HMS Neptune
![HMS Neptune Underway. Royal Navy official photographer - This is photograph \u003ca href=\u0027http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//7/media-7274/large.jpg\u0027\u003e FL 2929.\u003c/a\u003e from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.]()
HMS Neptune Underway. Royal Navy official photographer - This is photograph FL 2929. from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.
IWM Non-commercial Licence
The sinking of HMS Neptune remains New Zealand's worst naval tragedy. A Royal Navy cruiser, HMS Neptune struck four enemy mines and sank off Libya early on the morning of 19 December, 1941.
The HMS Neptune was launched at Portsmouth on 31 January 1933. She was one of five 'Leander' class light cruisers completed between 1933 and 1935. Two others were HMS Achilles and Leander serving in the RNZN. They displaced 7,200 tons, could make 32 knots and carried eight 6 inch guns and 550 crew. The Neptune was in the Mediterranean from 1 December 1941 as part of Force K which was searching for Axis shipping, especially those taking supplies to Rommel in North Africa.
Early on the 19th of December the ships of Force K ran into a minefield. The Neptune hit three or four mines and sank with only one survivor. At the same time the Aurora was badly damaged and Penelope slightly. Trying to reach Neptune to assist, the destroyer Kandahar was mined and had to be scuttled the following day. On the same day in Alexandria harbour the Queen Elizabeth with Admiral Cunningham on board and the Valiant were both badly damaged and sank. The Mediterranean Fleet battle squadron ceased to exist. Seven hundred and sixty four men lost their lives. Among them were 150 New Zealanders. Of the total crew of there was only one survivor. He was rescued off a raft five days later by an Italian destroyer and spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp.
Futher reading:
Navy Museum "The Loss of HMS Neptune"
Results
| Photo | Force | Wars | Service # | |
| C17174 |  | Alder | Edwin Peter | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | A/1874 | | |
| C17221 | | Anderson | Henry Bruce | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | A/1873 | | |
| C17234 | | Anderson | William John | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | A/1872 | | |
| C18158 | | Andrew | Norman Ross | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | W/3760 | | |
| C17237 | | Andrews | Albert George Reginald | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | NZ21, RN(NZ) 21 | | |
| C17264 | | Armfield | Harry James | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | 1868, NZD1868 | | |
| C18175 | | Ashton | Lindsay Ross | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | NZ1603, NZD1603 | | |
| C18176 | | Atkinson | Basil Mervyn | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | 1460, NZD1460 | | |
| C18177 | | Atkinson | Roy Vincent | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | 1323, NZD1323 | | |
| C18178 | | Ball | Jack Payne | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | C/5484 | | |
| C17645 | | Barford | Bryan John | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | NZ1510, NZD1510 | | |
| C18186 | | Barker | Frederick Robert | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | C/5435 | | |
| C18187 | | Barron | Alexander Deryck | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | W/3696 | | |
| C17983 | | Barstow | John Arthur | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | 2369, NZD2369, NZD2369 | | |
| C18188 | | Baskett | George Robert | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | C/7223, O/7223 | | |
| C18189 | | Biggs | Hudson Walter | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | 0/7257, O/7257 | | |
| C18190 | | Birss | James Alexander | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | C/5026, C/5026 | | |
| C18191 | | Blackley | James Bernard Eric | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | NZ1676, NZD1676 | | |
| C18192 | | Boaz | Ernest George | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | C/5451, C/5451 | | |
| C18193 | | Brackenridge | Ian Hayes | Navy | World War II, 1939-1945 | W/3758 | | |
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.