John Elliott Smart
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Commander
John Elliott "Jack" Smart DSO
OBE VRD
(1 March 1916–3 February 2008) was an officer in the Royal Navy commanding one of the midget submarines that attacked the German cruiser Lützow
and the Japanese cruiser Takao
during the Second World War.
in England
and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1938, his commission as a sub-lieutenant
was confirmed on 3 October 1939. He served the first part of the war in minesweeper
s in the eastern Mediterranean. He was promoted lieutenant
on 1 March 1941, then joined HMS Varbel, the midget submarine training depot, in 1943.
in Altenfjord, Norway. During the tow over to the attack, X8 lost contact with her towing submarine HMS Sea Nymph
, but after 37 hours they regained contact. Unfortunately X8 developed leaks and was unable to dive, eventually leading to the X8 being scuttled. Smart was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his part in the operation.
s HMS XE1 and XE3 was assigned to Operation Struggle, an attack on the Japanese cruisers Myōkō
and Takao
in the Johore Strait. Smart was in command of XE1, targeting the Myōkō but after 16 hours ran out of time and laid the charges next to Takao, that had already been attacked by XE3. The attack on Takao lead to appointment as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO), and as an Officer of the Legion of Merit
from the United States.
on 1 March 1949. He was awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration
(VRD) on 30 April 1953, and retired on 8 March 1954.
He then became a stockbroker with Pemberton Securities in their Vancouver
office, remaining there until the 1980s when he transferred to the Victoria, British Columbia
office. He died in Victoria on 3 February 2008 at the age of 91.
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
John Elliott "Jack" Smart DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
OBE VRD
Volunteer Reserve Decoration
The Volunteer Reserve Decoration was awarded to commissioned officers in the United Kingdom's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for long service and good conduct.The VRD was established in 1908...
(1 March 1916–3 February 2008) was an officer in the Royal Navy commanding one of the midget submarines that attacked the German cruiser Lützow
German pocket battleship Deutschland
Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933...
and the Japanese cruiser Takao
Japanese cruiser Takao
was the first of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. The Myōkō had proved to be unstable and required modifications, which were incorporated into the Takao design....
during the Second World War.
Early life
Smart was born on 1 March 1916 in NorthumberlandNorthumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1938, his commission as a sub-lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
was confirmed on 3 October 1939. He served the first part of the war in minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s in the eastern Mediterranean. He was promoted lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 1 March 1941, then joined HMS Varbel, the midget submarine training depot, in 1943.
Operation Source
Six midget submarines were to take part in the attack on the German cruiser LützowGerman pocket battleship Deutschland
Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933...
in Altenfjord, Norway. During the tow over to the attack, X8 lost contact with her towing submarine HMS Sea Nymph
HMS Sea Nymph (P223)
HMS Sea Nymph was an S class submarine of the Royal Navy, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Cammell Laird and launched on July 29, 1942....
, but after 37 hours they regained contact. Unfortunately X8 developed leaks and was unable to dive, eventually leading to the X8 being scuttled. Smart was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his part in the operation.
Operation Struggle
The XE class submarineXE class submarine
Six XE-class midget submarines were built for the Royal Navy during 1944. They were an improved version of the X Class midgets used in the attack on the German battleship Tirpitz....
s HMS XE1 and XE3 was assigned to Operation Struggle, an attack on the Japanese cruisers Myōkō
Japanese cruiser Myoko
was the name-ship of the four-member of heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy — the other ships of the class being the Nachi, Ashigara, and Haguro....
and Takao
Japanese cruiser Takao
was the first of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. The Myōkō had proved to be unstable and required modifications, which were incorporated into the Takao design....
in the Johore Strait. Smart was in command of XE1, targeting the Myōkō but after 16 hours ran out of time and laid the charges next to Takao, that had already been attacked by XE3. The attack on Takao lead to appointment as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO), and as an Officer of the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
from the United States.
Later life
Smart retained his RNVR commission after the war and was promoted lieutenant commanderLieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
on 1 March 1949. He was awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration
Volunteer Reserve Decoration
The Volunteer Reserve Decoration was awarded to commissioned officers in the United Kingdom's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for long service and good conduct.The VRD was established in 1908...
(VRD) on 30 April 1953, and retired on 8 March 1954.
He then became a stockbroker with Pemberton Securities in their Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
office, remaining there until the 1980s when he transferred to the Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
office. He died in Victoria on 3 February 2008 at the age of 91.