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| Britain |
| We're still making them like this, we just don't hear about it |
| 2006-04-15 |
| Lieutenant-Commander Dicky Kendall, who has died aged 82, placed a two-ton mine under the German battleship Tirpitz in the Kaa Fjord of northern Norway. On the evening of September 20 1942, after being towed 1,200 miles from Scotland in an attack submarine, Kendall boarded the miniature sub X-6. While his captain, Lt Don Cameron, navigated through a minefield on the surface, Kendall had to trim the craft to counterbalance a leak in one of the two-ton explosive charges fixed to its sides. As the diver in the four-man crew, Kendall's job was to don a heavy diving suit and enter a flooded compartment. He then had to open the hatch to climb on to the casing to manoeuvre a heavy pneumatic cutter and its hose; his task was to cut through the heavy wire nets protecting the battleship. At 0200 hours, the nets opened for a coaster, and Cameron followed through in the boat's wake. When the periscope fogged up, Kendall had to hold it in position with his foot on the brake, his back to the chart table, while Cameron eyed the target. Suddenly X-6 struck a shoal, and was forced to the surface by Tirpitz's port bow; all Kendall could see was the ship's grey paint. As X-6 scraped down the battleship's side, Kendall released the starboard mine under Tirpitz's B turret. After opening the buoyancy tanks to scuttle their craft, Cameron, Kendall and the two other crew members clambered on to the casing to be hauled aboard a German picket boat, where all four saluted as X-6 sank. Kendall was locked in a small compartment on board Tirpitz, but refused to speak to his captors, despite threats of summary execution. Then, at 0812, there were two violent explosions, and she heaved upwards several feet, throwing him and his guard to the deck. As the ship listed heavily, Kendall knew that the attack had inflicted serious damage. Cameron was awarded the VC; Lt John Lorimer and Kendall received the DSO; and Engine Room Artificer Edmund Goddard the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. The Germans billeted Kendall and Lorimer in a prison camp outside Bremen with the survivors of Operation Principal, the human torpedo attack in the Mediterranean; and for several months all the most highly decorated officers in the RNVR shared the same hut. Afterwards Kendall rarely talked about Operation Source (the Tirpitz attack) or his captivity, except to boast of bribing a guard for a bottle of Champagne to celebrate his 21st birthday. He was released after 18 months, and left the Navy in 1946. The son of a master draper, Richard Haddon Kendall was born at Palmers Green on March 2 1923 and educated at Epsom College. Young Dicky was southern counties' junior cross-country champion in wartime England, and, while reading for a BSc in Forestry at Aberdeen, he captained the Scottish Universities team at the World Student Games in 1947. He enjoyed travelling, playing golf and curling as well as tending his impressive gardens. A modest man, with a dry wit, he would change the subject when his wartime service was mentioned. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #2 sometimes I think it is a blessing that the MSM ignores the soldiers. This way, they do their job, the people that matter know and care and they don't get their lives totally screwed up with all of the baggage that instant fame can bring. It's often the worst thing that can happen to someone. The good Lord works in mysterious ways. I think this is one of them. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-04-15 18:50 |
| #1 Most of the true heros that I have met are very modest and decline to discuss their military service. The flip side of this would be the phoney hero, as represented by the behaviour of John Forger Kerry. |
| Posted by: usmc6743 2006-04-15 15:12 |