Maritime record MWX1794 - Foylebank

Commissioned March 1940. (4) Built: 1930 Builder: Harland and Wolff Engine HP: 830 nhp Propulsion: Twin screw driven, oil engines Armament: 8 x 4in. Owner: Royal Navy / Bank Line (6) Commanding Officer: H P Wilson (6) Ships Company: 300 (6) Officers Saved: 13 (6)
Crew Saved: 144 (6) Date of Loss Qualifier: A Commissioned as an A/A ship MAR-1940, sunk in an air attack, 04-JULY-1940 at Portland.(4)

Twenty German aircraft made a concentrated attack on Portland Harbour. The first salvo of bombs dropped straddled the FOYLEBANK, a merchant ship converted into an anti-aircraft ship, the second hit her so heavily that only one gun was left firing. Leading Seaman Jack F. Mantle, his left leg shattered from the first bomb hit and bleeding terribly, stuck to his post and continued to fire his gun until the electric's failed. He then switched over to manual firing, and even after more bombs hit the ship and the gunner was struck by shrapnel, he continued to fire the weapon. He was later awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the first naval rating to receive such an award to WW2.

Following the raid which made a wreck of the ship, she was cut in two and the bow half towed to Grays for breaking up in March, 1949. The stern section was raised and towed away for breaking up in 1952. (1)(5)

`...the following event took place on 4 July 1940: Formerly a merchant ship owned by the Bank Line and recently converted by Harland and Wolff to an auxiliary anti-aircraft ship the 10 year old HMS FOYLEBANK under the command of Capt. H P Wilson, RN, left Belfast on 6 June arriving at Portland on 9 June 1940 and took up a position within the harbour at A buoy. With the advance of the German armed forces to the English Channel the South West coast of England was now under threat from E-Boats and the Luftwaffe, who were now less than 30 minutes flying time away, however, the true threat of what now lay across the Channel still hadn't been realised by the authorities and Portland Harbour was still being used by ships and submarines working up and preparing themselves for sea and war, despite inadequate anti-aircraft facilities and support: the nearest air cover being in Hampshire. The morning of American Independence Day started fine with good visibility and a light wind and as per normal routine half the ships armament was manned whilst the rest of the ships company took breakfast and went about the start of the day the South East, over the English Channel, which the RAF at Uxbridge identified as six plus aircraft and as a result the ship was brought to a state of immediate readiness. A further report confirmed that the aircraft were now only fifteen miles away and by 0840 a formation of about twenty six aircraft came into view at about 5000 feet. Although properly identified as Stukas by the bridge look-out there appears to have been some initial confusion elsewhere on the ship over the identity of the aircraft, but this didn't last long as they soon broke formation and attacked their targets, most of them heading for the FOYLEBANK, a sitting duck, moored at `A buoy. The ship was repeatedly strafed for some 8 minutes with bombs and machine gun fire during which time it was hit many times, A and B turrets being put out of action almost immediately, when bombs fell between the ships bridge and the guns: Y turret managed to get off about 40 rounds before falling silent. The support armament of pom-poms and machine guns were fired until the ship was abandoned. One among the many heroes that day was Leading Seaman Jack Mantle, of Southampton: the following details are given in the London Gazette of 4th September, 1940:- Leading Seaman Jack Foreman Mantle was in charge of the starboard pom-pom when HMS FOYLEBANK was attacked by enemy aircraft on 4th July, 1940. Early in the action his left leg was shattered by a bomb, but he went on firing his gun, with hand gear only, as the ships power had been damaged. He suffered several further wounds, but his great courage bore him up until the end of the fight, when he fell by the gun he had so valiantly served. For his heroism Jack Mantle was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the first ever to be awarded in British home waters. Jack Mantle was buried in the grounds of the Naval Cemetery, overlooking Portland harbour, the scene of the attack. (A little quieter these days, especially now that the Royal Navy has left Portland. I understand that the Navy still awards the Mantle Cup for skill in anti-aircraft gunnery.) Leading Seaman Cousins and Leading Seaman Gould, who also operated the ships close range weapons, were awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Harbour support vessels took off the wounded and survivors, but had to withdraw due to exploding ammunition. HMS FOYLEBANK became a total loss and was eventually removed from Portland Harbour circa 1952. Of her ships company of 300, 13 officers and 144 men were saved. As a direct result of the attack the Navy realised that it was not possible to defend the harbour against a sustained air attack and Sea Training and other Admiralty work was transferred to more distant parts of the country for the duration of the war... (6) (Taken from The Royal Navy at Portland since 1845 by Geoffrey Carter and The Dorset Echo. Found under the heading of `Details of a few shipwrecks on this website.)

A blast-damaged deadlight, approximate diameter 18", recovered from the seabed in the area where the FOYLEBANK was sunk. As it appears to be blast-damaged, and of the right period, it is thought to have come from the FOYLEBANK. To be given to Portland Museum. (Droit 025/06)

FOYLEBANK described as lost 1941, cut up 1953. (9)

Requisitioned auxiliary anti-aircraft ship FOYLE BANK sunk by aircraft at Portland. (10)

Additional source cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
Wreck and Rescue on the Dorset Coast, Farr, 1971 p57

<1> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

<2> Hocking, Charles, 1990, Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam, p252 (Monograph). SWX4536.

<3> 1989, Lloyds war losses: the Second World War 3 September-14 August 1945, p96 (Index). SWX4997.

<4> Ships of the Royal Navy (Vol 2), p138 (Monograph). SWX4848.

<5> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<6> World Wide Web page andlt;http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval.htmlandgt; [Accessed 24-Mar-2003] (Digital archive). SWX4879.

<7> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 994 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<8> Kemp, Paul, 1999, The Admiralty Regrets: British Warship Losses of the 20th Century (Monograph). SWX9368.

<9> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 025/06 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<10> 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, 6 (Monograph). SWX4538.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 900904 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 2 2024 3:36PM