Friday, January 25, 2013

"Lights" Sinks U-110 By Ramming

From Wikipedia.

The continuing saga of Charles Lightoller, highest-ranking officer of the Titanic to survive.  During World War I, he was on the Oceanic when it sank.  Then he commanded torpedo boat HMTB 117 when it battled a zeppelin.  Then he commanded the HMS Falcon when it was sunk accidentally by another British ship.

From there, he was given command of the River Class destroyer HMS Garry which rammed and sank the U-110 in the North Sea on July 19, 1918.  Of the 36 crew members of the German ship, there were no survivors.  However, the Garry was damaged that it sank at its dock after returning from the fight. 

The Garry was launched 21 March 1905 and sold for breaking up 22 October 1919.

So, Lightoller was on the Titanic, involved in a ship to airship fight, commanded a ship sunk by another ship and finally in command when his ship rammed a submarine and sank it before his own ship sank.

Quite a life's story.  And, then there was that Dunkirk thing and his yacht becoming a museum ship.

That's Called An Interesting Life.  --Cooter

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