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Posts:
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Registered:
9/19/99
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Nov 5, 2009 6:49 PM
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On November 5th, 1940, the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer attacked Convoy HX84 in the Atlantic Ocean. Their only escort, the SS Jervis Bay, was an old passenger liner that been converted into an armed merchant cruiser. To give the convoy time to disperse, Captain Edward Fogarty Fegen held the Scheer's attention by trying to ram the warship. Jervis Bay was sunk about a mile from her target and many on board were lost. Although five other ships (Fresno City, Maidan, Trewellard, Kenbane Head and Beaverford) were also sunk, thirty vessels managed to escape. Captain Fegen received a posthumous Victoria Cross
Tanker San Demetrio, carrying a cargo of aviation fuel, had been hit during the engagement and the crew hurriedly abandoned ship. In the morning, the ship was still afloat but on fire. Fifteen men voted to row their lifeboat back to the burning ship where they managed to extinguish the blaze. Chief Engineer Charles Pollard got the ship under way. Although the chart room had been destroyed in the flames, Second Officer Hawkins used a school atlas to help him navigate the vessel. They anchored in Rothesay Bay nearly two weeks later (November 16th).
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