WW1 Royal Navy DSM medal, King George V

WW1 Royal Navy DSM medal with the head of King George V, awarded to Assistant Steward Albert Pennal MMR, Atlantic Ocean 8th August 1917, for action aboard HMS Dunraven, a Q ship during an engagement with submarine UC71 (Saltzwedel). Captained by Gordon Campbell who was awarded the VC for a previous action on HMS Farnborough. His next ship HMS Pargust was also awarded a VC. His third ship HMS Dunraven completed his war career as the Admiralty retired him to a shore posting in charge of Q ships. NB: On 8th August 1917, 130 miles southwest of Ushant in the Bay of Biscay, disguised as the collier Boverton and commanded by Gordon Campbell, VC, Dunraven spotted UC71, commanded by Oberleutnant Reinhold Saltzwedel. Saltzwedel believed the disguised ship was a merchant vessel. the U-boat submerged and closed with Dunraven before surfacing astern at 11:43 am and opening fire at long range. Dunraven made smoke and sent off a panic party (a small number of men who abandoned ship during an attack to continue the impersonation of a merchant). Shells began hitting Dunraven, detonating her depth charges and setting her stern afire. Her crew remained hidden, letting the fires burn. then a 4 inch (102 mm) gun and crew were blown away revealing Dunraven's identity as a warship, and UC71 submerged. A second panic party abandoned ship. Dunraven was hit by a torpedo. A third panic party went over the side, leaving only two guns manned. UC71 surfaced, shelled Dunraven and again submerged. Campbell replied with two torpedoes that missed, and around 3pm the undamaged U-boat left that area. HMS Christopher picked up Dunraven's survivors and took her in tow to Plymouth, but she sank at 1.30am early on 10th August 1917 to the north of Ushant. In recognition, two Victoria Crosses were awarded, one to the ship's First Lieutenant, Charles George Bonner RNR, and the other, by ballot, to a gunlayer, Petty Officer Ernest Herbert Pitcher

Admiralty Afire Astern Ballot Believed Biscay Blown Bonner Burn Charges Collier Commanded Continue Crosses Depth Detonating Dunraven Engagement Farnborough Fires Hidden Hitting Identity Impersonation Inch Letting Manned Missed Oberleutnant Panic Petty Picked Pitcher Plymouth Posting Previous Recognition Reinhold Remained Replied Retired Revealing Sank Shelled Shells Southwest Stern Steward Submerged Surfaced Surfacing Survivors Torpedo Torpedoes U-boat Undamaged Ushant

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