were a class of Semi-Drednoughts built for the Imperial Russian Navy. ...

For his part in this action Agar was awarded the DSO. Dobson and another RNB officer Gordon Steele receive the Victoria Cross[1]. DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... Photo submitted by William Corbett - taken during WWII Captain Gordon Charles Steele VC RN was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

The British naval presence in the Baltic was crucial to securing the independence of the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Baltic states and the Baltic Sea The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a term which nowadays refers to three countries in Northern Europe: Estonia Latvia Lithuania Prior to World War II, Finland was sometimes considered, particularly by the Soviet Union, a fourth Baltic state. ...

Between the wars

Immediately following his Baltic experiences, Agar returned to Osea Island. On July 20, 1920 he married the 19th Baroness Furnivall. July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

Agar held a number of sea going commands between the wars. His first, in June 1920 was as executive officer aboard HMS Chatham, a 5,400 ton light cruiser assigned to the newly formed New Zealand Navy. In 1922 he was given command of HMS Philomel, an obsolete cruiser of 2,575 tons used as a training ship for the New Zealand Navy. These were very happy years for Agar, in a friendly country with interesting work and regular cruises through the South Seas. While Executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an organization, the exact meaning of the role is highly variable, depending on the organization. ... HMS Chatham, 1911 - 1926, pictured circa 1914 Fifteen ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Chatham after the port of Chatham, Kent, home of the Chatham Dockyard The first Chatham was a galliot captured in 1666 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. ... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ...

On January 1, 1924, at the request of King George V, Agar was appointed captain of the Royal Yacht HMS Victoria and Albert, another pleasant duty. He served until January, 1925. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 - 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, as a result of his creating it from the British branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ...

A great professional assignment in April, 1926 was command of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. The commander in chief, Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, specifically asked for Agar. Keyes was an outstanding leader and brought the fleet to the height of its efficiency. The Flotilla consisted of four ships, and Agar commanded the flotilla leader HMS Witch. He served here until July, 1927. Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes ( 1872- 1945) was a noted British admiral and hero, with a life of adventure stretching from African anti slavery patrols to Allied landings in Leyte in World War II. Early Days The son of a famous hero father, Keyes was born on October...

By the late 1920's Agar and his wife were living apart and they divorced in 1931. This probably had an adverse effect on his chances for promotion, keeping him from reaching flag rank.

After these assignments, Agar was on course and on shore duty for several years, including a stint as naval advisor to the New Zealand Delegation to the London Naval Conference of 1930. There were three major international naval conferences in London, the first in 1908-09, the second in 1930 and the third in 1935. ...

On September 30, 1930, Agar was placed in command of the sloop HMS Scarborough attached to the North America and West Indies Squadron. During this time he married Ina Margaret Lindner in Bermuda, a union which lasted the rest of his life. He served aboard the Scarborough until September of 1932. September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... A sloop-rigged J-24 sailboat A sloop (From Dutch sloep) in sailing, is a vessel with a fore-and-aft rig. ... HMS Scarborough was a Royal Navy sloop of the Hastings class launched in 1930. ... The North America and West Indies Squadron of the UKs Royal Navy was maintained at varying strength throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ...

Other seagoing commands followed, first in early 1936 aboard the 4,190 ton anti aircraft cruiser HMS Curlew, part of the reserve fleet at the Nore. Then, from January 15, 1937 he commanded his favourite ship, the 7,300 ton light cruiser HMS Emerald, at 35 knots, with her sister, HMS Enterprise, the fastest ships in the Royal Navy. N.O.R.E. formerly known as rapper Noreaga, is a member of the rap group C-N-N. N.O.R.E. stands for Niggaz on (the) run eatin. He is currently signed to Def Jam Records and Roc-A-Fella Records. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... HMS Emerald was a light cruiser of the British navy, launched in 1920 and completed in 1926. ... HMS Enterprise was an Emerald-class light cruiser designed and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland, who laid her keel down on June 28, 1918. ...

Emerald was attached to the East India Station from January 1937 to July 1938. Agar then served as Captain of The Royal Naval College at Greenwich, England, but with war in the offing he was returned to command of the Emerald in the summer of 1939. Crest on the gate of the Royal Naval College The Royal Naval College was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, in the centre of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site in London, United Kingdom. ... Greenwich (pronounced grenn-itch , or by the locals) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ...

World War Two: HMS Emerald and the North Atlantic Convoys

When war began on September 3, 1939 Agar was in command of the Emerald and, as in 1914, was directed to Scapa Flow. His ship was soon ordered onto the "Northern Patrol", between the Faroe Islands and Iceland to intercept any German merchant ships trying to make it back to their homeland. A second duty was to stop neutral ships and check for contraband headed for Germany. September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Aerial Photo of Scapa Flow Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. ... Contraband consists of items of which possession may be illegal, depending on the variety and the country or the age or sex of the possessor. ...

In October 1939 Emerald sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia with five tons of gold bullion from the Bank of England, bound for the United States to pay for war materials. Motto: Template:Unhide = E Mari Merces (Wealth from the Sea) Logo: Location City Information Established: April 1, 1996 Area: (former city) 79. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Upon arrival in Halifax, Emerald was assigned to North Atlantic convoy escort duty. Since the Emerald had been designed and equipped for work in gentler climates this was very uncomfortable as well as dangerous duty. The Canadian Red Cross stepped up to the plate with a large supply of warm clothes for the crew. For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... A convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support. ... The Canadian Red Cross Society is a Canadian humanitarian charitable organization. ...

Among the convoys Emerald escorted was the first Canadian Troop Convoy, in November, 1939, when 7,500 troops reached Britain without incident. Convoy duty continued through the bitter winter of 1939/40. Agar's tour of duty as captain of the Emerald was up in late May 1940 and he spent the next 6 months on temporary duty, first as commander of the 16th destroyer flotilla at Harwich. (This article is about the town in England. ...

Operation Lucid

Agar was in charge of planning and carrying out Operation Lucid in September 1940, an attempt to hit the German wooden invasion barges at Boulogne and Calais, France, with incendiary material and set them alight. It was a desperate time and any measure, however risky, that could frustrate the German invasion plans was welcome. The plan had the personal backing of Winston Churchill. Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Calais is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Accompanied by various auxiliary vessels, Agar set off for Boulogne several times in September and October of 1940 with four small ancient oil tankers filled with a special incendiary fuel (called Agar's special mixture). The wartime need for oil tankers was so great that only vessels unfit for convoy work were available to Agar. The very poor mechanical condition of these ships hampered the enterprise. Either bad weather or mechanical breakdowns forced cancellation on the first attempts.

The last attempt seemed like it would be a success until the command ship with Agar aboard, HMS Hambledon, a Hunt class destroyer, hit an acoustic mine mid Channel and was severely damaged. She had to be towed back to England, being shelled by German coastal batteries on the French coast on the way back. Luckily they missed. The Hunt class was a class of destroyer escorts of the Royal Navy. ...

The season was now too late for another try and the threat of invasion had receded.

Coastal Forces

On November 25, 1941, Agar was appointed Chief Staff Officer to the Rear Admiral commanding Coastal Forces. This was a critical position as the Germans were vigorously attacking the coastal convoys running down the English Channel and up and down the east coast from Scotland to the northeast of England down to London. The threats were from aircraft, mines and fast German motor torpedo boats, called E boats. Britain had let her coastal forces deteriorate since the days Agar had commanded C.M.B.'s. November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ), the sleeve) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and the largest city of England (strangely, England has no constitutional existence within the United Kingdom, and therefore cannot be said to have a capital). ... E-boat is the British and American name for the German Schnellboot (S-boot), a small, fast torpedo boat a little larger than the American PT boat and the British MTB. Specification Length - 34. ...

One coastal convoy in the fall of 1940 lost 14 of 25 ships between London and Bristol. The toll on the East Coast convoys was just as great, with E Boats a threat here, making a quick dash from ports in the Low Countries. The problem was that if coastal convoys were discontinued, the British rail network could not handle the extra traffic and factories would be idle for lack of raw materials. The vessels used in the coastal trade were small and specially designed for the service, and of limited utility on ocean convoys. The traffic in coal from the northeast of England to London was especially important. Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London and located at With a population of 400,000, and metropolitan area of 550,000, it is Englands sixth, and the United Kingdoms ninth, most populous city... The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ...

Agar worked hard in this role from November 1940 to July 1941 when he was given a new seagoing command.

HMS Dorsetshire

Augustus Agar was appointed captain of the 9,925 ton heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire in August 1941. The ship carried a catapult operated reconnaissance aircraft (a Supermarine Walrus), had a great range and was designed for finding and destroying enemy commerce raiders. She was assigned to convoy protection duty in the South Atlantic and left Scotland on her first mission escorting a slow convoy to South Africa with a stop en route at Freetown, Sierra Leone. The term heavy cruiser is used to refer to large cruisers, a form of warship. ... HMS Dorsetshire (pennant number 40) was a heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the English county (now called Dorset). ... The Supermarine Walrus was a reconnaissance amphibian designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Map of Sierra Leone showing the capital Freetown Freetown, population 1,070,200 (2004), is the largest city and capital of Sierra Leone, lying on the Freetown Peninsula on the Atlantic coast. ...

Based at Freetown, Dorsetshire worked with the cruisers HMS Newcastle and later the HMS Dunedin and HMS Devonshire. For a while they were joined by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle. Their task was to protect Allied commerce in the South Atlantic from German surface raiders and submarines. Particular targets of the British cruisers were the supply ships which replenished German submarines and surface raiders. Without them the submarines would have to withdraw. The Devonshire sank the German commerce raider Atlantis on November 22, 1941. The seventh HMS Newcastle was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Dunedin was a D class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Devonshire was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, that served in World War II. Devonshire was laid down by HM Dockyard at Devonport in Plymouth on 16 March 1926, launched on 22 October 1927 and completed on 18 March 1929. ... HMS Eagle was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy sunk during World War II. The Eagle was laid down at the Armstrong yards at Newcastle-on-Tyne on February 20, 1913. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... Atlantis, known to the Kriegsmarine as Schiff 16 and to the Royal Navy as Raider-C, was a converted German Hilfskreuzer (auxiliary cruiser, or merchant or commerce raider) of the Kriegsmarine, which, during World War II, travelled more than 161,000 km in 602 days, and sank 22 ships totaling... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On December 1, 1941 Dorsetshire came upon the German supply ship Python which immediately attempted to flee. Since the area was one where merchant ships seldom ventured Agar fired two salvos at the ship, one before and one behind as a warning to stand to. At this the Python scuttled herself. Dorsetshire did not stop to pick up survivors as she knew that submarines were likely to be near. December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Genera Aspidites Antaresia Apodora Bothrochilus Leiopython Liasis Morelia Python Python is the common name for a group of non-venomous constricting snakes, specifically the family Pythonidae. ...

One of the German U Boats heading to the Python to be refuelled spotted the HMS Dunedin and sank her with a loss of 350 of her 500 man crew. October 1939. ... HMS Dunedin was a D class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ...

Japanese in the Indian Ocean

Dorsetshire was berthed at the naval base at Simonstown, South Africa on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and, soon after, British positions at Hong Kong, Shanghai and Malaya. She was immediately assigned to escort a convoy of British troops just arriving from Halifax in American transports, originally destined for the Middle East, but now diverted to Singapore. She guided them to Bombay and then returned to Durban to escort another convoy to Aden and Bombay. This was essential duty as these convoys were now vulnerable to attack by both German and Japanese raiders, passing by the less than friendly Vichy French held island of Madagascar. Dorsetshire then was assigned duty to escort a convoy to withdraw as many civilians from Singapore as possible before the island was overrun by the Japanese. She got them safely to Colombo, Ceylon. Simonstown is a naval base in South Africa near Cape Town. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Satellite image of Pearl Harbor. ... Shanghai (Chinese: ; pinyin:  ; Shanghainese: ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the Peoples Republic of China and the eighth largest in the world. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... Durban (Zulu: eThekwini (IPA: ) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. ... Port of Aden (around 1910). ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... Vichy France (French: now called Régime de Vichy or Vichy; called itself at the time État Français, or French State) was the French state of 1940-1944 which was a puppet government under Nazi influence, as opposed to the Free French Forces, based first in London and later... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: District Colombo Division, Colombo District Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area    - City 14. ...

Agar then was assigned a mission to transport and land a party of 100 Royal Marines in Burma to harass invading Japanese forces, giving the main forces time to evacuate Rangoon. Dorsetshire then escorted the last convoy to get out of Rangoon before it fell on March 8, 1942. His/Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ... Yangon (Burmese: , population 4,082,000 (2005 census), formerly Rangoon, and still known by that name in many circles, see below under History), is the largest city of Myanmar (formerly Burma) and its capital. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ...

Dorsetshire was not equipped to operate in an area with enemy aircraft and Agar was attempting to add antiaircraft guns in Colombo and to dismantle and refit her engines and boilers to meet the challenges ahead when word arrived that an enemy fleet had entered the Indian Ocean. For an account of the Japanese attack on British positions in the Bay of Bengal see Indian Ocean Raid. He stopped his refit, reassembled his machinery and put to sea as fast as he could. But acting on information that the Japanese fleet had turned back, Admiral Somerville ordered Dorsetshire back into Colombo to finish the refit. Agar again began to dismantle his machinery and clean his boilers. He was told by the port admiral that anti aircraft guns would arrive in two days for his ship. It was a Saturday, April 4, the day before Easter. A map showing the location of the Bay of Bengal. ... It has been suggested that Japanese Raids into Indian Ocean be merged into this article or section. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ...

The Dorsetshire was part of a scratch fleet of obsolete British battleships with two small obsolete aircraft carriers and attached cruisers hurriedly put together to stem the Japanese naval advance into the Indian Ocean. Admiral James Somerville had moved the main part of the fleet to a secret base in the Maldives, as he knew that his fleet was no match for the Japanese. His main duty was to keep the sea lanes open to India, to the Persian Gulf oilfields and to the Eighth Army in Egypt attempting to stop the German army under General Erwin Rommell. Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, GCB GBE DSO, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals during World War II. The son of a New Zealand sheep farmer, James Fownes Somerville was born in Weybridge, Surrey. ... It has been suggested that Persian Gulf States be merged into this article or section. ... A number of nations have an Eighth Army: 8th Route Army British Eighth Army US Eighth Army This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Field Marshal Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (November 15, 1891–October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals and commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps in World War II. He is also known by his nickname The Desert Fox (Wüstenfuchs). ...

End of the Dorsetshire

Dorsetshire was in some ways a victim of the lack of British intelligence about the capabilities of the Japanese fleet. Neither Agar nor Admiral Somerville had any idea that the range of Japanese naval dive bombers was almost twice that of comparative British aircraft. To survive after getting a second warning of the presence of a large westbound Japanese Fleet in the Indian Ocean he would have had to leave Colombo as fast as possible and head west at top speed.

On Saturday afternoon, April 4, 1942 an urgent message summoned Agar to the base Operations Room in Colombo. A Catalina Flying Boat had just reported that it was shadowing a large force of enemy carriers accompanied by battleships steering west from the Malacca Straits, directly for Ceylon. This was the fleet of Admiral Nagumo. April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... PBY Catalina was the US Navy designation for an American and Canadian-built flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s. ... ...

Admiral Somerville was in the Maldives beyond the immediate reach of the advancing Japanese. Upon receiving the news he moved further out of Nagumo's way and ordered the Dorsetshire and HMS Cornwall, which was also in Colombo, to join him with all speed. He left the choosing of a rendezvous point to the admiral commanding in Colombo. It took six long hours to reassemble the ships machinery and get her ready for sea. The two cruisers left Colombo harbour at 10pm on April 4. The rendezvous point was approved by Admiral Somerville. It was a fatal error as a more westerly rendezvous point would have saved the two ships. The ships could steam at only 28 knots, the top speed that Cornwall could make. HMS Cornwall (56) was a 9,750-ton County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ...

At daybreak, Easter Sunday, April 5, 1942, Agar received a signal that the Japanese Fleet was only 120 miles south of Colombo. They began an attack on the port at 8 am. No further communication was received from Colombo (their radio tower was hit). April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

At this point, lacking further direction, as Somerville was maintaining radio silence and Colombo was out of action, Agar made a fatal decision. He saw his first duty as rejoining the fleet in the hopes of launching a night attack on the Japanese and opted to continue on southwards to the rendezvous point instead of heading due west out of the danger zone. At 11:30 am a Japanese patrol aircraft spotted them. There were six hours of daylight left. Agar continued on to the rendezvous point. He broke radio silence to tell Somerville of his decision. The rendezvous point was 90 miles away.

The two ships were caught by Japanese dive bombers at 1pm on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1942 and the Dorsetshire sank eight minutes after the first bomb hit. She went down at 13:50 after being struck by 10 bombs. 234 men were killed and 500 including the Captain survived in the water until rescue 32 hours later. Only 16 of the men who went into the water died, a testament to crew discipline and the leadership of Agar and the other officers and petty officers. The Cornwall was sunk as well. A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ... Easter (also called Pascha) is generally accounted the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed March or April each year to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (after his death by crucifixion; see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year, almost two... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... A Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies. ...

Agar worked hard to save his crew, picking up the wounded in a whaler, gathering up stragglers and giving good advice. He was reported by survivors as speaking calmly. The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales. ...

A Fairey Swordfish found the men in the water the next afternoon and an hour later the light cruiser HMS Enterprise and the destroyers HMS Paladin and HMS Panther arrived to rescue the survivors. Agar was taken aboard the Paladin. Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War II. Affectionately known as the Stringbag by its crews, it was outdated by 1939, but achieved some spectacular successes during the... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... HMS Enterprise was an Emerald-class light cruiser designed and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland, who laid her keel down on June 28, 1918. ...

During the engagement Agar was wounded in the leg by shrapnel. This wound turned septic as a result of being left unattended after the sinking. When the Dorsetshire sank, Agar was dragged down deep and suffered the bends coming up, doing serious damage to his lungs. On the surface he swallowed oil. These injuries affected his fitness for further seagoing duty. He was 52 and had completed 37 years of active duty. After a short stay in Bombay where his health took a turn for the worse, he was sent to hospital in South Africa. The leg healed, but lung trouble from the bends and oil he swallowed stayed with him for the rest of his life. He arrived home on May 28, 1942. Bends, or the bends may refer to: The bends, usually understood to refer to Decompression sickness. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

Discussion of the loss

The British paid dearly for underestimating Japanese capabilities. After Pearl Harbor, the loss of HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales and the fall of Singapore one might have expected greater caution. It was the sad end to a fine career. Augustus Agar's seafaring days ended close to where he was born 52 years before. Satellite image of Pearl Harbor. ... HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser, the second to last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. ... HMS Prince of Wales was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, built at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England. ...

It is easy to assess blame afterwards, but it did seem unwise to sent Dorsetshire back to Colombo for a second time to finish her refit with a huge Japanese Fleet threatening. This was Somerville's decision. But, of course we do not know what other viable choices he had. Certainly, South Africa was a safe place for a refit, but it was so far away that Dorsetshire could not get back in time to assist him. He needed every ship. Was Bombay too crowded? Did the ship really need the refit at this critical juncture? It must be remembered that Somerville had to choose his time for battle carefully. If he was caught in the open, he would surely lose to the larger Japanese Fleet with all its dive bombers and torpedo bombers. He had divided his fleet into a fast part and a slow part, with the latter in reserve. Dorsetshire was assigned to the fast division where speed was essential for a fast night attack, in and out before aircraft could reach them. Hence Somerville's insistence on a refit to increase her speed.

The rendezvous point for the cruisers with the main British fleet was set too far east, too close to the Japanese. This was the port admiral's decision. Agar should have fled due west at dawn when he heard how close the Japanese were. But this is hindsight. He had no reason to believe that Somerville would not show up at the rendezvous point, expecting the help of two cruisers for a night attack on the Japanese aircraft carriers. He knew he was taking a great risk.

Later life

After leave for a month, the less than fit Agar was sent to Belfast to supervise the building and completion of the new aircraft carrier, HMS Unicorn. He worked on this assignment for a period and was placed on the retired list in 1943. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Four aircraft carriers, Principe-de-Asturias, USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and HMS Invincible (front-to-back), showing the difference in size between a supercarrier, light V/STOL carriers, and an amphibious carrier. ... Six ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Unicorn. ...

He achieved the rank of Commodore in 1943 when he was once again appointed President and Captain of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich. He served in this capacity until 1946. Commodore is a military rank used in some navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a Captain, but is less than that of a Flag Officer. ... Crest on the gate of the Royal Naval College The Royal Naval College was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, in the centre of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site in London, United Kingdom. ... Greenwich (pronounced grenn-itch , or by the locals) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ...

Agar wrote two noteworthy books about his naval career. In his retirement he farmed at Alton, Hampshire, England. His clubs were the Athenaeum and the Royal Yacht Squadron. Statistics Population: 16,584 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SU716394 Administration District: East Hampshire Shire county: Hampshire Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Hampshire Historic county: Hampshire Services Police force: Hampshire Constabulary Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South Central Post office and... The Athenaeum Club in 1830. ... The Royal Yacht Squadron is considered by many people to be the world’s most prestigious yacht club located on the coast at Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. ...

Augustus Agar died on December 30, 1968 and was buried at Alton. His will was probated at 9,580 pounds sterling on March 28, 1969. December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in leap years). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

His second wife, Ina, attended HMS Dorsetshire reunions after his death.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Imperial War Museum, London, England along with his telescope. The Imperial War Museum is a museum in London featuring military vehicles, weapons, war memorabilia, a library, a photographic archive, and an art collection of 20th century and later conflicts, especially those involving Britain, and the British Empire. ...

HM Coastal Motor Boat 4, his boat in the Baltic, is on permanent display at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. HM Coastal Motor Boat 4 was one of a large series of small fast shallow draught vessels used during World War One. ... The Imperial War Museum is a museum in London featuring military vehicles, weapons, war memorabilia, a library, a photographic archive, and an art collection of 20th century and later conflicts, especially those involving Britain, and the British Empire. ... Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, some ten miles south of Cambridge. ...

Assessment

Augustus Agar's life at sea was dedicated to service of the British Empire. It was his great good fortune to serve it at a time when it was a force for peace and freedom in the world. Whether the enemy were Bolsheviks trying to overrun the Baltic States, Turkish, German or Japanese imperialists or the Nazis he acted courageously and competently. The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Bolsheviks (Russian: IPA , derived from bolshinstvo, majority) were members of the Bolshevik faction of the Marxist Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split apart from the Menshevik faction[1] at the Second Party Congress in 1903 and ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. ... National Socialism redirects here. ...

References

• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• Footprints in the Sea (Augustus Agar), London, Evans Brothers, 1959
• Baltic Episode (Augustus Agar) Naval Institute Press, 1963
• "The Keyes Papers, Volume II, 1919-1938", Ed. Paul Halpern, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1980

The following people are Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross. ... Monuments To Courage is a book by David Harvey, published in 1999. ... The Register of the Victoria Cross A list of all 1350 Victoria Crosses with details of each recipient ISBN 0906324033 Publisher: Cheltenham: This England Books; 1981 Size: 8vo - over 7 3/4 - 9 3/4 Pagination: 303 + 4. ...

External links

• Burial location of Agustus Agar (Hampshire)
• Location of Agustus Agar's Victoria Cross Imperial War Museum

Part of this page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.

Agar also wrote "Showing the flag", 1962 Evans Brothers Ltd, London