HMS Neptune lost in Mediterranean minefield

It was New Zealand’s worst naval tragedy. When the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Neptune struck enemy mines and sank off Libya early on the morning of 19 December 1941, more than 750 men lost their lives. Among them were 150 New Zealanders.

In early 1941 the New Zealand government had answered the Admiralty’s call for more sailors to man the increasing number of warships being brought into service. The intention was for New Zealand to provide a crew for an additional Leander-class light cruiser to serve alongside its existing ships Achilles and Leander. HMS Neptune had been approved for this purpose.

Neptune had been expected to leave Britain for New Zealand in May 1941, but because of the heavy loss of cruisers during the Crete campaign, it was instead attached to the 7th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean. Neptune joined Admiral Cunningham’s Malta-based Force K. On 17 December every available ship was deployed to protect the oiler HMS Breconshire on its passage to Malta. At the same time, the Italians were sending an important supply convoy to Tripoli, Libya.

Force K sailed on the 18th to intercept this convoy. There was a strong south-westerly wind and a heavy sea. At 1 a.m. the ships were 30 km from Tripoli when they sailed into an uncharted deep-water minefield. Neptune triggered a mine with one of its protective paravanes, while astern the cruiser HMS Aurora also detonated a mine. Reversing to get clear, Neptune exploded two more mines, damaging its propellers and steering gear. Over the following three hours other ships made several attempts to assist. But when the destroyer Kandahar also hit a mine, Neptune’s Captain Rory O’Conor flashed a warning to other ships to ‘Keep away’.

After Neptune struck another mine at 4 a.m. it sank within minutes. Only 16 men managed to reach a life raft. Over the next five days they died one after another. AB Norman Walton was the sole survivor; rescued by the Italians on Christmas Eve, he became a prisoner of war.

Image: HMS Neptune (Wikipedia)