RN ship losses

This week's header image (20-26 July): minesweeper HMS Squirrel at the instant of striking a mine in the northern Malacca Strait, 24 July 1945. Seven men were killed and the ship was set on fire. She was abandoned in sinking condition and scuttled with gunfire. (@I_W_M A 29992)

24 July 1940 // HM Trawler Fleming, a minesweeper, had just finished sweeping at Long Sand in the Thames Estuary when four German aircraft attacked. She was hit by two bombs and immediately broke up and sank. 19 men were lost and 3 survivors were picked up. #RoyalNavy #WW2

24 July 1940 // HM Trawler Rodino, a minesweeper, was sweeping off Dover when a number of German bombers, which had just sunk trawler Kingston Galena, launched an attack on her. She was sunk by a bomb with the loss of three members of her crew. #RoyalNavy #WW2

24 July 1918 // Destroyer HMS Pincher was wrecked on the Seven Stones Reef between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly due to navigational error. She was escorting an oiler at the time, and zigzagging in patchy mist. No lives were lost. (@I_W_M Q 75066) #RoyalNavy #WW1 #Shipwreck

25 July 1942 // HM Trawler Laertes was torpedoed and sunk off Freetown, Liberia, by German submarine U.201. She had detected the U-boat using asdic while on night patrol and had just completed the second of two attacks when hit. 19 men died from her crew of 30. #RoyalNavy #WW2

25 July 1762 // 44-gun 5th-rate HMS Chesterfield and four transports ran aground and were wrecked at Cayo Confites off the north coast of Cuba while bringing reinforcements for the British garrison at Havana. No lives were lost. #RoyalNavy #Shipwreck

25 July 1666 (O.S.) // 58-gun 3rd-rate HMS Resolution (launched under the Commonwealth in 1654 as Tredagh) was damaged during the St James's Day Battle off North Foreland, and ran aground. She was set on fire by a Dutch fireship and blew up. About 200 men were lost. #RoyalNavy

24 July 1945 // Minesweeper HMS Squirrel struck a mine off Phuket Island, Thailand. The explosion killed seven of her crew and set her on fire. She was abandoned and scuttled by gunfire. (Images @I_W_M: FL 10368 HMS Squirrel, A 29992 HMS Squirrel striking mine) #RoyalNavy #WW2

24 July 1944 // Escort destroyer HMS Goathland was patrolling off Sword Beach, Normandy, when she struck a mine which caused no casualties but damaged her engines, shafts and screws. She was towed to Portsmouth but was written off as beyond economical repair. #RoyalNavy #WW2

24 July 1940 // HM Trawler Kingston Galena, returning to Dover from convoy escort duty, was attacked off South Foreland by a large number of German bombers, and sank with the loss of 18 men after taking a direct hit amidships. #RoyalNavy #WW2

24 July 1918 // HM Trawler Lochiel, an Aberdeen boat in #RoyalNavy service as a patrol vessel, was sunk by a large explosion while escorting a coastal convoy off Whitby, probably torpedoed by UB.34 although this is unconfirmed. 12 men died from her crew of 19. #WW1

24 July 1855 // Gunboat HMS Jasper (one of 20 Dapper-class screw gunboats built for Crimean War service) ran aground in bad weather on Krivaia Spit, Sea of Azov, while bombarding Taganrog, and was abandoned. After her stores were removed, she was burnt. #RoyalNavy #Shipwreck

24 July 1843 // Steam paddle vessel HMS Lizard sank after being accidentally rammed by French paddle sloop Veloce approximately 25 miles east of Gibraltar. The Lizard's crew were rescued by the Véloce before their own ship sank, and no lives were lost. #RoyalNavy #Shipwreck

24 July 1801 // 36-gun frigate HMS Jason was wrecked after grounding on rocks in the bay of St Malo. All on board were rescued with the help of local people. Boat parties returned on 6 August and burnt her to prevent recovery by the French, who fired upon them in vain. #RoyalNavy