War report of the USS Sturgeon

War report of USS Sturgeon

  Attack on MV Montevideo Maru

  (Typed, the “a” was wearing and not making a clear strike).

 

“30^th June 1942

Patrolling North-West of Bojeador as before. Dove at dawn, surfaced at dusk. At 2216 sighted a darkened ship to southward. At first, due to bearing on which it was sighted, believed him to be on northerly course, but after  few  minutes observation it was evident he was on a westerly course, and going at high speed. He quite evidently had stood out of Babuyan Channel, headed for Hainan. Put on all engines and worked up to full power, proceeding to westward in attempt to get ahead of him.  For an hour and a half we couldn’t make a nickel. This fellow was really going, making at least 17 knots, and probably a bit more as he appeared to be zig-zagging. At this time it looked a bit hopeless, but determined to hang on in the hope he would slow or change course towards us. His range at this time was estimated at   around 18,000 yards. Sure enough, about  midnight he slowed to about 12 knots. After that it was easy.

1^st July 1942

Proceeding to intercept target as before. Altered course to gain position ahead of him, and dove at 0146. When he got in periscope range, it could be seen that he was larger than first believed, also that his course was a little left of west, leaving us some 3000 yards off the track. Was able to close some 1000 yards of this , and then turned to fire stern tubes as:

1.     Only 3 tubes available forward, and at this range and with large target 4 fish spread desirable

2.     After tubes had 700(indistinguishable) heads), while heads forward were small ones.

At 0225  fired four-torpedo spread, range 4000 yards, from after tubes. At 0229 heard and observed explosion about 75-100 abaft stack. At 0240 observed ship sink stern first. 0250 surfaced, proceeded eastward, completing battery charge. Ship believed to be Rio de Janeiro Maru, or very  similar type, although it is possible it was a larger ship ; he was a big one. A few lights were observed on deck just after the explosion, but there was apparently no power available, and his bow was well up in the air in 6 minutes.  Dove at dawn. No further contacts.

Again the advantage of  a straight shot was demonstrated. I can honestly say that, even  at the long range at which these torpedoes were fired, everyone felt perfectly confident, at the instant of firing, that we would hit. In fact, immediately after firing, I turned with full rudder in order to bring the bow tubes to bear in case of a miss. The T.D.C operator (Lt. Nimitz) remarked as the torpedoes were still running , “We won’t have to use any more. One of those will get him”. It was also noted (as it was also on 25 June) that at least some of the torpedoes explode as they sink. Two were about six minutes after firing. It would seem that explosion occurs, however, before the torpedo reaches the bottom, as water was very deep. It may occur as the head crushes. Torpedoes were heard running by second operator. Sketch of pursuit is included in enclosure (A2).

Launching of USS Sturgeon



     USS 187 "Sturgeon" of the Salmon class,  

                              Captained by William Wright at                               

time of Montevideo Maru sinking

The simple language, casual, slangy almost, describing an event which was so momentous for so many. Over 1000 Australians died but so did most of the  Japanese crewmen. The Americans had no idea what had just been achieved.

Port Adelaide

Fascinating what you find in old maps and can therefore plot the changes in a suburb.

Right at the spot C/4.2 on 1 Santo Parade is the spot where the Colac Hotel stood in 1929 on the wharves of the South Australian Company Basin. It still stands in the same place but the basin is radically changed in shape and there is no longer a bridged creek across St Vincent's Street. The basin from the Gawler Reach is a long rectangle which now laps Ocean Steamers Road, as that part of St Vincent's Street is now called.

The Colac belongs to the Labour Party in South Australia. It has had a long, long association with working men and women in Port Adelaide. The ALP Trades Union has closed the hotel for trading.

Siblings

Ridley was born in the Colac Hotel in December 1895. His brother William was born two years later. William and Catherine were married in 1888 and Ridley's prayer book lists a Doris Mary Reed in the lists of names where it had been used. This was before he was born, so the  initials "A.R.R." in the leather cover of the book were punched in later. Doris may have been a first-born sister who died as an infant.  Given in the time between marriage and Ridley's birth it is possible that Catherine and William had a still-born child before Doris.

Image from website http://www.weddingsa.com/churches

Ridley and William were both baptised in St Margaret's on Port Road, Woodville.

First go at a beginning

"Ridley did not die peacefully, drowning in the sinking hull of the MV Montevideo Maru in company with over one thousand Australians. A United States submarine had inadvertently torpedoed the unmarked ship, loaded with prisoners of war from Rabaul, in July 1942. Ridley lived 47 years set against mundane and momentous events in the 20th century. He left no heirs and passed into memory and a mystery."


Well! that sounds like nothing wonderful but the beginning is always the hardest, then ending properly...........

Lucy Jane Godfrey-Faussett

Lucy was the daughter of Henry Woodcock, of Wigan, Lancashire. There were 7 more children, the youngest in the 1881 census being listed as a daughter of one years age when the family was living in Bolnore House, Cuckfield, Sussex. By then Lucy was married to  Thomas  Godfrey Godfrey-Faussett (1829 –1877). Lucy's birthdate isn't listed anywhere I have yet found but I think she may have been considerably younger than Thomas. They married in 1964 and had one son, Edward Godfrey, in 1866. Thomas' father was the Reverend Godfrey Faussett, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford. The landlord of Ivy House, as well as a number of other land holdings, is listed with the one word "Margaret" in 1905. Lucy is listed as living in Cuckfield, Sussex. Must be a tie-up there somewhere.  By 1920, when Lucy wrote enquiring after Ridley's welfare and location, she would have been in her 70's.  Her family is listed in Burke's Peerage as claiming Plantagenet descent from Isabella Neville , Duchess of Clarence, 1451. On both her father's and her husband's side the families have been in the military, clerics and gaining income from land - minor aristocracy.

Reading about WW1

If you have to go to war, going in Summer when the enemy is very, very tired is a good idea.  Russia began to withdraw from the war after the Revolution, so Germany was able to send more troops and equipment to the Western front for a last big push. Ridley arrived in France in April 1918 when the Germans were making that last effort. Men and horses were still dying and being wounded but the horrors of the mud of Passchendaele and the miserable Ypres salient were past. In April 1918 one of Ridley's friends was listed as "Missing in action" and he was finally declared as "Killed in Action" in December 1918. The man was obliterated from the face of the earth, never being found. The routine of four days at the front line  followed by four days well behind the lines gave troops time to eat, sleep, read and send mail, sleep, sleep and sleep - and mourn the loss of fellow soldiers.

Ridley was in the Strazeele and Merris area but this map doesn't have a date on it.

War diaries

The war diaries of the 1st Field Artillery Brigade, which Ridley was in, are all digitised on the Australian War Memorial site. Daily lists of positions, orders, reports , firing rates, codes, signals, deaths and wounded. So many horses. Men have a choice, horses don't and they died like the men, or were wounded, or were sick, replaced and retired. Almost as many horses as men. Ridley's time in France was spent between Armentieres and Calais - sometimes at the front, sometimes marching or entraining and moving from one town to another. The base depots for 1st FAB were in Heytesbury England (near the Salisbury Plain) and Roulles in France.  

Depot at Lezarde Valley Rouelles near Le Havre

He went there in Spring and stayed until 1919 when he went back to England. There is a notation in the war diary for January 29th on Lieut. Lewis and 9 ORs  marched out as Special Draft "University Undergraduates". Ridley was granted leave with pay and subsistence allowance of 10 Guineas  from 17-1-1919 to 15-12-19 to go to Kings College London. I am guessing there were schemes of many kinds designed to ease the military back into civilian life and this would be one of them - more research to do. His address from 31-1-19 is given as "Kings College London Reasons Theology". The January war diaries list race days, championships, visit by HRH Prince of Wales, moving German guns,regular courts martial, 16 horses were evacuated "sick", 8 were "lost" and one was transferred. I wonder what life was like for the civilians in the area in that bitterly cold and snowy Winter. The land had been well-ploughed - grotesquely but not productively - and the debris of war was everywhere. Ridley left England to go back to Australia on the Argyleshire on 2-12-1919.