Chris Sams

Why did the Ark Royal Sink? – The Navy Records Society On 14th November 1941 HMS Ark Royal,  Britain’s first modern fleet carrier, sank after a torpedo attack by the German submarine U-81. The following year, acclaimed war correspondent Sir Herbert…

Why did the Ark Royal Sink? – The Navy Records Society Members' Blog

On 14th nov 1941, Britain’s first modern fleet carrier was sunk after a torpedo attack by the German submarine U-81. Our member Paul Harrison explores records of the sinking.

#navyrecords #navalhistory #ww2

Absolutely…

The losses were a shock for little gain but not as horrendous as they could have been

Finished my first ghost tour at Chatham Dockyard, taking people around some of the lesser used buildings and telling stories of spooky goings on…

Something like that… “could have been better” 🤣

Bombing the Fleet The RAF's first bombing sortie of World War Two

This week’s free to read:

On 3 September 1939 the RAF’ first bombing raid was on standby to attack the Kriegsmarine in port on the first day of #ww2, but how did it go?

jerijerod14.substack.com/p/bombing-th...

#history #navalhistory

Deadman's Island and the hulks Podcast Episode · Maritime History with Chris Sams (live and unplugged) · 08/10/2025 · 25m

This week’s podcast is on the Medway prison hulks and Deadman’s island

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...

#history #medway #navalhistory

As a maritime/naval historian I can say that flying flags from lampposts around the towns has 0 to do with “our maritime past” and you can quote me on that 😉

Arado Ar 196 in Soviet Service - Destination's Journey Photos of Arado Ar 196 floatplanes operated by the Soviet Border Guard following their capture. Thirty Seven were operated up to 1955.

Arado Ar 196 in Soviet Service www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-m... #aviation #AradoAr196 #floatplane

a flag with a red circle on it ALT: a flag with a red circle on it

I’ve decided to give the German navies (Imperial and Kriegsmarine) a rest for a bit - I’m pretty sure you’re all bored of me talking about Kreuzerkrieg and U-boats.

This week I’m looking further afield

Also HMS CC1 and CC2 the first two Canadian submarines were acquired

The squadron off San Domingo lost four further vessels during the hurricane: 74-gun HMS Thunderer, 20-gun HMS Scarborough, 14-gun HMS Victor and 12-gun HMS Barbadoes. All disappeared during 4-5 October, with no survivors. (Image of HMS Phoenix sinking from the National Maritime Museum) [3/3]

64-gun HMS Stirling Castle was wrecked off Cap Haïtien after her squadron off San Domingo was scattered by the hurricane. Most of the crew reached the shore but 20 were swept out to sea on a piece of the wreck. By the time they were rescued several days later only 5 remained alive. [2/3]

Engraving, 'The wreck of the Phoenix of 44 guns' (undated, c1780). National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, via Wikimedia Commons. An engraving of a sailing warship with wrecked masts and rigging being overwhelmed by a stormy sea.

4 Oct 1780 // 5th-rate 44-gun ship HMS Phoenix was off Jamaica when a hurricane struck. Blown across to Cuba, she went aground near Cape Cruz with 20 men lost. Stores and guns were removed and the wreck was burnt. Phoenix was one of several vessels lost by the #RoyalNavy in this hurricane. [1/3]

Lambert’s mission was a success. After leading the Chinese 5th Army to safety,he was summoned to Chongqing. There, this unsung hero of the retreat was personally awarded the equivalent of the Distinguished Service Order by Chiang Kai-shek. Pic here in Kohima in the 90s w/ 1 of his former secretaries

Prowling the West coast SMS Leipzig and the Canada invasion scare

This week’s somewhat rushed (and thusly) free feature is on the cruise of SMS Leipzig along the West Coast of the US and Mexico.

jerijerod14.substack.com/p/prowling-t...

How Canada reacts and the invasion scare

#ww1 #navalhistory

A quote from E.B. White about the importance of writing, whatever the conditions.

It’s 2025: ideal conditions don’t exist. Just do your thing like your life depends on it. ✍️

Erm… that was mine and my ex wife’s song… 😳

I might give it a miss then 😉

I’m sure Krupps have some plans lying around 😉

The construction of battleships as part of a modern war fleet is, in my opinion, a daft idea and makes no strategic sense.

At the same time though…

I think Raeder was working on a longer time scale for War than the rest of Europe. As part of a complete Plan Z maybe a carrier would have been a useful addition but…

With hindsight absolutely a waste, maybe at the time I’d be sceptical too but in the 30s I can see why it was considered as an idea

You’d need a bigger carrier and runway but by 1944 (43 if really optimistic) they would have failed as the RN would have caught and sunk the carrier from under the jets fairly easily

I’m going to be honest and say I don’t know, I’d not heard of it but I’m no expert. It wouldn’t surprisedme if the idea was thrown around by mid war but I think Luftwaffe priorities were elsewhere by then

Trägerflugzeuge Germany's proposed Carrier aircraft

As I continue to answer the questions no one asked so you don’t have to…

Ever wondered what aircraft the proposed German aircraft carrier in #ww2 would have carried?

Look no further…

jerijerod14.substack.com/p/tragerflug...

#navalhistory

I’d argue Hipper was very effective as a BC commander (more so than Beatty), von Spee was very good but in the end had no hope at the Falklands, Lutjens was good during Op. Berlin but was never going to succeed on Bismarck, Schmundt is often overlooked, Marschall German fleet CO best in WW2

Not dreadnoughts but… two u-boats and a frigate 😉

The Wounded Knee Medals Podcast Episode · Maritime History with Chris Sams (live and unplugged) · 01/10/2025 · 35m

Well… this might annoy people but here is this week’s podcast.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...

Why I think the US government is wrong and why no one should have medals for the “action” at Wounded Knee.

Born #otd 1863 - Admiral Reinhard Scheer, commander of the Hochseeflotte during the battle of Jutland.

One of Germany’s greatest Admirals

HMCS Ojibwa

Torpedo tubes, outer doors