HMS Rawalpindi was a ship that was sunk during the Second World War. Effectively trapped by German warships, the captain of HMS Rawalpindi decided to fight rather than surrender, despite being hopelessly outgunned. The German warships soon returned fire and sank HMS Rawalpindi, with the loss of many lives including Captain Kennedy. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...
At this time, the incident was regarded by many as an example of heroic defiance in the face of impossible odds, and many people thought that Captain Kennedy should have been awarded the Victoria Cross. However his action needlessly cost many lives and did not gain anything, so no medal was awarded. Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ...
She was 235 m (771 ft) in length, 30 m (98 ft) in beam, and displaced just under the naval treaty limit of 35000 tons.
In late 1939 she operated with Scharnhorst in the North Atlantic and sank the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMSRawalpindi, but suffered severe sea damage in a storm.
In the British withdrawal on 8 June, she and Scharnhorst surprised and sank the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, herself a converted battlecruiser, and her two escorts, the destroyers HMS Acasta and HMS Ardent.
The RAWALPINDI was a P & O liner converted into an armed Merchant Cruiser on the outbreak of the 1939/45 war.
HM the Queen used HMS SURPRISE as her yacht for the occasion; the Board of Admiralty used
Founded 1917 by Mrs J R Roxburgh in memory of her son, Midshipman Robert Roxburgh, of HMS INDEFATIGABLE who was killed in the battle of Jutland, 31 May, 1916.
Feeds |
Contact