- Joined
- Oct 11, 2010
- Messages
- 12,382
- Reaction score
- 6,942
- Age
- 60
Luftwaffe sinks British destroyer Kelly under Lord Louis Mountbatten (181 killed, 297 survive including Mountbatten).
On this day, Capt. Lord Louis Mountbatten, second cousin of King George VI of Britain and the only man other than the king to hold rank in all three military services simultaneously, is among those thrown into the Mediterranean Sea when his destroyer, the HMS Kelly, is sunk.
Mountbatten’s ship was among several British cruisers, destroyers, and battleships sunk off Crete by German dive-bombers. The Kelly was attacked by 24 bombers alone. Mountbatten was still on the bridge of the ship when it finally flipped over; nevertheless, he managed to swim to shore and take control of the rescue operation.
Mountbatten survived the war, only to be killed by an Irish Republic Army bomb, planted on his boat, on Aug 26, 1979.
On this day, Capt. Lord Louis Mountbatten, second cousin of King George VI of Britain and the only man other than the king to hold rank in all three military services simultaneously, is among those thrown into the Mediterranean Sea when his destroyer, the HMS Kelly, is sunk.
Mountbatten’s ship was among several British cruisers, destroyers, and battleships sunk off Crete by German dive-bombers. The Kelly was attacked by 24 bombers alone. Mountbatten was still on the bridge of the ship when it finally flipped over; nevertheless, he managed to swim to shore and take control of the rescue operation.
Mountbatten survived the war, only to be killed by an Irish Republic Army bomb, planted on his boat, on Aug 26, 1979.