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Auction: 22003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 354

14 SEPTEMBER 1914: "CARMANIA" VERSUS "CAP TRAFALGAR"

The Great War campaign group of four awarded to Seaman C. Hammond, Royal Naval Reserve, who was present aboard the armed merchant cruiser H.M.S. Carmania during her famous duel with the German raider Cap Trafalgar in September 1914

It proved to be the war's longest 'single' naval engagement, one naval historian concluding, 'No single ship has been fought to the death in such an historic and Nelsonian fashion'

And the fierceness of the fight may be judged by the fact that the Carmania was hit by 79 projectiles and sustained casualties of nine killed and 26 wounded

1914-15 Star (D. 1404 C. Hammond, Smn., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (D. 1404 C. Hammond, Smn., R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (D. 1404 C. Hammond, Smn., R.N.R.), good very fine (4)

Charlwood Hammond was born in Worthing, Sussex on 22 May1870 and enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve in June 1895.

Mobilised in July 1914, he joined the armed merchant cruiser H.M.S. Carmania and was consequently present at her epic engagement with the German raider Cap Trafalgar on 14 September 1914.

At the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, the Cap Trafalgar was lying in the River Plate awaiting an opportunity to slip out and meet the German gunboat Eber. The liner was a well-suited ship for commerce-raiding and, on 1 September, somewhere off Bahia Blanca, she embarked from the gunboat a number of naval ratings and two 4.1-inch guns and six pom-poms. However, on the morning of 4 September 1914, off the western end of the island of Trinidad, she was surprised in the act of coaling by the British armed merchant cruiser Carmania, 19,524 tons, Captain N. Grant, R.N.

At first, she made off at high speed, but later turned about and prepared to engage. Both ships began firing at 7,500 yards, the 4.7-inch guns of the Carmania doing great damage to the hull of the enemy. The fire from the Cap Trafalgar was at first too high, but as the ships closed she began to score, setting the Carmania on fire under her bridge and cutting her main water pipe so that the fire could not be brought under control.

After an engagement lasting one hour and 40 minutes the Cap Trafalgar was heavily on fire and sinking. Towards the end of the action, she had attempted to escape but her engines were not equal to the strain and she finally capsized to port and sank by the head. Five boats crowded with survivors were picked up by the German colliers, the Carmania being still on fire and too badly mauled to render assistance.

Honours and Awards for the action comprised two C.B.s, one D.S.O., three D.S.C.s and 12 D.S.M.s; for further details see Deeds That Thrill The Empire.

Subsequent career

Hammond remained in the Carmania until August 1915, when he was discharged as medically unfit. Awarded a disability pension for life in October of the same year, he was presented with his L.S. & G.C. Medal in June 1916.

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Sold for
£230

Starting price
£130