Desmond Nevill Cooper Tufnell DSC, RN

Born  15 Nov 1892
Died  24 Apr 1965(72)


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Ranks

15 May 1910 Mid.
15 Sep 1912 A/S.Lt.
15 Sep 1913 S.Lt.
15 Feb 1915 Lt.
15 Feb 1923 Lt.Cdr.
31 Dec 1928 Cdr.
31 Dec 1936 Capt.

Retired: 2 Jan 1946


Decorations

22 Jun 1916 DSC

Warship Commands listed for Desmond Nevill Cooper Tufnell, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Ramillies (07)Capt.Battleship23 Sep 19414 Aug 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (05)Capt.Battleship7 Aug 194219 Nov 1942

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Battleship HMS Ramillies (07)


30 May 1942
While Ramillies (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) was anchored in Diego Suarez harbour (Madagascar), two midget submarines were launched at nightfall from Japanese submarines I-16 (offsite link) and I-20 (offsite link). One, from I-20, managed to get through and enter the harbour, finding Ramillies and the British tanker British Loyalty (6,993 tons.). Armed with only two torpedoes, the Japanese commander chose to target both vessels, each with a torpedo. He achieved both hits, sinking the tanker and probably saving the battleship from sinking. Severely damaged, she nevertheless could be towed to Durban, where she undertook temporary repairs from June to August. Later she returned home to Plymouth where full repairs were completed from September 1942 to June 1943. (1)


Battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (05)


7 Aug 1942
During 7/8 August 1942, the battleships HMS Resolution (Capt. A.R. Halfhide, CBE, RN, flying the flag of A/Vice-Admiral A.U. Willis, DSO, RN), HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), conducted exercises off Kilindini during which they were escorted by the destroyers HMS Decoy (Lt.Cdr. G.I.M. Balfour, RN), HMS Foxhound (Cdr. C.J. Wynne-Edwards, DSC, RN), HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Rowell, RN) and the escort destroyer HMS Blackmore (Lt. H.T. Harrel, RN). (2)

1 Sep 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) departed Kilindini for Durban. She is escorted by the destroyer HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN). (3)

6 Sep 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) and HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) arrived at Durban. (3)

8 Sep 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) is docked at Durban. (3)

12 Sep 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) is undocked. (3)

17 Sep 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) departed Durban for Capetown. (3)

20 Sep 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) arrived at Capetown. (3)

21 Sep 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) departed Capetown for Freetown via St. Helena. (3)

27 Sep 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) made a short stop at St. Helena. Both ships were fuelled and they departed for Freetown later the same day. (3)

3 Oct 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown. (4)

7 Oct 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) departed Freetown to Bermuda. (4)

17 Oct 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) arrived at Bermuda. (4)

18 Oct 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) departed Bermuda for Philadelphia. (4)

20 Oct 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) arrived at Philadelphia. She had been escorted to there by HMS Duncan (Capt. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, DSO, RN) which then continued on to New York where they arrived the following day. (4)

21 Oct 1942
HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) proceeded up the Delaware River to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where she was taken in hand for refit and modernisation. (4)

Sources

  1. Personal communication
  2. ADM 199/429
  3. ADM 53/116609
  4. ADM 53/116610

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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