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Robert N Baird HMS Exmouth The sinking of HMS Exmouth by U-22 |
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Bob Baird is the author of "Shipwrecks of the North of Scotland" ISBN 1 84158 233 6 Published by Birlinn Ltd., Edinburgh www.birlinn.co.uk The following article is an extract from Bob Baird's book. Click on the book cover (left) to read more about Bob's excellent work.
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HMS Exmouth courtesy of Imperial War Museum |
| Wreck No : 259 | Date Sunk : 21 01 1940 | |
| Latitude : 58 18 28 N | Longitude : 02 28 56 W | |
| GPS Lat : 5818.467 N | GPS Long : 0228.938 W | |
| Location : 21 miles SE of Noss Head | Area : Wick | |
| Type : Destroyer | Tonnage : 1475 tons | |
| Length : 343.0 ft. | Beam : 33.7 ft. | |
| How Sunk : Torpedoed by U-22 | Draught : 8.7 ft. | |
| Depth : 60 metres |
The entire crew of 189 were lost when the 1934-built E-Class destroyer HMS Exmouth (Cdr.R.S.Benson), was torpedoed north east of Tarbat Ness in the Moray Firth by the U-22 (KL Karl-Heinrich Jenisch), at 04.44 hrs on 21 January 1940. The German Grid reference was given as AN1684, which equates to about 582100N, 022400W.
Warship Losses of WW2 gives the position of torpedoing as 5818N, 0225W.
The Exmouth had met the Cyprian Prince (Captain Benjamin T Wilson) off Aberdeen, to escort her northwards to Scapa Flow. Benson signalled simply “Follow us. Speed 10 knots. Course 070”. The destroyer was showing “a very bright stern light”.