HMHS Rewa
Encyclopedia
HMHS Rewa (His Majesty's Hospital ship) was a steamship originally built for the British-India Steam Navigation Company
, but requisitioned for use as a British
hospital ship
during the First World War
. On 4 January 1918, she was hit and sunk by a torpedo from the German
U-boat
.
as a permanent troopship
, being designated No.5.
with 279 wounded officers aboard. Neutral inspectors from Spain had boarded the ship in Gibraltar
to confirm that she had no military function. At 11:15, she was hit by a torpedo
19 mi (30.6 km) off Hartland Point
. The ship took around two hours to sink allowing all wounded and ship's crew to board lifeboats except for the four engine men who died in the initial explosion.
. However, German naval command had entered "total war" in a desperate effort to win the war. In implementing total war, the naval command secretly ordered U-boat captain
s to sink any Allied ship, including hospital ships, even though it violated Hague Convention X. However, the captain of U-55 — perhaps fearing the consequences of his actions — wrote in the ship's log that he sank a cargo vessel and not a brightly-lit and painted hospital ship. After the war, Wilhelm Werner was hunted by Allied command in an effort to charge him for war crimes, but he disappeared, thus avoiding a trial.
, the wreckage was often mistaken by British sonar
for a German U-boat. To confirm that a U-Boat was not just hiding on the sea bed, Allied ships would drop depth charge
s, called opening the "tin can". If oil or German bodies floated to the surface then they knew they had destroyed a U-Boat. If nothing floated up then they would move to the next sonar target. This process totally destroyed the wreck of Rewa.
British-India Steam Navigation Company
British India Steam Navigation Company was formed in 1856 as the Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company. The company had been formed out of Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co, a trading partnership of the Scots William Mackinnon and Robert Mackenzie, to carry mail between Calcutta and Rangoon. It...
, but requisitioned for use as a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On 4 January 1918, she was hit and sunk by a torpedo from the German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
.
History
In 1908, she joined her sister shipSister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
as a permanent troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
, being designated No.5.
Sinking
On 4 January 1918, Rewa was returning to Britain from MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
with 279 wounded officers aboard. Neutral inspectors from Spain had boarded the ship in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to confirm that she had no military function. At 11:15, she was hit by a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
19 mi (30.6 km) off Hartland Point
Hartland Point
Hartland Point is a high rocky outcrop of land on the northwestern tip of the Devon coast in England. It is three miles north-west of the village of Hartland. The point marks the western limit of the Bristol Channel with the Atlantic Ocean continuing to the west...
. The ship took around two hours to sink allowing all wounded and ship's crew to board lifeboats except for the four engine men who died in the initial explosion.
Aftermath
The sinking of the ship caused outrage in Britain. The German high command denied sinking the ship, instead blaming the explosion on a loose British mineNaval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
. However, German naval command had entered "total war" in a desperate effort to win the war. In implementing total war, the naval command secretly ordered U-boat captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
s to sink any Allied ship, including hospital ships, even though it violated Hague Convention X. However, the captain of U-55 — perhaps fearing the consequences of his actions — wrote in the ship's log that he sank a cargo vessel and not a brightly-lit and painted hospital ship. After the war, Wilhelm Werner was hunted by Allied command in an effort to charge him for war crimes, but he disappeared, thus avoiding a trial.
Wreckage
The wreckage lies at 50.55°N 04.49°W, which is located off the west UK coast. It lies in about 200 ft (61 m) of water which makes it difficult for all but the most experienced diver to explore. During the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the wreckage was often mistaken by British sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
for a German U-boat. To confirm that a U-Boat was not just hiding on the sea bed, Allied ships would drop depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s, called opening the "tin can". If oil or German bodies floated to the surface then they knew they had destroyed a U-Boat. If nothing floated up then they would move to the next sonar target. This process totally destroyed the wreck of Rewa.