View source for HMS Royal Oak (08)

{{Other ships|HMS Royal Oak}}
{{Coord|58|55|44|N|2|59|09|W|type:landmark_region:GB|name=HMS Royal Oak|display=title}}
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|Ship image=[[File:HMS Royal Oak (08).jpg|300px|alt=A three-quarter view of a heavily-armoured battleship at anchor. There are two main turrets visible before the bridge, each housing a pair of 15-inch guns. 6-inch guns are housed in a row of individual sideways-facing sponsons. The flank of the ship has a conspicuous bulge at the waterline]]
|Ship caption=''Royal Oak'' at anchor in 1937}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|UK|naval}}
|Ship name=''Royal Oak''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Royal Dockyard]]
|Ship original cost=£2,468,269
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=15 January 1914
|Ship launched=17 November 1914
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship commissioned=1 May 1916
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]: 08
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=''The Mighty Oak''
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Sunk by {{GS|U-47|1938|2}}, 14 October 1939
|Ship status=Protected [[war grave]]
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship class={{sclass-|Revenge|battleship}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|29970|LT|t}}
*{{convert|31130|LT|t}} ([[Deep load]])
|Ship length={{convert|620|ft|7|in|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship beam={{convert|88|ft|6|in|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship draught={{convert|33|ft|7|in|abbr=on|1}} (Deep load)
|Ship power=*{{convert|40000|shp|lk=in|abbr=on}}
*18 [[Yarrow boiler]]s
|Ship propulsion=*4 Shafts
*2 [[steam turbine]] sets
|Ship speed={{convert|22|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|7000|nmi|abbr=on|-1}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
|Ship crew=909
|Ship armament=*4 × twin [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{convert|15|in|adj=on|0}}]] guns
*14 × single [[BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun|{{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}}]] guns
*2 × single [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|{{convert|3|in|adj=on|0}} 20&nbsp;cwt]] [[AA gun]]s
*4 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|21-inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|13|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1|-|4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{convert|6|-|10|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Gun turret]]s: {{convert|11|-|13|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{convert|3|-|11|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} 
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Royal Oak''''' was one of five {{sclass-|Revenge|battleship}}s built for the [[Royal Navy]] during the [[First World War]]. Launched in 1914 and completed in 1916, ''Royal Oak'' first saw combat at the [[Battle of Jutland]] as part of the [[Grand Fleet]]. In peacetime, she served in the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic]], [[Home Fleet|Home]] and [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean]] fleets, more than once coming under accidental attack. The ship drew worldwide attention in 1928 when her senior officers were controversially [[court-martial]]led. Attempts to modernise ''Royal Oak'' throughout her 25-year career could not fix her fundamental lack of speed and by the start of the [[Second World War]], she was no longer suited to front-line duty.

On 14 October 1939, ''Royal Oak'' was anchored at [[Scapa Flow]] in Orkney, Scotland, when she was torpedoed by the German [[submarine]] {{GS|U-47|1938|2}}. Of ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s complement of 1,234 men and boys, 833 were killed that night or died later of their wounds. The loss of the outdated ship—the first of the five Royal Navy battleships and [[battlecruiser]]s sunk in the Second World War—did little to affect the numerical superiority enjoyed by the British navy and its [[Allies of World War II|Allies]], but the sinking had considerable effect on wartime morale. The raid made an immediate celebrity and [[war hero]] out of the U-boat commander, [[Günther Prien]], who became the first German submarine officer to be awarded the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]. Before the sinking of ''Royal Oak'', the Royal Navy had considered the naval base at Scapa Flow impregnable to submarine attack, and ''U-47''{{'}}s raid demonstrated that the German Navy was capable of bringing the war to British home waters. The shock resulted in rapid changes to dockland security and the construction of the [[Churchill Barriers]] around Scapa Flow.

The wreck of ''Royal Oak'', a designated [[war grave]], lies almost upside down in {{convert|100|ft}} of water with her hull {{convert|16|ft}} beneath the surface. In an annual ceremony to mark the loss of the ship, Royal Navy divers place a [[White Ensign]] underwater at her stern. Unauthorised divers are prohibited from approaching the wreck at any time under the [[Protection of Military Remains Act 1986]].

== Design and description ==
{{main article|Revenge-class battleship}}
[[File:HMS Revenge (1916) profile drawing.png|thumb|left|Illustration of {{HMS|Revenge|06|6}} as she appeared in 1916]]
The ''Revenge''-class ships were designed as slightly smaller, slower, and more heavily protected versions of the preceding {{sclass-|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|2}}s. As an economy measure they were intended to revert to the previous practice of using both [[fuel oil]] and coal, but [[First Sea Lord]] [[John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher|Jackie Fisher]] rescinded the decision for coal in October 1914. Still under construction, the ships were redesigned to employ oil-fired [[boiler]]s that increased the power of the engines by {{convert|9000|shp|lk=in}} over the original specification.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|pp= 271–72, 81}}</ref>

''Royal Oak'' had a [[length overall]] of {{convert|620|ft|7|in|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|88|ft|6|in|m|1}} and a deep [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|33|ft|7|in|m|1}}. She had a designed displacement of {{convert|27790|LT|t}} and displaced {{convert|31130|LT|t|abbr=on|0}} at [[deep load]]. She was powered by two sets of [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[steam turbine]]s, each driving two shafts, using steam from 18 [[Yarrow boiler]]s. The turbines were rated at {{convert|40000|shp|abbr=on}} and intended to reach a maximum speed of {{convert|23|kn|lk=on|1}}. During her [[sea trial]]s on 22 May 1916, the ship only reached a top speed of {{convert|22|kn}} from {{convert|40360|shp|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|pp=276, 281}}</ref> She had a range of {{convert|7000|nmi|lk=in|0}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|10|kn|1}}.<ref name=b6>{{harvnb|Burt|2012|p=156}}</ref> Her crew numbered 909 officers and enlisted men in 1916.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|pp=276, 282}}</ref>

The ''Revenge'' class was equipped with eight [[List of British ordnance terms#BL|breech-loading]] (BL) [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{convert|15|in|adj=on|0}} Mk I]] guns in four twin [[gun turret]]s, in two [[superfire|superfiring pairs]] fore and aft of the [[superstructure]], designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. Twelve of the fourteen [[BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}} Mk XII]] guns were mounted in [[casemate]]s along the [[broadside]] of the vessel [[amidships]]; the remaining pair were mounted on the shelter deck and were protected by [[gun shield]]s. Their [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft]] (AA) armament consisted of two [[quick-firing gun|quick-firing (QF)]] [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|{{convert|3|in|adj=on|0}} 20&nbsp;cwt Mk I]]<ref group=lower-alpha>"Cwt" is the abbreviation for [[hundredweight]], 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.</ref> guns. The ships were fitted with four submerged [[British 21 inch torpedo|21-inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s, two on each [[broadside]].<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|pp=274–76}}</ref>

''Royal Oak'' was completed with two [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control director]]s fitted with {{convert|15|ft|1|adj=on}} [[rangefinder]]s. One was mounted above the [[conning tower]], protected by an armoured hood, and the other was in the [[Top (sailing ship)|spotting top]] above the tripod [[foremast]]. Each turret was also fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. The main armament could be controlled by 'X' turret as well. The secondary armament was primarily controlled by directors mounted on each side of the compass platform on the foremast once they were fitted in March 1917.<ref name=b97>{{harvnb|Raven|Roberts|1976|p=33}}</ref> A torpedo-control director with a 15-foot rangefinder was mounted at the aft end of the superstructure.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|p=276}}</ref>

The ship's [[Belt armor|waterline belt]] consisted of [[Krupp cemented armour]] (KC) that was {{convert|13|in|0}} thick between 'A' and 'Y' [[barbette]]s and thinned to 4 to 6 inches (102 to 152&nbsp;mm) towards the ship's ends, but did not reach either the bow or the stern. Above this was a [[strake]] of armour 6&nbsp;inches thick that extended between 'A' and 'X' barbettes. Transverse [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]]s 4 to 6 inches thick ran at an angle from the ends of the thickest part of the waterline belt to 'A' and 'Y' barbettes.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|pp=272–73, 276}}</ref> The gun turrets were protected by {{convert|11|to|13|in|mm|0}} of KC armour, except for the turret roofs which were {{convert|4.75|-|5|in|0}} thick. The barbettes ranged in thickness from {{convert|6|-|10|in|0}} above the upper deck, but were only 4 to 6 inches thick below it. The ''Revenge''-class ships had multiple armoured decks that ranged from {{convert|1|to|4|in|0}} in thickness.<ref name=rr36>{{harvnb|Raven|Roberts|1976|p=36}}</ref> The main [[conning tower]] had 13 inches of armour on the sides with a 3-inch roof. The torpedo director in the rear superstructure had 6 inches of armour protecting it.<ref name=b77>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|p=277}}</ref> After the Battle of Jutland, 1 inch of high-tensile steel was added to the main deck over the [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]]s and additional anti-flash equipment was added in the magazines.<ref name="Raven and Roberts 44">{{harvnb|Raven|Roberts|1976|p=44}}</ref>

The ship was fitted with [[Flight deck#Early flight decks|flying-off platforms]] mounted on the roofs of 'B' and 'X' turrets in 1918, from which fighters and [[reconnaissance aircraft]] could launch. In 1934 the platforms were removed from the turrets and a [[aircraft catapult|catapult]] was installed on the roof of 'X' turret, along with a [[crane (machine)|crane]] to recover a [[seaplane]].<ref name=r23>{{harvnb|Raven|Roberts|1976|pp=44, 172–73}}</ref>

=== Major alterations ===
[[File:HMS Royal Oak portside.jpg|thumb|left|''Royal Oak'' at anchor after her 1924 refit]]
''Royal Oak'' was extensively refitted between 1922 and 1924, when her anti-aircraft defences were upgraded by replacing the original three-inch AA guns with a pair of [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF {{convert|4|in|mm|sing=on|0|spell=in}} Mk V]] AA guns.<ref name=b82/> A {{convert|30|ft|adj=on|1}} rangefinder<ref name="Raven and Roberts 44"/> was fitted in 'B' turret and a simple high-angle rangefinder was added above the bridge.<ref name=b82/> Underwater protection improved by the addition of [[anti-torpedo bulge]]s. They were designed to reduce the effect of torpedo detonations and improve stability at the cost of widening the ship's beam by over 13&nbsp;feet (4&nbsp;m).<ref name="conways_1922-46">{{harvnb|Chesneau|1980|p=23}}</ref> They increased her beam to {{convert|102|ft|1|in|m|1}}, reduced her draught to {{convert|29|ft|6|in|m|1}},<ref name=b57/> increased her metacentric height to {{convert|6.3|ft|m|1}} at deep load,<ref name=b82>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|p=282}}</ref> and all of the changes to her equipment increased her crew to a total of 1,188. Despite the bulges she was able to reach a speed of {{convert|21.75|kn}}.<ref name=b57/> A brief refit in early 1927 saw the addition of two more four-inch AA guns and the removal of the six-inch guns from the shelter deck.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|p=284}}</ref> About 1931, a [[HACS|High-Angle Control System (HACS)]] Mk I director replaced the high-angle rangefinder on the spotting top. Two years later, the aft pair of torpedo tubes were removed.<ref name=b57>{{harvnb|Burt|2012|p=163}}</ref>

The ship received a final refit between 1934 and 1936, when her deck armour was increased to 5&nbsp;inches (12.7&nbsp;cm) over the [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and to 3.5&nbsp;inches (8.9&nbsp;cm) over the engine rooms. In addition to a general modernisation of the ship's systems, her anti-aircraft defences were strengthened by replacing the single mounts of the AA guns with twin mounts for the [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|QF 4-inch Mark XVI gun]] and adding a pair of octuple mounts for [[QF 2 pounder naval gun#QF 2-pounder Mark VIII|two-pounder Mk VIII "pom-pom"]] guns to [[sponson]]s abreast the funnel.<ref name="conways_1922-46"/> Two positions for "pom-pom" anti-aircraft directors were added on new platforms abreast and below the fire-control director in the spotting top. A HACS Mk III director replaced the Mk I in the spotting top and another replaced the torpedo director aft. A pair of quadruple mounts for [[Vickers .50 machine gun]]s were added abreast the conning tower. The [[mainmast]] was reconstructed as a tripod to support the weight of a [[Radio direction finder|radio-direction finding]] office and a second High-Angle Control Station.<ref>{{harvnb|Raven|Roberts|1976|pp=172–73}}</ref> The forward pair of submerged torpedo tubes were removed and four experimental 21-inch torpedo tubes were added above water forward of 'A' turret.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|p=285}}</ref>

== Construction and service ==
''Royal Oak'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Royal Dockyard]] on 15 January 1914. She was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 17 November, and after fitting-out, was commissioned on 1 May 1916 at a final cost of [[GBP|£]]2,468,269.<ref>{{harvnb|Burt|1986|pp=276–77}}</ref> Named after [[Royal Oak|the oak tree]] in which [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]] hid following his defeat at the 1651 [[Battle of Worcester]], she was the eighth vessel to bear [[HMS Royal Oak|the name ''Royal Oak'']], replacing a [[pre-dreadnought]] scrapped in 1914.<ref>{{harvnb|Colledge|Warlow|2006|pp=300–01}}</ref> Upon completion ''Royal Oak'' was assigned to the Third Division of the [[4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|Fourth Battle Squadron]] of the Grand Fleet, under the command of [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[Crawford Maclachlan]].<ref>{{citation |title= Battle of Jutland: Order of Battle |publisher= Schlielauf, Bill |url= http://www.gwpda.org/naval/jutob.htm |accessdate= 22 February 2007}}</ref>

===First World War===
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| width     = 260
| image1    = Map of the Battle of Jutland, 1916.svg
| image2    = RoyalOakatJutland.PNG
| footer    = Top: Maps showing the manoeuvres of the British (blue) and German (red) fleets on 31 May&nbsp;– 1 June 1916<br>Bottom: Watercolor of ''Royal Oak'' at Jutland, by [[William Lionel Wyllie|William L. Wyllie]]}}

====Battle of Jutland====
{{Main article|Battle of Jutland}}
In an attempt to lure out and destroy a portion of the Grand Fleet, the German High Seas Fleet, composed of 16 dreadnoughts, 6 pre-dreadnoughts, 6 light cruisers, and 31 torpedo boats, departed the Jade early on the morning of 31 May. The fleet sailed in concert with Rear Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]]'s five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and torpedo boats. The Royal Navy's [[Room 40]] had intercepted and decrypted German radio traffic containing plans of the operation. The Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet, totalling some 28 dreadnoughts and 9 battlecruisers, to sortie the night before to cut off and destroy the High Seas Fleet.<ref>{{harvnb|Tarrant|1995|pp=62&ndash;64}}</ref> The initial action was fought primarily by the British and German battlecruiser formations in the afternoon, but by 18:00, the Grand Fleet approached the scene.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|p=37}}</ref> Fifteen minutes later, Jellicoe gave the order to turn and deploy the fleet for action.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|p=146}}</ref>

The German cruiser {{SMS|Wiesbaden}} had become disabled by British shellfire, and both sides concentrated in the area, the Germans trying to protect their cruiser and the British attempting to sink her. At 18:29, ''Royal Oak'' opened fire on the German cruiser, firing four [[salvo]]es from her main guns in quick succession, along with her secondary battery. She scored a hit on ''Wiesbaden'' aft with her third salvo. In return, ''Royal Oak'' was straddled by a German salvo at 18:33 but was undamaged.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=152&ndash;157}}</ref> German [[torpedo boat]]s attempted to reach ''Wiesbaden'' shortly after 19:00, and at 19:07, ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s secondary guns opened fire on them, believing they were instead trying to launch a torpedo attack.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|p=210}}</ref> By 19:15, ''Royal Oak''{{'}} gunners had observed the German battlecruiser squadron and opened fire at the leading vessel, {{SMS|Derfflinger}}. The gunners overestimated the range initially, but by 19:20 had found the correct distance scored a pair of hits aft, which did not inflict serious damage. ''Derfflinger'' then disappeared in the haze, so ''Royal Oak'' shifted fire to the next battlecruiser, {{SMS|Seydlitz}}. She scored a hit at 19:27 before ''Seydlitz'' too was lost in the mist.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=207&ndash;208}}</ref>

While ''Royal Oak'' was attacking the battlecruisers, a German torpedo boat flotilla launched an attack on the British line. ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s secondary guns were the first to open fire, at 19:16, followed quickly by the rest of the British line.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=211&ndash;212}}</ref> Following the German destroyer attack, the High Seas Fleet disengaged, and ''Royal Oak'' and the rest of the Grand Fleet saw no further action in the battle. This was, in part, due to confusion aboard the fleet flagship over the exact location and course of the German fleet; without this information, Jellicoe could not bring his fleet to action. At 21:30, the Grand Fleet began to reorganise into its night-time cruising formation.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=256, 274}}</ref> Early on the morning of 1 June, the Grand Fleet combed the area, looking for damaged German ships, but after spending several hours searching, they found none.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=309&ndash;310}}</ref> In the course of the battle, ''Royal Oak'' had fired 38 rounds from her main battery and 84 rounds from her secondary guns.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=346, 358}}</ref>

====Later actions====
[[File:3-inch AA gun and crew on HMS Royal Oak WWI IWM Q 18493.jpg|thumb|left|upright|An anti-aircraft gun crew aboard ''Royal Oak'']]
Following the battle, ''Royal Oak'' was reassigned to the [[British 1st Battle Squadron|First Battle Squadron]].

On 18 August, the Germans again sortied, this time to bombard [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]]; [[Vice Admiral]] [[Reinhard Scheer]], the German fleet commander, hoped to draw out Beatty's battlecruisers and destroy them. British signals intelligence decrypted German wireless transmissions, allowing Jellicoe enough time to deploy the Grand Fleet in an attempt to engage in a decisive battle. Both sides withdrew after their opponents' [[submarine]]s inflicted losses: the British cruisers {{HMS|Nottingham|1913|2}} and {{HMS|Falmouth|1910|2}} were both torpedoed and sunk by German [[U-boat]]s, and the German battleship {{SMS|Westfalen}} was damaged by the British submarine {{HMS|E23||2}}. After returning to port, Jellicoe issued an order that prohibited risking the fleet in the southern half of the North Sea due to the overwhelming risk from mines and U-boats.<ref>{{harvnb|Massie|2003|pp=682&ndash;684}}</ref> In late 1917, the Germans began using destroyers and light cruisers to raid the British convoys to Norway; this forced the British to deploy capital ships to protect the convoys. In April 1918, the German fleet sortied in an attempt to catch one of the isolated British squadrons, though the convoy had already passed safely. The Grand Fleet sortied too late to catch the retreating Germans; the battlecruiser {{SMS|Moltke}} was torpedoed and badly damaged by the [[submarine]] {{HMS|E42}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Halpern|1995|pp=418&ndash;420}}</ref>

On 5 November 1918, in the final week of the First World War, ''Royal Oak'' was anchored off [[Burntisland]] in the [[Firth of Forth]] accompanied by the [[seaplane tender]] {{HMS|Campania|1914|2}} and the light [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|Glorious||2}}. A sudden [[Beaufort scale|Force 10]] [[squall]] caused ''Campania'' to drag her [[anchor]], collide with ''Royal Oak'' and then with ''Glorious''. Both [[capital ship]]s suffered only minor damage; ''Campania'' was holed by her initial collision with ''Royal Oak''. The ship's engine rooms flooded, and she settled by the stern and sank five hours later, without loss of life.<ref>{{citation| last= Admiralty |title= ADM156/90: Board of Enquiry into sinking of HMS Campania |publisher= HMSO |year=1918}}</ref>

Following the capitulation of Germany in November 1918, the Allies interned most of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow. The fleet rendezvoused with the British [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Cardiff|D58|2}}, which led the ships to the Allied fleet that was to escort the Germans to Scapa Flow. The massive fleet consisted of some 370 British, American, and French warships. The fleet remained in captivity during the negotiations that ultimately produced the [[Treaty of Versailles]]. Reuter believed that the British intended to seize the German ships on 21 June 1919, which was the deadline for Germany to have signed the peace treaty. That morning, the Grand Fleet left Scapa Flow to conduct training manoeuvres, and while they were away Reuter issued the order to [[Scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow|scuttle the High Seas Fleet]].<ref>{{harvnb|Herwig|1998|pp=254–256}}</ref>

{{clear left}}

=== 1920s ===
[[File:Kenneth Dewar.jpg|thumb|alt=Official service photograph of Captain Kenneth Dewar in a formal pose.|upright|Capt. [[Kenneth Dewar]], court-martialled in 1928]]
The peacetime reorganisation of the Royal Navy assigned ''Royal Oak'' to the Second Battle Squadron of the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]]. Modernised by the 1922–24 refit, she was transferred in 1926 to the [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleet]], based in [[Grand Harbour]], Malta. In early 1928, this duty saw the notorious incident the contemporary press dubbed the "Royal Oak Mutiny".<ref>{{citation |title= Admiral's Oaths |newspaper= Time |date= 9 April 1928 |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,787085,00.html}}</ref> What began as a simple dispute between Rear-Admiral Bernard Collard and ''Royal Oak''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s two senior officers, Captain [[Kenneth Dewar]] and Commander Henry Daniel, over the band at the ship's [[wardroom]] dance,{{refn|The irascible Collard infamously called Marine Bandmaster Percy Barnacle "a bugger" in the presence of guests, and that he had "never heard such a bloody noise".<ref>{{harvnb|Glenton|1991|pp=28–34}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} descended into a bitter personal feud that spanned several months.<ref>{{citation |title= Trial by Oaths |newspaper= Time |date= 16 April 1928 |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,786821,00.html}}</ref> Dewar and Daniel accused Collard of "vindictive fault-finding" and openly humiliating and insulting them before their crew; in return, Collard countercharged the two with failing to follow orders and treating him "worse than a midshipman".<ref>{{harvnb|Glenton|1991|pp=177–183}}</ref> 

When Dewar and Daniel wrote letters of complaint to Collard's superior, [[John Kelly (Royal Navy officer)|Vice-Admiral John Kelly]], he immediately passed them on to the Commander-in-Chief [[Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes|Admiral Sir Roger Keyes]]. On realising that the relationship between the two and their flag admiral had irretrievably broken down, Keyes removed all three from their posts and sent them back to England.<ref>{{harvnb|Gardiner|1965|pp=132–134}}</ref> Since this was on the eve of a major naval exercise, he was obliged to postpone it, which allowed rumours to fly around the fleet that the ''Royal Oak'' had experienced a [[mutiny]]. The story was picked up by the press worldwide, which described the affair with some hyperbole.<ref name="time280326">{{citation|title= Royal Oak| newspaper= Time |date= 26 March 1928 |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,787012,00.html}}</ref> Public attention reached such proportions as to raise the concerns of the [[George V of the United Kingdom|King]], who summoned [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] [[William Clive Bridgeman|William Bridgeman]] for an explanation.<ref name="time280326" />

For their letters of complaint, Dewar and Daniel were controversially charged with writing subversive documents.<ref>{{harvnb|Gardiner|1965|p=176}}</ref> In a pair of highly publicised [[court-martial|courts-martial]], both were found guilty and severely reprimanded, leading Daniel to resign from the Navy. Collard himself was criticised for the excesses of his conduct by the press and in Parliament, and on being denounced by Bridgeman as "unfitted to hold further high command",<ref name=hansard_19280417>{{citation |title= Questions for the First Lord of the Admiralty |journal= Hansard Parliamentary Debates |date= 18 April 1928}}</ref> was forcibly retired from service.<ref>{{harvnb|Glenton|1991|p= 162}}</ref> Of the three, only Dewar escaped with his career, albeit a damaged one: he remained in the Royal Navy, but in a series of more minor commands.<ref>{{harvnb|Gardiner|1965|p= 226}}</ref> His promotion to rear-admiral, which would normally have been a formality, was delayed until the following year, just one day before his retirement.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue= 33523 |page=5145 |date= 6 August 1929 }}</ref> Daniel attempted a career in journalism, but when this and other ventures were unsuccessful, he disappeared into obscurity amid poor health in South Africa.<ref>{{harvnb|Gardiner|1965|pp=236–238}}</ref> Collard retreated to private life and never spoke publicly of the incident again.

The scandal proved an embarrassment to the reputation of the Royal Navy, then still the world's largest, and it was satirised at home and abroad through editorials, cartoons,<ref>{{harvnb|Glenton|1991|p=1}}</ref> and even a comic jazz oratorio composed by [[Erwin Schulhoff]].<ref>{{citation |url= http://www.exil-archiv.de/html/biografien/schulhoff.htm |title= Erwin Schulhoff |work= exil-archiv |publisher= Else Lasker-Schüler-Foundation |accessdate= 3 September 2009 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071018030334/http://www.exil-archiv.de/html/biografien/schulhoff.htm |archivedate= 18 October 2007 |deadurl= yes |language= de}}</ref> One consequence of the damaging affair was an undertaking from the Admiralty to review the means by which naval officers might bring complaints against the conduct of their superiors.<ref name=hansard_19280417/>

===1930s===
During the [[Spanish Civil War]], ''Royal Oak'' was tasked with conducting [[Non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War|non-intervention patrols]] around the [[Iberian Peninsula]]. On such a patrol and steaming some {{convert|30|nmi|km mi}} east of [[Gibraltar]] on 2 February 1937, she came under aerial attack by three aircraft of the [[Second Spanish Republic|Republican]] forces. They dropped three bombs (two of which exploded) within 3&nbsp;[[cable length|cables]] (555&nbsp;m) of the starboard bow, causing no damage.<ref name="RO_Log_Feb_1937">{{Citation |last= Admiralty |title= ADM53/105583: Ship's Log: HMS Royal Oak, February 1937 |publisher= HMSO }}</ref> The British [[chargé d'affaires]] protested about the incident to the Republican Government, which admitted its error and apologised for the attack.<ref>{{citation |title= Incident near Gibraltar |newspaper= The Scotsman |date= 4 February 1937}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title= Bombing Attack on HMS Royal Oak |version= Attacks on HM Ships August 1936&nbsp;– September 1937 |year=1937| publisher= HMSO}}</ref> Later that same month, while stationed off [[Valencia, Spain|Valencia]] on 23 February 1937 during an aerial bombardment by the [[Spain under Franco|Nationalists]], she was accidentally struck by an anti-aircraft shell fired from a Republican position.<ref name="RO_Log_Feb_1937"/> Five men were injured, including ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s captain, T. B. Drew.<ref>{{citation |title= Shell falls on the Royal Oak |newspaper= The Scotsman |date= 25 February 1937}}</ref> 

On this occasion the British did not protest to the Republicans, deeming the incident "an [[act of God]]".<ref>{{citation |title= Shell hurts five on ship |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= 24 February 1937}}</ref> In May 1937, she and {{HMS|Forester|H74|6}} escorted SS ''Habana'', a liner carrying [[Basque people|Basque]] child refugees, to England.<ref>{{citation |last= BBC |authorlink= BBC |title= Britain's Basque bastion |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/immig_emig/england/southampton/article_1.shtml |accessdate= 1 February 2008}}</ref> In July, as the war in northern Spain flared up, ''Royal Oak'', along with the battleship
{{HMS|Resolution|09|6}} rescued the steamer ''Gordonia'' when Spanish nationalist warships attempted to capture her off [[Santander, Cantabria|Santander]]. She was unable on 14 July to prevent the seizure of the British freighter ''Molton'' by the Spanish nationalist cruiser {{ship|Spanish cruiser|Almirante Cervera||2}} while trying to enter Santander. The merchantmen had been engaged in the evacuation of refugees.<ref>{{harvnb|Gretton|1984|pp= 379–381}}</ref>

[[File:Royal Oak carrying Queen Maud.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Aerial photograph of Royal Oak under way at sea, flying both the Norwegian flag and the White Ensign at half-mast.|''Royal Oak'' returns the body of Queen Maud to Norway, about 24 November 1938]]

This same period saw ''Royal Oak'' star alongside fourteen other Royal Navy vessels in the 1937 British film [[melodrama]] ''[[Our Fighting Navy]]'', the plot of which centres around a coup in the fictional South American republic of Bianco. ''Royal Oak'' portrays a rebel battleship ''El Mirante'', whose commander forces a British captain (played by [[Robert Douglas (actor)|Robert Douglas]]) into choosing between his lover and his duty.<ref>{{citation |title= Film & TV Database |publisher= [[British Film Institute]] |accessdate= 17 March 2009 |url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/306119}}</ref> The film was poorly received by critics, but gained some redemption through its dramatic scenes of naval action.<ref>{{citation |first= S. P. |last= Mackenzie |title= British War Films, 1939–1945: The Cinema and the Services |year= 2001 |publisher= Continuum International |isbn= 1-85285-258-5 |page= 18}}</ref>

In 1938, ''Royal Oak'' returned to the [[Home Fleet]] and was made [[flagship]] of the Second Battle Squadron based in [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth]]. On 24 November 1938, she returned the body of the British-born [[Maud of Wales|Queen Maud of Norway]], who had died in London, to a state funeral in Oslo, accompanied by her husband [[Haakon VII of Norway|King Haakon VII]].<ref>{{citation |title= Late Queen Maud |newspaper= The Scotsman |date= 24 November 1938}}</ref> [[Paid off|Paying off]] in December 1938, ''Royal Oak'' was recommissioned the following June, and in the late summer of 1939 embarked on a short training cruise in the [[English Channel]] in preparation for another 30-month tour of the Mediterranean,<ref name="mckee_p17">{{harvnb|McKee|1959|p=17}}</ref> for which her crew were issued tropical uniforms.<ref>{{harvnb|Taylor|2008|p=45}}</ref> As hostilities loomed, the battleship was instead dispatched north to [[Scapa Flow]], and was at anchor there when war was declared on 3 September.<ref name="mckee_p17"/>

=== Second World War ===
The next few weeks proved uneventful, but in October 1939 ''Royal Oak'' joined the search for the {{ship|German battleship|Gneisenau||2|up=y}}, which had been ordered into the North Sea as a diversion for the [[commerce raiding|commerce-raiding]] heavy cruisers {{ship|German cruiser|Deutschland||2}} and {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Graf Spee||2}}.<ref name="mckee_p23_24">{{harvnb|McKee|1959|pp=23–24}}</ref> The search was ultimately fruitless, particularly for ''Royal Oak'', whose top speed, by then less than {{convert|20|kn}}, was inadequate to keep up with the rest of the fleet.<ref name="mckee_p23_24"/> On 12 October, ''Royal Oak'' returned to the defences of Scapa Flow in poor shape, battered by North Atlantic storms. Many of her [[Carley float]]s had been smashed and several of the smaller-calibre guns rendered inoperable through flooding.<ref name="mckee_p23_24"/><ref name="weaver_p29_30">{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|pp=29–30}}</ref> The mission had underlined the obsolescence of the 25-year-old warship.<ref name="mckee_p23_24"/><ref>{{harvnb|Sarkar|2010|p=49}}</ref> Concerned that a recent overflight by German reconnaissance aircraft heralded an imminent air attack upon Scapa Flow, Admiral of the Home Fleet [[Charles Forbes (Royal Navy officer)|Charles Forbes]] ordered most of the fleet to disperse to safer ports. ''Royal Oak'' remained behind, her [[anti-aircraft]] guns still deemed a useful addition to Scapa's otherwise scanty air defences.<ref name="weaver_p29_30"/>

== Sinking ==

=== Scapa Flow ===
{{Main article|Scapa Flow}}
[[File:Scapa Flow.svg|thumb|alt=There are three main islands and many smaller ones, which almost completely enclose a central bay.|Scapa Flow]] Scapa Flow made a near-ideal anchorage. Situated at the centre of the [[Orkney]] Islands off the north coast of Scotland, the natural harbour, large enough to contain the entire Grand Fleet,<ref>{{harvnb|Miller|2000|p= 15}}</ref> was surrounded by a ring of islands separated by shallow channels subject to fast-racing [[tide]]s. The threat from U-boats had long been realised, and a series of countermeasures were installed during the early years of the First World War.<ref name= "ADM199_158">{{harvnb|Admiralty|1939}}</ref> [[Blockship]]s were sunk at critical points, and floating booms deployed to block the three widest channels, and operated by tugboats to allow the passage of friendly shipping.  It was considered possible, but highly unlikely, that a U-boat commander might attempt to race through undetected before the boom was closed.<ref name= "ADM199_158"/> Two submarines that had attempted infiltration during the First World War were ill-fated: on 23 November 1914 {{SMU|U-18|Germany|2}} was rammed twice before running aground with the capture of her crew,<ref>{{cite Uboat.net
|id=18
|name= U 18
|type=1sub
|accessdate= 29 March 2008
}}</ref><ref name=MillerScapa51>{{harvnb|Miller|2000|p=51}}</ref> and {{SMU|UB-116||2}} was detected by [[hydrophone]] and destroyed with the loss of all hands on 28 October 1918.<ref>{{harvnb|Miller2000|pp= 24–25 }}</ref><ref>{{cite Uboat.net
|id=UB+116
|name=UB 116
|type=1sub
|accessdate=29 March 2008
}}</ref>

Scapa Flow provided the main anchorage for the [[British Grand Fleet]] throughout most of the First World War, but in the interwar period this passed to [[Rosyth]], further south in the [[Firth of Forth]].<ref name= "ADM199_158"/><ref>{{citation |title= Scapa Flow |publisher= firstworldwar.com |date= 22 December 2002 |url= http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/scapaflow.htm |accessdate= 24 December 2006}}</ref> Scapa Flow was reactivated with the advent of the Second World War, becoming a base for the [[British Home Fleet]].<ref name= "ADM199_158"/> Its natural and artificial defences, while still strong, were recognised as in need of improvement, and in the early weeks of the war were in the process of being strengthened by the provision of additional blockships.<ref>{{citation |title= Lord's Admissions |newspaper= Time |date= 20 November 1939 |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762806,00.html}}</ref>

=== ''Special Operation P'': the raid by ''U-47'' ===
[[File:U-47 raid.svg|thumb|alt=Map of the route taken by Prien when infiltrating Scapa Flow, firing his torpedoes and fleeing the harbour. There are many twists and turns avoiding the islands and blockships, and while trying to find a target.|Infiltration of Scapa Flow by ''U-47'']]
''Kriegsmarine'' Commander of Submarines ({{Lang|de|[[Befehlshaber der U-Boote]]}}) [[Karl Dönitz]] devised a plan to attack Scapa Flow by submarine within days of the outbreak of war.<ref name="doenitz">{{harvnb|Dönitz|1959|pp=67–69}}</ref> Its goal would be twofold: first, that displacing the Home Fleet from Scapa Flow would slacken the British [[North Sea]] blockade and grant Germany greater freedom to attack the Atlantic convoys; second, the blow would be a symbolic act of vengeance, striking at the same location where the German [[High Seas Fleet]] had surrendered and [[Scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow|scuttled itself]] following Germany's defeat in the First World War. Dönitz hand-picked ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' [[Günther Prien]] for the task,<ref name="doenitz"/>{{refn| Dönitz said of Prien: "He, in my opinion, possessed all the personal qualities and the professional ability required. I handed over to him the whole file on the subject and left him free to accept the task or not, as he saw fit."<ref name="doenitz"/>|group=lower-alpha}} scheduling the raid for the night of 13/14 October 1939, when the tides would be high and the night moonless.<ref name="doenitz"/>

Dönitz was aided by high-quality photographs from a reconnaissance overflight by [[Siegfried Knemeyer]], (who received his first Iron Cross for the mission), and which revealed the weaknesses of the defences and an abundance of targets.<ref name="doenitz"/> He directed Prien to enter Scapa Flow from its east via Kirk Sound, passing to the north of [[Lamb Holm]], a small low-lying island between [[Burray]] and [[The Mainland, Orkney|Mainland]].<ref name="u47_log">{{harvnb|Kriegsmarine|1939}}</ref> Prien initially mistook the more southerly Skerry Sound for the chosen route and his sudden realisation that ''U-47'' was heading for the shallow blocked passage forced him to order a rapid turn to the northeast.<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p= 86}}</ref> On the surface, and illuminated by a bright display of the [[aurora borealis]],<ref>{{harvnb|Prien|1969|p= 152}}</ref> the submarine threaded between the sunken [[blockship]]s ''Seriano'' and ''Numidian'', grounding itself temporarily on a cable strung from ''Seriano''.<ref name="u47_log"/> It was briefly caught in the headlights of a taxi onshore, but the driver raised no alarm.<ref name="weaver_ch3">{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|loc="Chapter 3: ''The Car on the Shore"}}</ref>{{refn| The taxi driver's name was Robbie Tullock. He did not notice ''U-47'' passing through his headlights.<ref name="weaver_ch3"/>|group=lower-alpha}} On entering the harbour proper at 00:27 on 14 October, Prien entered a triumphant {{lang|de|Wir sind in Scapa Flow!!!}}{{refn|"We are in Scapa Flow!"|group=lower-alpha}} in the log and set a south-westerly course for several kilometres before reversing direction.<ref name="u47_log"/> To his surprise, the anchorage appeared to be almost empty; unknown to him, Forbes' order to disperse the fleet had removed some of the biggest targets. ''U-47'' had been heading directly towards four warships, including the newly commissioned [[light cruiser]] {{HMS|Belfast|C35|2}}, anchored off [[Flotta]] and [[Hoy]] 4 nautical miles (8&nbsp;km, 5&nbsp;mi) distant, but Prien gave no indication that he had seen them.<ref>{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|p=101}}</ref>

On the reverse course, a lookout on the bridge spotted ''Royal Oak'' lying approximately 4,400 yards (4,000&nbsp;m) to the north, correctly identifying her as a battleship of the {{sclass-|Revenge|battleship|4}}. Mostly hidden behind her was a second ship, only the bow of which was visible to ''U-47''. Prien mistook her to be a battlecruiser of the {{sclass-|Renown|battlecruiser|4}}, German intelligence later labelling her {{HMS|Repulse|1916|2}}.<ref name="u47_log"/> She was in fact the World War I [[seaplane tender]] [[HMS Pegasus (1934)|''Pegasus'']].<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p= 91}}</ref>

At 00:58 ''U-47'' fired a salvo of three [[torpedo]]es from its bow tubes, a fourth lodging in its tube. Two failed to find a target, but a single torpedo struck the bow of ''Royal Oak'' at 01:04, shaking the ship and waking the crew.<ref name="snyder_p95">{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p= 95}}</ref> There was little visible damage, but the starboard anchor chain had been severed, clattering noisily down through its slips. Initially, it was suspected that there had been an explosion in the ship's forward inflammable store, used to store materials such as kerosene. Mindful of the unexplained explosion that had destroyed {{HMS|Vanguard|1909|6}} at Scapa Flow in 1917,<ref name=MillerScapa51/>{{refn| Cdr R.F. Nichols, ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s second-in-command, had narrowly escaped death 22 years earlier as a midshipman of {{HMS|Vanguard|1909|2}} when he had been away from the ship the night she exploded.<ref>{{citation |title= Vanguard's Casualties + Survivors |publisher= Great War Document Archive |url= http://www.gwpda.org/naval/vancaslt.htm |accessdate= 1 January 2008}}</ref> He had been attending a concert-party on board the amenities ship ''Gourko'', given by coincidence by sailors of ''Royal Oak'', and had overstayed only because the show had overrun.<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p= 101}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} an announcement was made over ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s [[tannoy]] system to check the magazine temperatures,{{refn| [[Cordite]], used for propelling the shells, was prone to explode if allowed to overheat. The Court of Enquiry convened to investigate the loss of ''Vanguard'' concluded that the explosion of a cordite charge, either unstable or carelessly placed, was a likely cause of the disaster.<ref>{{harvnb|Smith|1989|pp=84–85}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} but many sailors returned to their hammocks, unaware that the ship was under attack.<ref name="snyder_p95"/><ref>{{harvnb|McKee|1959|p= 39}}</ref>

Prien turned his submarine and attempted another shot via his stern tube, but this too missed. Reloading his bow tubes, he doubled back and fired a salvo of three torpedoes, all at ''Royal Oak'',<ref name="u47_log"/> This time he was successful: at 01:16 all three struck the battleship in quick succession amidships and detonated.<ref>{{harvnb|McKee|1959|p=42}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|p=118}}</ref> The explosions blew a hole in the armoured deck, destroying the Stokers', Boys' and [[Royal Marines|Marines]]' [[mess]]es and causing a loss of electrical power.<ref name="Weaver_p60-61">{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|pp=60–61}}</ref> Cordite from a magazine ignited and the ensuing fireball passed rapidly through the ship's internal spaces.<ref name="Weaver_p60-61"/> ''Royal Oak'' quickly listed some 15°, sufficient to push the open starboard-side portholes below the waterline.{{refn|The portholes were not, in fact, fully open, but were covered with light excluders, designed to provide ventilation while maintaining blackout. Crucially, they were not watertight.<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p= 115}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} She soon rolled further onto her side to 45°, hanging there for several minutes before disappearing beneath the surface at 01:29, 13 minutes after Prien's second strike.<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p=121}}</ref> 833 men died with the ship, including Rear-Admiral [[Henry Blagrove]], commander of the [[Second Battle Squadron]]. Over one hundred of the dead were [[Boy seaman|Boy Seamen]], not yet 18 years old, the largest ever such loss in a single Royal Navy action.<ref name="Turner_96-97">{{harvnb|Taylor|2008|pp=96–97}}</ref> The admiral's wooden [[Captain's Gig|gig]], moored alongside, was dragged down with ''Royal Oak''.

=== Rescue efforts ===
The [[Ship's tender|tender]] ''Daisy 2'', skippered by John Gatt, had been tied up for the night to ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s port side. As the sinking battleship began to list to starboard, Gatt ordered ''Daisy 2'' to be cut loose, his vessel becoming briefly caught on ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s rising anti-torpedo bulge and lifted from the sea before freeing herself.<ref>{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|loc="Chapter 5: 'Daisy, Daisy"}}</ref>

Many of ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s crew who had managed to jump from the sinking ship were dressed in little more than their nightclothes and were unprepared for the chilling water. A thick layer of fuel oil coated the surface, filling men's lungs and stomachs and hampering their efforts to swim. Of those who attempted the half-mile (800&nbsp;m) swim to the nearest shore, only a handful survived.<ref name="Snyder_p135-139">{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|pp=135–139}}</ref> 

''Royal Oak''{{'}}s port side [[Pinnace (ship's boat)|pinnace]] was manoeuvred away from the sinking ship and paddled away using wooden boards as there had been insufficient time to raise steam. The boat became heavily overladen and capsized some 300 metres from ''Royal Oak'', throwing those on deck into the water and trapping those below.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ybw.com/news-from-yachting-boating-world/missing-hms-royal-oak-steam-pinnace-discovered-60756
 |title=Missing HMS Royal Oak steam pinnace discovered
 |last=Stickland
 |first=Katy
 |date=12 October 2017
 |website= Yachting and Boating World
 |access-date= 1 January 2018
}}
</ref>{{refn|Its wreck was not discovered until 2017.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ybw.com/news-from-yachting-boating-world/missing-hms-royal-oak-steam-pinnace-discovered-60756
 |title=Missing HMS Royal Oak steam pinnace discovered
 |last=Stickland
 |first=Katy
 |date=12 October 2017
 |website= Yachting and Boating World
 |access-date= 1 January 2018
}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}

Gatt switched the lights of ''Daisy 2'' on and he and his crew managed to pull 386 men from the water, including ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s commander, Captain William Benn.<ref>{{citation |title= Royal Navy's Loss |newspaper= The Scotsman |date= 16 October 1939}}</ref> The rescue efforts continued for another two and a half hours until nearly 4:00&nbsp;am, when Gatt abandoned the search for more survivors and took those he had to ''Pegasus''. Aided by boats from ''Pegasus'' and the harbour,<ref>{{Citation |last= Admiralty |title= ADM53/110029: Ship's Log: HMS Pegasus, October 1939 |publisher= HMSO }}</ref> he was responsible for rescuing almost all the survivors, an act for which he was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]],<ref>{{citation |title= Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood |newspaper= Supplement to London Gazette |date= 1 January 1940}}</ref> the only military award made by the British in connection with the disaster.<ref>{{harvnb|McKee1959|loc= "Dedication"}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2006-1130-500, Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=A jovial Prien, dressed in uniform|[[Günther Prien]] in 1940]]

The British were initially confused as to the cause of the sinking, suspecting either an on-board explosion or aerial attack.<ref name= "ADM199_158"/> Once it was realised that a submarine attack was the most likely explanation, steps were rapidly made to seal the anchorage, but ''U-47'' had already escaped and was on its way back to Germany. The [[BBC]] released news of the sinking by late morning on 14 October, and its broadcasts were received by the German listening services and by ''U-47'' itself. [[Surface supplied diving|Divers]] sent down on the morning after the explosion discovered remnants of a German torpedo, confirming the means of attack. On 17 October [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] [[Winston Churchill]] officially announced the loss of ''Royal Oak'' to the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], first conceding that the raid had been "a remarkable exploit of professional skill and daring", but then declaring that the loss would not materially affect the naval balance of power.<ref>{{citation |title= U-Boat Warfare |journal= Hansard Parliamentary Debates, 17 October 1939}}</ref> An Admiralty [[Board of Enquiry]] convened between 18 and 24 October to establish the circumstances under which the anchorage had been penetrated. In the meantime, the Home Fleet was ordered to remain at safer ports until security issues at Scapa could be addressed.<ref>{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|pp=112–128}}</ref> Churchill was obliged to respond to questions in the House as to why ''Royal Oak'' had had aboard so many [[Boy seaman|Boys]],<ref>{{citation |title= Boys (Active Service) |url=http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1939/oct/25/boys-active-service |journal= Hansard Parliamentary Debates, 25 October 1939}}</ref> most of whom lost their lives. He defended the Royal Navy tradition of sending boys aged 15 to 17 to sea, but the practice was generally discontinued shortly after the disaster, and under 18-year-olds served on active warships in only the most exceptional circumstances.<ref name="Turner_96-97"/>

[[File:Headstones to the victims of U-Boat 47. - geograph.org.uk - 529891.jpg|thumb|Headstones for some of the crew of ''Royal Oak''; the majority remain on the sunken warship]]
The Nazi [[Propagandaministerium|Propaganda Ministry]] was quick to capitalise on the successful raid,<ref name="scapa_wrecks">{{harvnb|Smith|1989|pp=89–95}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title= German claims |newspaper= The Scotsman |date= 17 October 1939}}</ref> and radio broadcasts by the popular journalist [[Hans Fritzsche]] displayed the triumph felt throughout Germany.<ref>{{citation |title= Two Broadcasts by Hans Fritzsche |url= http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/hf1.htm |accessdate= 1 January 2007}}</ref> Prien and his crew reached [[Wilhelmshaven]] at 11:44 on 17 October and were immediately greeted as heroes, learning that Prien had been awarded the [[Iron Cross]] First Class, and each man of the crew the Iron Cross Second Class.<ref name="Snyder_p179-180">{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|pp=179–180}}</ref> [[Hitler]] sent his personal plane to bring the crew to [[Berlin]], where he further invested Prien with the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]].<ref>{{Cite book|first1= Gordon|last1=Williamson|authorlink=Gordon Williamson (writer)|last2= Bujeiro |first2=  Ramiro |title= Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1939–40 |publisher= Osprey Publishing |year= 2004 |pages= 20–23 |isbn= 978-1-84176-641-6 |url= https://books.google.com/?id=d4vIp-yLuYsC&pg=PA20 |last-author-amp=yes}}</ref> This decoration, made for the first time to a German submarine officer, later became the customary decoration for successful U-Boat commanders. Dönitz was rewarded by promotion from Commodore to Rear-Admiral and was made [[Flag Officer]] of U-Boats.<ref name="Snyder_p179-180"/>

Prien was nicknamed "The Bull of Scapa Flow" and his crew decorated ''U-47''{{'}}s conning tower with a snorting bull mascot, later adopted as the emblem of the [[7th U-boat Flotilla]]. He found himself in demand for radio and newspaper interviews,<ref name="Snyder_p179-180"/> and his 'autobiography' was published the following year, titled {{lang|de|Mein Weg nach Scapa Flow}}.{{refn|"My path to Scapa Flow"|group=lower-alpha}} [[Ghostwriter|Ghost-written]] for him by a German journalist, in the post-war years some of its claims, and in particular those relating to the events of October 1939, were brought into question.<ref>{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|loc="Chapter 10: ''The Neger in the Woodpile"}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|McKee|1959|loc="Chapter 13: Such Exaggerations and Inaccuracies..."}}</ref>

[[File:Churchill Barrier 1.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The causeway, made from many concrete blocks, carries a road between the islands. The sea is rough on one side of the barrier but calm on the other.|Churchill Barrier 1, now blocking Kirk Sound, Prien's entry into Scapa Flow]]
The British Admiralty's official report into the disaster condemned the defences at Scapa Flow, and censured Sir [[Wilfred French]], Admiral Commanding Orkney and Shetland, for their unprepared state. French was placed on the retired list,<ref>{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|p=120}}</ref> despite having warned the previous summer of Scapa Flow's deficient anti-submarine defences, and volunteering to bring a small ship or submarine himself past the blockships to prove his point.<ref>{{harvnb|Weaver|1980|p=123}}</ref> On Churchill's orders, the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow were sealed with concrete [[causeway]]s linking [[Lamb Holm]], [[Glimps Holm]], [[Burray]] and [[South Ronaldsay]] to [[Mainland, Orkney|Mainland]]. Constructed largely by Italian prisoners of war, the [[Churchill Barriers]], as they became known, were essentially complete by September 1944, and were opened officially just after [[Victory in Europe Day|VE Day]] in May 1945.<ref>{{citation |title= The Churchill Barriers |work= Burray |url= http://www.simontreasure.name/html/burray_.html |accessdate= 3 February 2007}}</ref> They now form part of the transport infrastructure of Orkney, carrying the [[A961 road]] between the islands.

In the years that followed, a rumour circulated that Prien had been guided into Scapa by one Alfred Wehring, a German agent living in Orkney in the guise of a Swiss watchmaker named Albert Oertel.<ref name=hayward>{{harvnb|Hayward|2003|pp=30–31}}</ref> Following the attack, 'Oertel' escaped with the submarine ''B-06'' back to Germany.<ref name=McKee_Ch14>{{harvnb|McKee|1959|loc="Chapter 14: The Watchmaker who never was"}}</ref> This account of events originated as an article by the journalist Curt Riess in the 16 May 1942 issue of the American magazine ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]'' and was later embellished by other authors, who added details of their own.<ref name=hayward/><ref>{{Citation|last=Knobelspiesse |first=A. V. |title=Masterman Revisited |publisher=Center for the Study of Intelligence |year=1996 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/docs/v18i1a02p_0001.htm |accessdate=9 February 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613064405/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/docs/v18i1a02p_0001.htm |archivedate=13 June 2007 }}</ref> Post-war searches through German and Orcadian archives have failed to find any evidence for the existence of Oertel, Wehring or a submarine named ''B-06'', and the story is now held to be wholly fictitious.<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p=174}}</ref><ref>{{citation |first= Walter  |last= Pforzheimer |title= Literature on Intelligence |journal= Proc. 31st Annual Military Librarians' Workshop |year=1987 |pages= 23–37 |publisher= [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] |url= http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a220404.pdf | accessdate= 10 June 2007}}</ref> The Orkneys' chief librarian, in a 1983 letter on the matter to the historian [[Nigel West]], offered his suggestion that the name Albert Oertel was likely a pun on the well-known Albert Hotel in Kirkwall.<ref name=hayward/>

=== Survivors ===
In the immediate aftermath of the sinking, ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s survivors were billeted in the towns and villages of Orkney. A funeral parade for the dead took place at [[Lyness]] on [[Hoy]] on 16 October; many of the surviving crew, having lost all their own clothing on the ship, attended in borrowed boiler suits and gym shoes.<ref>{{harvnb|Taylor|2008|p=90}}</ref> They were generally granted a few days survivors' leave by the navy, and then assigned to ships and roles elsewhere.<ref name="sarkar_p75-76">{{harvnb|Sarkar|2010|pp=75–76}}</ref> Kenneth Toop, who survived the sinking while serving as a [[Boy seaman|Boy, First Class]] on ''Royal Oak'', served as the Royal Oak Association's Honorary Secretary.<ref>{{harvnb|Sarkar|2010|pp=12–13}}</ref> An annual ceremony of remembrance is held by the survivors and descendants of the crew at the Naval War Memorial, [[Southsea]], on the anniversary of the sinking.<ref>{{harvnb|Sarkar|2010|pp=87–88}}</ref> The last remaining survivor of ''Royal Oak'', Arthur Smith, who had been a 17-year-old Boy, First Class when the ship was struck, died on 11 December 2016. He had been on watch at the bridge and had jumped from the sinking ship, swimming in the wrong direction until he was picked up by a boat and transferred to the ''Daisy 2''.<ref name="Orcadian 151216">{{cite news |last= Taylor|first= Craig|date= 15 December 2016|title= Only the memories are left|newspaper= The Orcadian}}</ref>

Prien did not survive the war: he and ''U-47'' were lost on 7 March 1941, possibly as a result of an attack by the British destroyer {{HMS|Wolverine|D78|6}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p=203}}</ref> News of the loss was kept secret by the Nazi government for ten weeks.<ref>{{harvnb|Sarkar|2010|p=130}}</ref> Several ''U-47'' crew from the ''Royal Oak'' mission did survive, having been transferred to other vessels. Some of them subsequently met with their former enemies from ''Royal Oak'' and forged friendships with them.<ref name="Snyder_p208">{{harvnb|Sarkar|2010|pp=208–209}}</ref>{{refn| One ''U-47'' crew member, Herbert Hermann, later took British citizenship.<ref name="Snyder_p208"/>
|group=lower-alpha}}

== Wreck ==
[[File:St-Magnus-Royal-Oak-memorial.jpg|thumb|alt=The White Ensign and Union Flag are crossed together on an interior stone wall above a brass bell and wooden plaque. Beneath this is a glass and wood cabinet. Poppy wreaths lie to either side.|Memorial in St Magnus, featuring ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s bell]]

=== Status as war grave ===
Despite the relatively shallow water in which she sank, the majority of bodies could not be recovered from ''Royal Oak''. Marked by a buoy at {{Coord|58|55|44|N|2|59|09|W|region:GB_type:landmark}}, the wreck has been designated a [[war grave]] and all diving or other unauthorised forms of exploration are prohibited under the [[Protection of Military Remains Act 1986]].<ref>{{citation |title= Wrecks designated as Military Remains |publisher= Maritime and Coastguard Agency |url= http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/emergencyresponse/mcga-receiverofwreck/mcga-protectedwrecks/mcga-protectedwrecks-military.htm |accessdate= 27 December 2006}}</ref> In clear water conditions, the upturned hull can be seen reaching to within 5&nbsp;m of the surface. The brass letters that formed ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s name were removed as a keepsake by a recreational diver in the 1970s. They were returned almost twenty years later, and are now displayed in the [[Scapa Flow#Scapa Flow Visitor Centre|Scapa Flow visitor centre]] in Lyness.<ref>{{harvnb|Sarkar|2010|p=138}}</ref> ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s loss is commemorated in an annual ceremony in which Royal Navy divers place the [[White Ensign]] underwater at her stern.<ref>{{citation |publisher= Royal Navy: News and Events |date= October 2006 |title= HMS Shoreham Visits the Orkneys |url= http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.6986/changeNav/3533 |accessdate= 3 February 2008 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

A memorial at [[St Magnus Cathedral]] in nearby [[Kirkwall]] displays a plaque dedicated to those who lost their lives, beneath which a book of remembrance lists their names. This list of names was not released by the Government until 40 years after the sinking. Each week a page of the book is turned. The ship's bell was recovered in the 1970s and, after being restored, was added to the memorial in St Magnus.<ref>{{citation |title= Memorial to HMS Royal Oak |publisher= St Magnus Cathedral |url= http://sites.scran.ac.uk/stmagnus/smc036.htm |accessdate= 27 December 2006}}</ref> A number of bodies, including some that could not be identified, were interred at the naval cemetery in Lyness.<ref>{{harvnb|Smith|1989|p=104}}</ref>

=== Environmental concerns ===
[[File:Scapa Flow from Gaitnip cliffs small.jpg|thumb|alt=The attack site today, seen from a cliff above the bay. A small green wreck buoy is a few hundred metres away. A thin slick of oil is on the surface of the sea.|Site of attack on ''Royal Oak'', with oil risen from the wreck visible]]

''Royal Oak'' sank with up to 3,000&nbsp;[[ton]]s of fuel oil aboard, the precise amount being unknown since such records were lost with the ship. Oil leaked from the corroding hull at an increased rate during the 1990s and concerns about the environmental impact led the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] to consider plans for extracting it.<ref>{{citation |title= New battle engulfs Royal Oak |first= John |last= Arlidge |newspaper= The Observer |date= 18 February 2001 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/feb/18/johnarlidge.theobserver}}</ref> ''Royal Oak''{{'}}s status as a war grave required that surveys and any proposed techniques for removing the oil be handled sensitively: plans in the 1950s to raise and salvage the wreck had been dropped in response to public opposition.<ref>{{harvnb|Snyder|1976|p=210}}</ref> In addition to the ethical concerns, poorly managed efforts could destabilise the wreck, resulting in a mass release of the remaining oil;<ref>{{citation|title=HMS Royal Oak plans delayed by a year |newspaper=The Orcadian |date=23–29 April 2001 |url=http://www.orcadian.co.uk/archive/2001/archive32.htm |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215063635/http://www.orcadian.co.uk/archive/2001/archive32.htm |archivedate=15 December 2006 |df= }}</ref> the ship also contains many tons of [[unexploded ordnance]].<ref name="MOD Oak">{{citation|title=Technology gives new view of HMS Royal Oak |work=DLO News, Defence Logistics Organisation |date=August 2006 |url=http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/6B743056-6C55-43B6-8539-77AD657C28B7/0/DLONews47_Aug06.pdf |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113072849/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/6B743056-6C55-43B6-8539-77AD657C28B7/0/DLONews47_Aug06.pdf |archivedate=13 January 2012 |df= }}</ref>

The MOD commissioned a series of [[Side-scan sonar|multi-beam sonar]] surveys to image the wreck and appraise its condition.<ref>{{citation |title= Fishing With Sound: An Aesthetic Approach to Visualising Our Maritime Heritage |last= Rowland |first= C. |url= http://ewic.bcs.org/upload/pdf/ewic_ev11_s3paper1.pdf |accessdate= 9 April 2012 }}</ref> The high-resolution sonograms showed ''Royal Oak'' to be lying almost upside down with her top works forced into the seabed. The tip of the bow had been blown off by ''U-47''{{'}}s first torpedo and a gaping hole on the starboard flank was the result of the triple strike from her second successful salvo.<ref name="MOD Oak"/><ref>{{citation |last= Watson |first= Jeremy |title= Picture perfect: the fallen Oak |newspaper= The Scotsman on Sunday |date= 24 September 2006}}</ref> Following several years of delays, Briggs Marine was contracted by the MoD to conduct the task of pumping off the remaining oil.<ref name="briggsmarine">{{citation |url=http://www.briggsmarine.com/our-capabilities/case-studies/royal-oak-oil-removal-programme |title= Royal Oak Oil Removal Programme |publisher=Briggs Marine |accessdate=27 January 2012 }}</ref> ''Royal Oak''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s mid-construction conversion to fuel oil had placed her fuel tanks in unconventional positions, complicating operations. By 2006, all double bottom tanks had been cleared and the task of removing oil from the inner wing tanks with [[water jet cutting|cold cutting]] equipment began the next year.<ref name="MOD Oak"/> By 2010, some 1600 tonnes of fuel oil had been removed, and the wreck was declared to be no longer actively releasing oil into Scapa Flow.<ref name="briggsmarine"/> Operations continue at a reduced pace to tackle the oil known to be remaining (state for 2012).<ref name="briggsmarine"/>

=== 2019 survey ===

In December 2018 rebreather diver Emily Turton announced at the EUROTEK advanced diving conference that an international team of experts were thoroughly surveying the wreck of ''Royal Oak'' to create a three-dimensional image of the war grave. (This process takes thousands of man-hour dives over several months). The team used an extensive range of technology including videography, underwater photography and 3D photogrammetry to record the wreck. The survey had the full backing of the Royal Navy and the Royal Oak Association.<ref>
{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-47072973 | title = New images reveal sunken Royal Oak battleship | date = 1 February 2019 | publisher = BBC | access-date = 5 May 2019 }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Battleships}}
* [[List by death toll of ships sunk by submarines]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}

== References==
* {{citation| last= Admiralty |title= ADM199/158: Board of Enquiry into Sinking of HMS Royal Oak |publisher= HM Stationery Office |year=1939}}
* {{citation |last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships, 1919–1939|year=2012|edition=2nd|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-052-8}}
* {{citation |last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships of World War One|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1986|isbn=0-87021-863-8}}
* {{citation| last = Campbell| first = John| title = Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting| year = 1998| location = London| publisher = Conway Maritime Press|isbn = 978-1-55821-759-1}}
* {{citation |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
* {{citation| last1 = Colledge | first1 = J. J. | authorlink1 = J. J. Colledge | last2 = Warlow | first2 = Ben | year = 2006 | origyear = 1969 | title = Ships of the RoyalNavy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy | edition = Rev. | location = London | publisher = Chatham Publishing | isbn = 978-1-86176-281-8| title-link = Ships of the Royal Navy }}
* {{citation |last= Dönitz |first= Karl |title= Memoirs: Ten Years and Twenty Days |others= English translation by R.H. Stevens |publisher= Da Capo Press|year=1959 |isbn= 0-306-80764-5}}
* {{cite book| last = Gardiner| first = Leslie| title = The Royal Oak Courts Martial| publisher = William Blackwood & Sons| location = Edinburgh| year=1965| oclc=794019632| ref=harv}}
* {{citation |last= Glenton| first= Robert |title= The Royal Oak Affair: The Saga of Admiral Collard and Bandmaster Barnacle |publisher= Leo Cooper |year=1991 |isbn= 0-85052-266-8}}
* {{citation |last= Gretton| first= Peter |title= The Forgotten Factor: The Naval Aspects of the Spanish Civil War| publisher= Oxford University Press |year=1984}}
* {{citation|last=Halpern|first=Paul G.|title=A Naval History of World War I|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis|year=1995|isbn=1-55750-352-4}}
* {{citation |last= Hayward| first= James |title= Myths and Legends of the Second World War |publisher= Sutton Publishing |year=2003 |isbn= 0-7509-3875-7}}
* {{citation|last=Herwig|first=Holger|year=1998|origyear=1980|title="Luxury" Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918|publisher=Humanity Books|location=Amherst|isbn=978-1-57392-286-9}}
* {{citation |last= Kriegsmarine |title= Log of the U-47 |year=1939 |publisher= reproduced in Snyder and Weaver}}
* {{cite book|title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea |last=Massie|first=Robert K.|authorlink=Robert K. Massie|publisher=Random House|year=2003|location= New York|isbn=978-0-679-45671-1|title-link=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea|ref=harv}}
* {{citation |last= Miller |first= James |title= Scapa: Britain's Famous War-time Naval Base |publisher= Birlinn|year=2000 |location= England |isbn= 1-84158-005-8}}
* {{citation |last= McKee |first= Alexander |title= Black Saturday: The Royal Oak Tragedy at Scapa Flow |publisher= Cerberus |year=1959 |location= England |isbn= 1-84145-045-6}}
* {{citation |last= Prien |first= Günther |year= 1969 |title= Mein Weg nach Scapa Flow |publisher= Wingate-Baker |isbn= 0-09-305060-7 |others=Translated into English by Georges Vatine as ''I sank the Royal Oak''}}
* {{citation |last1=Raven|first1=Alan|last2=Roberts|first2=John|title=British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleship and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1976|isbn=0-87021-817-4|last-author-amp=yes}}
* {{citation |last= Sarkar |first= Dilip |title= Hearts of Oak: The Human Tragedy of HMS Royal Oak |publisher= Amberley |year=2010 |isbn= 978-1-84868-944-2}}
* {{citation |last= Smith |first= Peter |title= The Naval Wrecks of Scapa Flow |publisher= The Orkney Press |year=1989 |isbn= 0-907618-20-0}}
* {{citation |last= Snyder |first= Gerald| title= The Royal Oak Disaster |publisher= Presidio Press|year=1976 |isbn= 0-89141-063-5}}
* {{citation |last=Tarrant|first=V. E.|title=Jutland: The German Perspective|year=1995|publisher=Cassell Military Paperbacks|isbn=0-304-35848-7|location=London}}
* {{citation |last= Taylor| first= David| title= Last Dawn: The Royal Oak Tragedy at Scapa Flow |publisher= Argyll|year=2008 |isbn= 978-1-906134-13-6}}
* {{citation |last= Weaver |first= H.J. |title= Nightmare at Scapa Flow: The Truth About the Sinking of HMS Royal Oak |publisher= Cressrelles |year=1980 |location= England |isbn= 0-85956-025-2}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web
 |author=Kriegsmarine 
 |title=Report on Sinking of Royal Oak 
 |version=British Admiralty [[Naval Intelligence Division]] translation 24/T 16/45 
 |work=uboatarchive.net 
 |url=http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-47RoyalOak.htm 
 |accessdate=22 December 2006 
 |deadurl=yes 
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103104616/http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-47RoyalOak.htm 
 |archivedate=3 January 2007 
 |df= 
}}
* {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|authorlink=Henry Trevor Lenton|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Parkes|first=Oscar|title=British Battleships|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1990|edition=reprint of the 1957|isbn=1-55750-075-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|authorlink=Jürgen Rohwer|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Rev|isbn=1-59114-119-2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|HMS Royal Oak (ship, 1914)|HMS Royal Oak}}
* [http://www.hmsroyaloak.co.uk hmsroyaloak.co.uk] Website dedicated to the ship and its crew
* [http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?442 Royal Oak details and Hydrographic report] {{fr icon}} {{de icon}} {{nl icon}}
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/royal_oak_1914/hms_royal_oak_1914.htm Maritimequest photo gallery]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-01BB-Royal%20Oak.htm  HMS ''Royal Oak'' at naval-history.net]
* {{cite web
|url=http://uboat.net/ops/scapa_flow.htm
|title=''The Bull of Scapa Flow''
|last=Helgason
|first=Guðmundur
|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
}}
<!-- * [http://heritage.scotsman.com/videos.cfm?vid=77 ''H.M.S. Royal Oak sunk''] Archive newsreel footage and reproduction of article from ''The Scotsman'', 16 October 1939 -->
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090210084201/http://adus-uk.com/TheFallenOak.html Animation of wreck]
* [http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=HMS_Royal_Oak Part transcript of ADM 199/158 Board of Enquiry in National Archives]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80011645 IWM Interview with survivor Howard Instance]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80023608 IWM Interview with survivor John Hall]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80024932 IWM Interview with survivor Herbert Pocock]
*[https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/royal-oak Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project - HMS Royal Oak Crew List]

{{Revenge class battleship}}
{{Uboat|state=collapsed}}
{{November 1918 shipwrecks}}
{{October 1939 shipwrecks}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Oak (1914)}}
[[Category:Revenge-class battleships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Plymouth, Devon]]
[[Category:1914 ships]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1918]]
[[Category:World War II battleships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in October 1939]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in Scapa Flow]]
[[Category:Protected Wrecks of Scotland]]
[[Category:1939 disasters in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1914 in England]]
[[Category:1939 in Scotland]]