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| -Obits- |
| RIP Portrait Of A Master Submariner |
| 2011-08-26 |
| Captain George Hunt, who died on August 16 aged 95, sank more enemy ships than any other British submariner of the war, commanding patrols that were considered of “unsurpassed” daring and brilliance. His successes were based on a technical mastery that was allied to steely courage, and for these qualities he was awarded a DSC and Bar and a DSO and Bar as well as being twice mentioned in despatches – making him one of the nation’s most highly-decorated naval officers. Perhaps his greatest feat came on June 27 1944, when he detected the 3,317-ton cargo ship Cap Blanc close to Cap Antibes; despite her four escorts he managed to sink her with four torpedoes. He was hunted for an hour, but eluded the depth charges and, as he slowly drew away, spotted the 5,260-ton tanker Pallas under tow of two tugs, with five more escorts and four aircraft circling overhead. Though conditions were good for an anti-submarine chase, Hunt succeeded in penetrating the strong escort “screen”, and at 08h31 fired his last two torpedoes from 1,500 yards: both hit. He dived to 300ft, near to maximum safe diving depth, to endure what he knew would be a heavy counter-attack; he stopped counting the depth charges after the first 100. The detonations started several leaks but none proved catastrophic and Hunt crept away until, at about noon, he came to periscope depth and saw his enemy hull down on the horizon. His senior officer wrote that while the first attack was “brilliant”, the second – mounted only three hours later – was “the most superlative exhibition... [achieving] an unseen, undetected position inside such a massive and violently zigzagging screen suggests consummate technical skill, but shows, moreover, determination and courage of the highest order”. Hunt, who was awarded a Bar to his existing DSO, modestly preferred to describe the presence of so many escorts as “very off-putting”. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #1 you would think they had to take active measures to stop the clanging of his big brass balls |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-08-26 23:53 |