Daily Event for September 17


September 17, 1939: The Royal Navy lost their first combat ship of World War 2 to the only thing that really scared Winston Churchill. The carrier HMS Courageous was sunk by the U-29 about 350 miles west of Lands End. Courageous was launched in 1916 as a light cruiser by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle. As a cruiser the ship was less than satisfactory spending too much time in the repair yard. She was given the nickname "Outrageous" by her crews. Armed with two twin 15" turrets and six triple mount 4" rapid fire guns. However the design of the triple mounts did not allow room for the men  who would fire them. The men were constantly falling over each other which slowed the rate of fire to less than that of three single mounts.

Courageous saw only one battle engagement, on Nov. 17, 1917 when she engaged several German cruisers in the second battle of Heligoland Bight. She received slight damage in the battle. She was then converted into a minelayer but never used in this capacity. After the Washington treaty was signed Courageous was converted into an aircraft carrier, her two 15" turrets being mounted on HMS Vanguard. She now had a capacity to operate up to 48 aircraft.

On Sept. 17, 1939 Courageous, Ark Royal, Hermes and a screen of destroyers were on anti- submarine patrol when the U-29 slammed two torpedoes into the Courageous. The U-29 had been shadowing the ships for two hours or more before the attack. The unknowing captain of the carrier presented the U-29 with a perfect profile target when she turned into the wind to launch her aircraft. The cruiser turned carrier rolled over and sank in fifteen minuets taking 518 men with her. Courageous was the first combat ship lost by the British in World War 2 and the loss of life was only a foreshadowing of the carnage to come.

The U-29 would survive the war making all seven war patrols under the same captain, Otto Schuhart. The
HMS Courageous was the largest ship sunk by the U-29 but, eleven other ships would fall to the U-29
totaling over 85,000 tons. On May 4, 1945 the U-29 was scuttled at Kupfermühlen Bay, the wreck was
raised and scrapped in 1948. Otto Schuhart died in 1990.

© 2005 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com


HMS Courageous and HMS Westminster

HMS Courageous Photo Gallery