SMITH, ALBERT Rank: Ordinary Seaman Service No: C/SSX 35872 Date of Death: 25/11/1941 Age: 19 Regiment/Service: Royal Navy H.M.S. Barham Panel Reference: 45, 1. Memorial: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL Additional Information: Son of Walter and Elizabeth Smith, of Friskney, Lincolnshire.http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2472510/SMITH,%20ALBERT
Video showing the last minutes of HMS Barham;- https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YdrISbwy_zI Kyle
At 16.29 hours on 25 Nov 1941, HMS Barham (04) (Capt G.C. Cooke, RN) was hit on the port side by three torpedoes from U-331 north of Sidi Barrani. As the ship rolled over to port, her after magazines exploded and she quickly sank. The battleship was sailing with the Mediterranean Fleet (Force A) from Alexandria to cover sorties by Malta and Alexandria-based cruiser forces against Italian convoys heading for Libya. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/1206.html
Operation CRUSADER is probably one of the few land-based operations that saw almost as many men killed at sea as on land in the Commonwealth forces. For the Italians, losses at sea were actually higher than those on land. http://rommelsriposte.com/2012/05/14/naval-personnel-losses-during-operation-crusader/ All the best Andreas