Force Z

[Cpt.sharp]

Today 65 years ago, two ships sailed from Singapore to engage a Japanese invasion force. They never made it.

HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were attacked by Japanese aircraft and sunk. HMS Repulse sunk at 12:23 and HMS Prince of Wales sunk at 13:18.

840 sailors lost there lives. 513 on Repulse and 327 on Prince of Wales. This event more then any other signaled the end of the battleship. The aircraft carrier would now take the lead in naval warfare.

Winston Churchill later said of this event, “In all of the war I have never received a more direct shock."

The wrecks of the two ships were found after the war, both upside down. Buoys were attacked to the propeller shafts and flags of the Royal navy are attached to the lines. Both ship wrecks are Crown property and are war graves.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/PrinceofWalesSinking.jpg

[chip5541]

wow.

[MadduckUK]

http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/

i suggest everyone give it a read

[Cpt.sharp]

Thank you for the link. I did not realise that people dived onto the repulse. This is quite a shock, I would of though the ships were protected wrecks as they are war graves.