HMS Cressy

Jack recently discovered that a friend of a friend had a grandfather who served as a Royal Marine on, and survived the sinking of, HMS Cressy in World War One.  As he enjoys making mode;l ships, Jack offered to make a model of the Cressy for the family.

HMS Cressy was a four funnelled armoured cruiser built around 1900.  She was placed in the naval reserve in 1909 and then recommissioned at the start of the First World War.  She played a minor part in the Battle of Heligoland Blight a few weeks after the start of the war.

On the morning of the 22nd September 1914, she and her sister ships, HMS Aboukir and HMS Hogue were on patrol with any destroyer escort.  The destroyers had had to return seek shelter because of bad weather.

The three ships were not expecting submarine attacks but had lookouts posted and one gun manned on each side just in case.

U-9 commanded by Captain Otto Weddigen had been ordered to attack British transports of of Ostend but had been forced to dive and take shelter because of the storm. On surfacing he spotted the British ships and attacked.  He fired one torpedo at HMS Aboukir which struck on the starboard side.  The captain originally thought he had hit a mine.  As HMS Hogue approach the Aboukir to help rescue survivors and stopped to lower boats she too was hit by torpedoes from U-9.  She too capsized and sank.  

HMS Cressy opened fire on the U-9 but with no success although it is reported that they thought they had hit the submarine and also attempted to ram U-9.  HMS Cressy then went to the aid of the other two ships, only be torpedoed in turn.  From all three ships 837 men were rescued and 62 officers and 1,397 enlisted men were lost, 560 of those were from HMS Cressy. 

Jack's model is about 4 feet long.  This is the progress to date.

 The tertiary guns all swivel.

Hull and Superstructure

Jack himself helping to give the model scale.

Then he fitted some of the handrails all around the deck and large air vents and masts, 

He still has to make the ships boats and put more stanchions (each individually mounted!)
and a repaint/touch up.

 Watch out for more pictures - but not bad for a young lad pushing of 87!