April 8, 1940 HMS Glowworm H-92, a G Class destroyer of 1,854 tons, was operating with the 1st Destroyer Force along with HMS Renown and a cruiser off Norway. They had departed on the 5th to search for the German invasion force which was en route to invade Norway. While laying mines off Norway a man fell overboard and Glowworm made a desperate attempt to find him.

While the other ship's steamed ahead the Glowworm searched for her missing man, but to no avail. The search was called off and she headed out to rejoin her group, but was unable to locate them because she was now hopelessly astern of them. The problem was further exasperated by the fact that her gyro-compass had malfunctioned leaving only a magnetic compass to steer by. Early on the morning of the 8th the Glowworm found the Destroyer force, but it was the German destroyer force in company of the Admiral Hipper, a 14,000 ton German Heavy Cruiser.

The captain of the Glowworm, Lt. Cdr. Gerard B. Roope, had found the invasion force and was determined to signal their position to the rest of the British ships. Roope fired on the first ship sighted, the Z-11 Bernd von Arnim, and scored a hit. A second destroyer, Z-5 Paul Jakobi soon appeared, but both ships were filled with troops for the invasion of Norway so they turned away and found cover in a rain squall.

Roope followed the destroyers into the squall and emerged on the other side staring down the barrels of Admiral Hipper's 8" guns. Roope surely knew his ship was no match for the German cruiser, but he opened fire with his 4.7" guns and launched all 10 torpedoes at the Admiral Hipper, all the torpedoes missed. The Hipper opened fire scoring a hit on the Glowworm below the water line causing her to begin to sink. Hipper continued to fire scoring several hits with the smaller guns and at least one other 8' shell.

Roope now ordered the crew to prepare to ram the Hipper and he started his run at the ship. Hipper, under the command of Kapitän zur See Helmuth Heye, opened up with everything they had in attempt to stop the Glowworm. Hipper's guns could not be trained on the Glowworm because she was too close and Roope and the Glowworm struck the Hipper on the starboard side leaving a large gash in her. Glowworm, not only sinking from several shell hits now had a damaged bow and Roope ordered the gallant ship to be abandoned. Roope himself went below to open the sea cocks to scuttle the ship which turned out not to be necessary as the inertia of the Admiral Hipper caused the Glowworm to capsize.

Ignoring the fact that Glowworm had sent signals warning of the German ships and giving their positions, Heye moved the Hipper into a position which allowed the survivors to be carried to the Hipper by the tide in a rescue mission which took over an hour. Heye put his ship in danger of being caught dead in the water by the other British ships. A bold and brave move which should have earned Heye a medal from the British! Only thirty-six of the crew survived the battle, sinking and the freezing water to be picked up by the Hipper. Of these five died of their wounds over the next several days, making a total of one hundred and eighteen men who were lost in HMS Glowworm. In contrast the Germans lost only one man, Mechanikersgefreiter Josef Ritter.

Sadly many men, exhausted, cold and wounded did not have the strength left to climb the ropes and ladders to safety. They sank beneath the waves to a sailor's grave, Lt. Cdr. Roope was one of them. He died in the water along side the Admiral Hipper with his crew.

Heye was so impressed with the gallant fight of the captain and crew of the much smaller ship that he informed the survivors that he felt their captain was a brave man. In a move seldom repeated in the Second World War or any other war, Helmuth Heye, the captain of the Admiral Hipper, sent a message to the Admiralty, through the Red Cross, recommending Lt. Cdr. Roope for the Victoria Cross, which he was awarded, posthumously in 1945.

While Roope and the brave crew of the Glowworm did not sink the Admiral Hipper, she was so badly damaged that she missed the Norwegian landings having to return for repairs to her hull. This story would be repeated exactly two months later on June 8 when two destroyers, HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta would sacrifice themselves protecting an aircraft carrier, HMS Glorious, from two German battleships, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Once again the small, outgunned British ships faced down much superior ships in a brave attempt to save hundreds of other sailors.

HMS Glowworm should be remembered with the names of other gallant ships like Ardent, Acasta, Jervis Bay and Rawalpindi as a ship and crew which, when facing overwhelming odds, did not shrink, but rose to the challenge and gave all.

© 2006 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com

Aldridge, William T.

Stoker 1st Class

Allen, Francis J.

Ordinary Seaman

Armitage, John E.

Telegraphist

Armstrong, Charles K.

Able Seaman

Ashby, William G.

Able Seaman

Atkins, William H.

Yeoman of Signals

Bampton, Ronald E.

Able Seaman (RAN)

Banks, Bernard J.

Assistant Cook (S)

Barnard, James R.

Petty Officer Supply

Barron, George H. H.

Signalman

Beck, Gordon L.

Able Seaman

Betts, Christopher A.

Leading Telegraphist

Billett, Kenneth H.

Ordinary Seaman

Birch, William

Stoker Petty Officer

Blackwell, James H.

Stoker 1st Class

Boothby, Osbert S.

Lieutenant

Bowes, Matthew

Ordinary Seaman

Breen, Martin

Stoker 1st Class

Briggs, Frederick L.

Able Seaman

Brown, Edwin J. K.

Leading Seaman

Brown, Frederick R.

Stoker 1st Class

Brown, James E.

Able Seaman

Bufton, John R.

Stoker 2nd Class

Bull, William

Able Seaman

Died of wounds Apr. 10

Campbell, Joseph

Able Seaman

Chapman. Thomas A.

Able Seaman

Childs, Philip A.

Telegraphist

Clarke, Joseph F.

Able Seaman

Collier, Denis C. F.

Able Seaman

Coltherup, Tony A.

Able Seaman

Cope, William T. G.

Stoker Petty Officer

Crowther, George E.

Able Seaman

Davies, Joseph

Able Seaman

Dillon, George

Telegraphist

Dowson, Basil

Able Seaman

Ellett, Alfred C.

Able Seaman

Erskine, William R.

Able Seaman

Fain, Arthur R.

Chief Engine Room Artificer

Fenlon, Frederick H.

Able Seaman

Findon, Wilfred J.

Stoker 1st Class

Fletcher, William

Stoker Petty Officer

Fort, Richard

Able Seaman

Fradgley, Arthur J.

Leading Seaman

Fraser, Charles

Ordinary Seaman

Gain, Charles W.

Able Seaman

Gillmore, George R. L.

Petty Officer

Gillo, Harold G.

Able Seaman

Godfrey, Jack V.

Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class

Hamilton, Frederick

Chief Stoker

Hare, Francis H.

Chief Petty Officer

Harman, Leonard F.

Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class

Harris, Edwin L.

Stoker 1st Class

Hawes, Herbert G.

Leading stoker

Higginson, Edwin G.

Stoker 1st Class

Hoiles, Percy S. P.

Gunner

Holding, Herbert J.

Electrical Artificer 1st Class

Hoskins, Charles G. R.

Leading Stoker

Hucker, Ernest A.

Leading Signalman

Died of wounds Apr. 22

Jones, Thomas

Stoker 1st Class

Keen, Henry W.

Able Seaman

Kennedy, John N.

Sub-Lieutenant (RNVR)

King, Frederick

Able Seaman

Died of wounds Apr. 12

Kissane, Patrick H.

Petty Officer

Knight, William E.

Stoker Petty Officer

Died of wounds Apr. 9

Lawman, Michael T.

Lieutenant

Levinge, Reginald V. N.

Sub-Lieutenant (RNR)

Lightowler, Frank

Able Seaman

Lockyer, George L. J.

Ordinary Seaman

MacLeod, James K.

Engineer Lt. Commander (RAN)

MacQuillin, Alfred J.

Able Seaman

Maker, Andrew

Stoker 1st Class

Marsh, Albert C. W.

Able Seaman

McIvor, William A.

Ordinary Seaman

Metcalf, John L.

Ordinary Seaman

Mitchell, Archibald H.

Stoker 1st Class

Moss, Edward H.

Able Seaman

Mumford, Robert C.

Ordnance Artificer 3rd Class

Murray, William S. S.

Stoker Petty Officer

Musgrave, Joseph

Ordinary Seaman

Newnham, Harold W.

Able Seaman

Oakes, John

Able Seaman

Palfreyman, Charles

Able Seaman

Died of wounds Apr. 10

Paul, George W.

Stoker Petty Officer

Phillips, Harold J.

Able Seaman

Piper, William A.

Able Seaman

Pittock, James A.

Able Seaman

Portelli, Antonio

Petty Officer Steward

Pugh, George R.

Ordinary Seaman (RNVR)

Ramsdale, Frank K. J.

Stoker 1st Class

Redfern, Wilfred A.

Stoker 1st Class

Reeder, George H.

Engine Room Artificer 4th Class

Regan, Harry R. W.

Stoker 1st Class

Rex, Sidney C.

Stoker 1st Class

Rhys, John W.

Surgeon Lieutenant

(MRCS, LRCP)

Roope, V.C., Gerard B.

Lt. Commander

Commanding Officer

Smith, John J.

Sick Berth Attendant

Stockley, Frederick C.

Able Seaman

Stratford, John J.

Chief Petty Officer

Stringer, Alfred

Able Seaman

Taylor, Cyril A.

Able Seaman

Taylor, George P.

Able Seaman

Terry, Arthur E.

Able Seaman

Testa, Antonio

Leading Cook (O)

Thorpe, Lawrence M.

Able Seaman

Tolhurst, Frederick W.

Ordinary seaman

Twycross, Harold

Leading Stoker

Tyler, Leonard J.

Stoker 1st Class

Varley, Eric

Stoker 1st Class

Vella, Anthony

Assistant Steward

Vine, Reginald E.

Leading Seaman

Wallace, George M.

Able Seaman

Weir, Robert

Ordinary Seaman (RNVR)

Whitfield, Frederick W.

Able Seaman

Williams, John C.

Chief Petty Officer (S)

Wiltshire, Reginald G.

Ordinary Seaman

Wood, Tom

Stoker 1st Class

Woolfries, Fred

Leading Stoker

Woltherspoon, John

Stoker Petty Officer

To submit a photo, biographical information or correction please email the webmaster.

HMS Glowworm under attack by Admiral Hipper.