The battleship HMS Barham exploded because torpedoes from the German U-331 hit her port side, causing her to capsize rapidly, and the resulting fire spread to her main ammunition magazine, triggering a catastrophic detonation of the cordite propellant, which broke the ship apart and sank her in minutes on November 25, 1941. Sequence of Events: Torpedo Hits: The U-331 fired three torpedoes, striking Barham's port side near the main gun turrets. Rapid Capsizing: The damage caused Barham to list he

#OTD in 1941, battleship HMS Barham capsized and exploded within four minues of being hit by three torpedoes fired by U-331. 862 sailors were killed. Miraculously, almost 400 men survived the violent explosion and were rescued. News of the sinking was kept secret for two months. | U.S. Naval Institute

Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Barham (04) explodes and sinks in the #Mediterranean after being struck by torpedoes from German submarine U-331 on November 25, 1941. #WWII #history | World War II History

HMS Barham (04) Explodes 25th November 1941 🌺🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🌺 On the afternoon of 25 November 1941, the 1st Battle Squadron, Barham, Queen Elizabeth, and Valiant, with an escort of eight destroyers, departed Alexandria to cover the 7th and 15th Cruiser Squadrons as they hunted for Italian convoys in the Central Mediterranean. The following morning, the German submarine U-331, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen, detected the faint engine noises of the British ships an