TNA ADM 199 792

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60
CONFIDENTIAL
Office of Commander-in-Chief,
Western Approaches,
9723
Mount Wise,
Devonport.
1340
19th August, 1940.
No. 8/7.AB/40.
HOME
REPORT OF ENQUIRY INTO THE LOSS OF H.M.S. "BASILISK"
IN OPERATION "DYNAMO".
21 AU 1940
BRANCH MILITARY
Sir,
With reference to Admiralty letter N.L. 6245/40
dated 1st August, 1940, be pleased to submit to Their
Lordships the following report resulting from an enquiry
into the circumstances attending the loss of H.M.S. "Basilisk"
on 1st June, 1940.
2. Commander M. Richmond, R.N., the senior surviving
officer of "Basilisk" and who was in command of that ship,
was examined on the 19th August, 1940.
3. At about 0815 on 1st June in the first air attack,
a bomb with slight delay action exploded in the port side
of the after end of No. 3 boiler room, cutting main and
auxiliary steam lines and thus putting all machinery out of
action. It also burst the bulkhead between the boiler room
and engine room. This explosion made shrapnel holes in the
port side in engine room and No. 3 boiler room. The
smaller holes were plugged from within or without with
wooden plugs and the larger ones covered by a collision mat.
about
(ii) In this attack/6 large bombs, which appeared
to be of the delay action type, exploded in the water underneath
the ship and these explosions caused the upper deck to
buckle right across at a position between the after end of
the after torpedo tubes and the after superstructure. The
ship's sides were similarly buckled at this station.
4. Torpedo and depth charges were jettisoned and at
about 0845 the ship was floating on an even keel with little
increase in draught.
5. At about 0945, whilst efforts were being made by
a Belgian tug - "La Jolie Mascotte" - to tow the ship a second
air attack was made, during which, however, no hits or
damage were sustained. The tug slipped the tow and proceeded
to a distance.
6. At about 1200 in a third attack this time bombers
diving to about 400 feet - the ship was smothered by hits and
near misses, the bombs appearing to be of a "delay action" type.
Explosions underwater seemed to cause the main damage. The
ship shuddered and heeled to starboard, righted herself and
sank in about three minutes, settling on the bottom on an
even keel in about 4 fathoms. She was then abandoned.
The destruction of "Basilisk" was completed by "Whitehall"
firing guns and torpedoes at her.
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