Sad Loss...

On this day in 1941, HMS PRINCE OF WALES is commissioned in Birkenhead. Sadly she would be the shortest commissioned Royal Navy Battleship as she was sunk off Malaysia by the Japanese less than a year later with the loss of 327 sailors including Vice Admiral Phillips and Captain Leach

In December 1941, while enroute to attack some Japanese transport ships, HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Repulse were attacked by a flight of land-based Mitsubishi Type 96 “Nell” bombers. Then another sortie of “Nells” armed with torpedoes attacked, with one striking the Prince of Wales and causing considerable damage. They were finished-off by Mitsubishi Type 1 “Bettys” armed with torpedoes. She had no air cover, even though the RAF had a squadron of Brewster Buffaloes in the region.