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HMS
Royal Oak - SMC035
HMS
Royal Oak was a Royal Sovereign Class battleship, commissioned
in 1916 and saw action at the Battle of Jutland. Even though
she was over 20 years old at the outbreak of the Second World
War she was still considered to be a capable ship.
On the 13th of October 1939, while lying at anchor in Scapa
Flow, the battleship HMS Royal Oak was torpedoed and sunk
by U-47, a German U Boat. 833 men lost their lives in this
tragedy.
The sinking of HMS Royal Oak was a national disaster and led
to the construction of the Churchill Barriers. A memorial
to the men of HMS Royal Oak can be found in the north choir
aisle of St Magnus Cathedral.
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