December

The loss of HMS NEPTUNE in 1941, 19 December 1941

One of the most extensive but least known naval disasters of the Second World Warn happened on the night of 19 December 1941. The Cruiser HMS Neptune ran into an uncharted minefield in the Mediterranean off Tripoli, and sank, losing 764 officers and men. Only one man was rescued by an Italian torpedo boat, after 5 days in the water.

On the night of 19 December 1941, there occurred one of the most extensive but least known naval disasters of the Second World War. The Cruiser HMS Neptune ran into an uncharted minefield in the Mediterranean off Tripoli, and sank with the loss of 764 officers and men.
HMS NEPTUNE - photo courtesy of the Neptune Association. All 151 Zealanders on board were lost. Royal New Zealand Navy.

HMS Neptune, commanded by Captain Rory O'Conor, was leading 'Force K', a Cruiser raiding squadron. Their task was to destroy German and Italian convoys carrying troops and supplies to Libya in support of Rommel's army in North Africa. On the afternoon of December 18th the squadron was despatched from Malta to intercept an important enemy convoy bound for Tripoli. The three cruisers of 'Force K', the Neptune, Aurora and Penelope, supported by the destroyers Kandahar, Lance, Lively and Havock, were steaming south, in single line ahead on a dark, stormy night when at 0106 am, the Neptune struck a mine. The Aurora her next astern, hauled out to starboard but only a minute later she too exploded a mine; two minutes later an explosion buffeted Penelope's port side abreast the bridge. The Neptune going full astern hit another mine, which wrecked her steering gear and propellers and brought her to a standstill. The cruiser force had run into a minefield in a depth of water and at a distance from land which made it utterly unexpected.

For more information: The Neptune Association and Navy Museum.

The Tangiwai Railway Disaster, 24 December 1953

The worst railway disaster in NZ's history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River just west of Tangiwai, 8 km west of Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy left a nation in mourning and stunned the world. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/Tangiwai/index.html

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This page was last reviewed on 13 May 2010 and is current.

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