War in the South China Sea: The Sinking of Force Z

Force Z

By late 1941 World War Two had been under way for well over two years, but was not going well for those in opposition to Hitler and his forces. In addition to several reverses, there was the particularly worrying question of Japan, a country ill-disposed to the Allied powers. Winston Churchill, ever pugnacious, was anxious to mount a naval deterrent against any possible Japanese aggression, even though, with resources over-stretched, it would be little more than a bluff.

For this initiative, Britain's Royal Navy could only spare one new battleship, the Prince of Wales, the old battlecruiser Repulse and the carrier Indomitable, which later hit an uncharted rock and was put out of action. Against the advice of the First Sea Lord, Churchill insisted that the two ships sail for the Far East.

The Prince of Wales, hotfoot from Scapa Flow under Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, joined the Repulse at Colombo. The pair, known as Force Z, arrived at Singapore in a fanfare of publicity on 2 December, 194l. Six days later the Japanese bombed Singapore. They also attacked Pearl Harbor and landed in Thailand and at Singora on the east coast of Malaya.

The Royal Navy had learnt to its cost in Norway and Crete that ships without air cover could not live within range of enemy airfields, in this case Indo-China (Cambodia). But the Army had fallen back before the invaders and the RAF in Malaya was weak and hard-pressed.

They could not remain impassive, and the following day Force Z sailed with four - soon reduced to three - destroyers, on a risky dash northwards to attack the heavily protected Japanese transports. Surprise was essential and, to start with, the visibility was conveniently bad, but then it cleared to reveal two cruiser-based reconnaissance aircraft. Regretfully the Admiral reversed course.

Torpedo attacks

HMS Prince of Wales and crew, before the attack  © At 11am the next day, some 200 miles from Singapore, radars picked up a group of eight aircraft - they proved to be large, twin-engined bombers - at 10,000ft. The bombers carried out a high-level run, closely engaged by both ships, and scored a minor hit on the Repulse. Soon after, another formation dived down off our port bow, receiving a hot reception as they roared in, each launching a torpedo.

The Prince of Wales (in which, as the sub-lieutenant, I was a pom-pom fire direction officer) shot one or two down, but the rest seemed to bear charmed lives, causing casualties on the bridge with their machine guns (many pom-poms jammed that day, due to faulty ammunition).

The ship had turned hard 'towards' to comb torpedo tracks when there was a sudden monstrous convulsion, followed by reverberations that continued for some time and was accompanied by a fountain of water, port side aft. The ship immediately started to turn that way, slowed, and took on a slight list.

We looked at each other in some dismay, not alleviated when the 'Not under Command' signal went up at a yardarm. Reports came in to the gunnery officer nearby that half the 5.25 inch batteries were out of action with electrical failures.

What had happened, not discovered until divers went down after the war, was that two torpedoes had arrived simultaneously, blowing off the 'A' bracket that supported the port outer propeller shaft. This, continuing to revolve concentrically at high speed, had ruptured bulkheads for quite a distance, fracturing oil, steam and water pipes and electric cables. The damage control parties were hard at it, but much handicapped.

Further well co-ordinated torpedo attacks developed. About 12.30pm, during the general mêlée, three aircraft came at our starboard side, more or less in line abreast. We were doing about 10 knots.

The first torpedo, a pale green streak of rising bubbles, came straight for the bows. There was a heavy thud, the ship trembled and a great column of water rose up by A turret.

Next came the right hand torpedo, which sped to the quarterdeck where a repetition took place. 'There goes my cabin', I thought. And then I saw the third, which appeared to be making for the bridge, directly underneath me.

There followed a great crash and everything jumped as I clung onto the steel parapet in front. At the same time a mass of smoke and dirty water rose up to cascade down on top of us. Another torpedo hit about this time.

HMS 'Repulse'

HMS 'Repulse' and crew, before the attack  © Meanwhile what of the Repulse? Given carte blanche to act independently, she had moved away, but now began to close. Captain Tennant reported that he had avoided 19 torpedoes:

There can be no sight more dreadful than a large vessel full of ones own kith and kin, being hounded to the bottom. It was agonising to watch the gallant battlecruiser, squirming and twisting her way through what we knew was a web of crossing torpedo tracks.

Eventually, hit five times, she took a severe list to port and her speed came right down. Although she was still making headway, her bow began to go under. As the waves came aft along the fo'cs'le, tilted towards us and then engulfed the great 15 inch turrets, she listed further; then rolled over, bridge, funnels and all splashing onto the surface of the sea.

She lay on her side for a little, then her keel came uppermost and she began to sink by the stern. The last thing seen was the sharp bow, pointing skywards, disappearing slowly in a ring of troubled water.

I found myself watching with a dry mouth and wondering what had happened to my opposite number, Dickie Pool. He has since written:

He was picked up, covered in oil, by the destroyer Electra.

Abandon ship

By now the Prince of Wales's list had become much worse, so that most of the active guns could not counteract it. My mounting was ordered to fall out, and soon came the order 'abandon ship'. As I descended, a wave of bombers came over in a last fling, obtaining a hit amidships with a heavy bomb.

The destroyer Express had come alongside the quarterdeck, now awash. Although I had decided to jump off the fo'cs'le, I found that the Express had moved up the starboard side and was about stationary amidships. Men were already swinging along heaving lines, hanging from their hands. Orderly queues were forming, one of which I joined.

There was no untoward noise of any sort. Eventually I went over. Due to the weight of bodies the last few yards were a steep uphill haul, but a glance at the oily water in which a few were already struggling, provided a spur and at last my wrists were in reach of eager hands and I was pulled over the destroyer's rail. Once the man behind me had come up, the destroyer captain roared 'Slip!', at which a row of knives flashed to sever the lines.

The Prince of Wales was sinking. The destroyer surged clear astern as we watched aghast and in silence. As the great ship continued to roll over, the men at the guardrails climbed across and began to slide down the treacherous slope. Soon she was bottom up and the men took to the water, which fortunately was calm.

The huge hull gradually disappeared as the bows rose higher and higher. There was a pause when the stem alone was visible - in dreadful emulation of the Repulse - and then in a last turmoil of foam it slid from view.

The surrounding water was a mass of black specks as the swimmers struck out. For two hours the three destroyers moved slowly about, dangling scrambling nets and ropes to help those in difficulty. The enemy did not interfere.

The Japanese deployed 96 aircraft that day, although not all made attacks. The Repulse lost 27 officers and 486 men, the Prince of Wales 20 officers and 307 men. Tragically, Admiral Phillips and Captain Leach were drowned, but Captain Tennant survived.

There were many stories of heroism, such as that of the padre of the flagship, the Reverend WG Parker, a New Zealander who refused to leave wounded men when the hatch above him had to be closed; and Midshipman C Bros of the Repulse who, having quelled a rush for the only ladder from his station, was the last to leave, and was never seen again.

Find out more

Books

The Hunting of Force Z by Richard Hough (Cassell Military, 1999)

Alarm Starboard! by Geoffrey Brooke (Patrick Stephens)

Course for Disaster by Richard Pool (Leo Cooper)

Places to visit

Royal Naval Museum HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3NH. Includes paintings, manuscripts, sound recordings, photographs and artefacts.

Imperial War Museum Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ. The Museum encourages the study and understanding of the history of modern war and 'war-time experiences'.