HMS RODNEY...Transcript of my father's log narrative of the action

[NigelTickner]

Transcipt of a record made by Acting Leading Seaman (Frederick) James Tickner (D/JX150848) of the Bismarck action from the Radio Operations Room onboard HMS RODNEY. Originally, my father made it into a narrated record in his own voice in a store where you could make your own records in Boston, MA. during the battleship’s refit in docks after the action.

My father, born in 1921 had joined the RN as a boy telegraphist in HMS ST. VINCENT in 1936. He originally joined HMS RODNEY as an Ordinary Telegraphist in 1938. He was selected for the Upper Yardman scheme to become an officer so had to swap to a Seaman Branch. He was promoted to Acting Leading Seaman on 15 March 1941, and subsequently was promoted to Acting Petty Officer until he left the ship on 9 December 1941.

He was involved with the communications during the action, and wrote the details down which wasn’t entirely the right thing to do according to RN Regulations! Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton, however, heard about it, and summoned my father to see him. Fearing that he would be in trouble, instead the Captain said that he had been unable to keep an accurate record during the action, and requested a copy of these notes to help him fill in his log of the action.

By the time I heard the record it had been played so many times in the family that the grooves had been worn down with a lot of crackle while being played. A year or so after my father’s early death in 1975 I taped a recording of both sides of the record onto a blank audio cassette. I kept this for many years, but in 1999 I was working in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and a sound technician working with our theatre group transferred the recording onto CD. He said that unfortunately at the time he was unable to separate my father’s voice from the crackle and hiss of the original recording as both were at the same frequency. However, in time he hopes that technology will develop to separate the two. Here, I have made a transcript of what I believe are the correct words from a poor recording:

SIDE ONE
…sinking of the German battleship BISMARCK on the 26TH/27TH May 1941

2250 on the 26th. Action Stations! BISMARCK reported leading towards RODNEY. ARK ROYAL has already carried out two unsuccessful torpedo bomber attacks. Only one hit scored.

2255 SHEFFIELD shadowing. RENOWN is in close vicinity astern. D4 and KING GEORGE V and two destroyers are ahead.

0005 May 27th. Visibility decreasing. Range 3000 yards.

0020 Enemy speed reduced to 5 knots.

0040 Enemy steering 330 degrees RODNEY 040 degrees.

0200 All positions relax. Signal from Commander-in-Chief. Intend to attack at dawn. D4 and SHEFFIELD still shadowing.
0300 Message from D4. Dispatched tinfish into BISMARCK. Set forecastle on fire. MAORI has copied leader’s example. Commander-in-Chief hopes to attack before dawn breaks. Previously accompanying enemy ships presumed to be in the vicinity…also the HIPPER. Hope to engage them.

0330 …three cryptic words from the Captain: “Just going in.” Enemy visible to D4 destroyers, not yet to us.

0335 Enemy will be in sight in twenty minutes time. Somebody remarked: “Enemy will be ****** in five minutes time!”

0440 …the lads are eager to come to grips.

0445 Range 25,000 yards

0450 16 in. turrets about to open up starboard side. 16 in. salvoes…KING GEORGE V opened up. RODNEY again. RODNEY altering course to port. Further salvoes from BISMARCK fall short. RODNEY again. Enemy altering to starboard. Coming towards us. After guns elevated and apparently staying there. Enemy shells still falling short. NORFOLK now opening fire on the common foe.


SIDE TWO:

Control…find out how much ammunition expended. Reply…44 rounds per gun…40 rounds per gun. Port inch stand by.

0926 …on fire. Starboard 6 in. open up again. Fell short. No answering salvoes from the latter. KING GEORGE V…BISMARCK now coming towards, RODNEY firing on beam. Registered hit on former’s quarterdeck…from the Captain: “You are doing well.”…diving overboard…Enemy cease firing. Loud cheers from the bridge.

0940 …out to sink her now. Two direct hits from 16 in. Last shell split open remaining turret. Bodies flung everywhere or what is left of them. BISMARCK replies with 5.9s. Altering course intending to have a last thump at us. By Jiminy they’re game! 16 in. open up again….Y Turret on fire.

1001 She’s settling in the water now.

1022 Unidentified aircraft approaching starboard side. Starboard battery stand by for close barrage. BISMARCK finally sunk by torpedoes. Captain thanks us and in the same breath warns us of imminent air attack. These did not materialise due to weather conditions. Strong gale blowing now. Now it is all over we feel frayed out. No sleep since 6pm. yesterday. No food since 5am Sunday morning. Not likely to get any until midnight tonight. Mess decks in a shambles. Lights out, lockers overturned, plates smashed, water flowing like the Jordan…Guard rails down…Incredible, but there are no fatalities. This account was recorded by myself, James Tickner of HMS RODNEY.

[Byron Angel]

Dear Nigel,

Thank you very much for posting your father's wonderful eye-witness account. One can only wonder what other such material remains in family archives.

Hope your dad enjoyed his stay in my hometown of Boston.

Byron

[Alberto Virtuani]

Thanks Nigel for posting this !
I found particularly interesting the Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton anecdote re. your father log and the details of the battle that show how close Rodney was to Bismarck....... I do hope one day it will be possible to transcript the whole record.

Bye, Alberto