Allied Warships
HMS Barham (04)
Battleship of the Queen Elizabeth class
HMS Barham just before exploding
| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Battleship |
| Class | Queen Elizabeth |
| Pennant | 04 |
| Built by | John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd. (Clydebank, Scotland) |
| Ordered | Jun 1912 |
| Laid down | 24 Feb 1913 |
| Launched | 31 Dec 1914 |
| Commissioned | 19 Aug 1915 |
| Lost | 25 Nov 1941 |
| Loss position | 32.34N, 26.24E (See a map) |
| History | Rebuilt during 1930/1933. 2 8-barrelled 2 pdr pom pom mounts, one on either side of the the funnel, 8 0.5" (2x4) machine guns (aft of the forward conning tower) and a HA DCT (High Angle Director Control Tower) at the head of the foremast were added. The pole mainmast was replaced with a tripod mast to support a second HA DCT. During the war 16 2 pdr pom pom guns (2x8) replaced the 8 x 0.5" (2x4) machine guns (aft of the forward conning tower), 12 0.5" machine guns (3x4) were added, 2 mounts on B turret and 1 mount on X turret. During the First World War, she served in the North Sea with the Grand Fleet. She was present at the Battle of Jutland. After the end of that conflict HMS Barham was an active member of the British battle fleet. The battleship was modernized in 1930/1933, emerging with a single smokestack, enhanced protection against long-range gunfire, bombs and torpedoes, an improved anti-aircraft gun battery and an aircraft catapult. During the Second World War HMS Barham operated in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. She was damaged by a torpedo from the German submarine U-30 on 28 December 1939, while at sea north of the Hebrides in position 58º47'N, 08º05'W. In September 1940, she engaged the French battleship Richelieu at Dakar, Senegal. Barham was in the Mediterranean in 1941, taking part in the Battle of Cape Matapan in March and receiving bomb damage in May. On 25 November 1941, while steaming to cover an attack on Italian convoys, HMS Barham (Capt. Geoffrey Clement Cooke, RN) was hit at 1629 hours north of Sidi Barrani, in position 32º34'N, 26º24'E by three torpedoes from the German submarine U-331. As she rolled over to port, her after magazines exploded and the ship quickly sank with the loss 862 members of her crew. There were 449 survivors. Commanding Officers: Capt. Geoffrey Clement Cooke, RN Hit by U-boat |
Commands listed for HMS Barham (04)
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| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Capt. Sir Harold Thomas Coulthard Walker, RN | 31 Jan 1939 | 25 Mar 1940 |
| 2 | Capt. Geoffrey Clement Cooke, RN | 25 Mar 1940 | 25 Nov 1941 (+) |
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Noteable events involving Barham include:
28 Dec 1939
HMS Barham (Capt. H.T.C. Walker, RN) was damaged by a torpedo fired from the German submarine U-30 off the Hebrides in position 58º47'N, 08.05W. She was out of action for six months (completed on 30 June 1940) while she was being repaired at Birkenhead by Cammell Laird, (see map)
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