History First

It was the most shocking loss of a Royal Navy warship in the Second World War, and may have been completely misunderstood. HMS Hood did not sink due to a “lucky hit” from the German battleship Bismarck, but as a result of catastrophic metal fatigue, a new paper suggests.

The British battlecruiser, which had been the world’s largest warship for over 20 years, sank only six minutes into the Battle of the Denmark Strait in the early morning of May 24, 1941. All but three of the 1,418 men on board perished. The New York Times‘ Washington Correspondent wrote: “The gravity of the blow to British naval supremacy could be measured here by the stunned silence with which the news of the Hood was received.”

The action unfolded in rough seas in the strait between Greenland and Iceland when Hood, along with the battleship Prince of Wales, sought to prevent Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen breaking out into the North Atlantic to prey on Allied merchant shipping [ . . . ] Click on the link to read the full story.

HMS Hood 'sunk by mechanical failure, not Bismarck' - History First It was the most shocking loss of a Royal Navy warship in the Second World War, and may have been completely misunderstood. HMS Hood did not sink due to a "lucky hit" from the German battleship Bismarck, but as a result of catastrophic metal fatigue, a new paper suggests.

An obelisk in Yorkshire celebrating the achievements of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who introduced smallpox inoculation to Britain in the 18th century, has been awarded a higher listing status and named as one of England’s most important historic sites.

Erected in the gardens of Wentworth Castle, near Barnsley, in the 1730s or 1740s, and dedicated to Lady Mary’s memory between 1762 and 1785, the monument was listed at grade II in 1968.

The upgrade to grade II* by the government, on the advice of Historic England, means the obelisk, known as the Sun Monument, is considered to be among the top 10 per cent of England’s most significant heritage landmarks. Conservators said this doesn’t only reflect Lady Mary’s contribution to tackling the deadly disease but also the obelisk’s rarity as an early landscape monument to a woman who was not royalty [ . . . ]

Obelisk to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu given new protection - History First An obelisk in Yorkshire celebrating the achievements of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who introduced smallpox inoculation to Britain in the 18th century, has been awarded a higher listing status and named as one of England's most important historic sites.

A hoard of over 400 silver coins buried during the collapse of Roman rule in Britain is expected to make £20,000 at auction after it was discovered by a metal detectorist.

The coins, found in Norfolk, include a rare commemorative issue depicting a phoenix — a symbol of Roman immortality and renewal — that may have been given to soldiers in 380AD, after the defeat of a Gothic army in the Balkans. By the time the coin was stashed, a generation later, barbarians were threatening Italy and Britain was in disarray.

It was in 2020 that the detectorist, who wishes to remain anonymous, found the first coins of the Colkirk hoard on arable land a few miles outside Fakenham. After hours of searching that produced a medieval halfpenny and a few buttons, he had decided to call it a day. Starting back to his car he found a single siliqua — a late Roman silver coin. Searching the immediate vicinity, he found more of the coins almost at once and had recovered around 40 by the end of the day, from an area of about 20m2 [ . . . ]

Coin hoard buried in fall of Roman Britain estimated at £20,000 - History First A hoard of over 400 silver coins buried during the collapse of Roman rule in Britain is expected to make £20,000 at auction after it was discovered by a metal detectorist.