“Last Resting Place” looks at the loss of each of the ten capital ships of the Royal Navy that were sunk during World War 2. For a few the story of the sinking is well known and has become considered as part of the fortunes of war. War is a fight, and in a fight, sooner or later, one of the combatants loses.

  But for some the story of how the loss came about is not quite as straightforward as others. The sinking of HMS Hood has led to questioning of the verdict of the official enquiry over many years and even right up to the present day. It was concluded at the time that Hood was lost to a lucky hit from Bismarck that entered the ship and caused a magazine at the stern to catch fire. The inquiry did go through various possibilities in detail but this was the best fit of the three alternatives considered. Yet Hood’s recent record of numerous dockings for repairs – some of which were heavy – was never even brought up, a  very surprising omission and the more so since close to the outbreak of war the First Sea Lord had commented: “she (Hood) needs a complete and total change of machinery as hers is twenty years old” and “the likelihood of her being able to steam at speed for any distance must be considered remote.” Why was mechanical breakdown overlooked given this back catalogue of repairs and the dim view of her condition held by senior officers?

  Some other ships such as Ark Royal and Hermes had their wrecks located on the sea bed miles away from the official recorded position of their sinking and the loss of HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow was an avoidable debacle because Scapa Flow had a known vulnerability. Even more contentious was the loss of HMS Glorious, sent to Norway to recover some hopelessly antiquated Gloster Gladiator aircraft and lost on her return when she ran into the German Battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The results of the inquiry into her sinking, chaired by Rear Admiral Arthur Power, were later locked away for 100 years, an extraordinary decision that has led to much speculation about the actual purpose of her mission and what it was about it that remains hidden from public view.

  Last Resting Place looks into what happened to these fine ships, how their loss came about and where their wrecks are located on the sea bed, while looking in detail at theories, causes and conclusions surrounding the sinking of each.

 The title is available from Pen and Sword Book from 30th June 2026, and can be ordered from: 

Pen and Sword Books, 

George House units 12 and 13, 

Beevor Street, Barnsley,

 South Yorkshire S70 2AS

or

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk