NEPTUNE (20) HMS 1934

[aukepalmhof]

2016 marked 75 years of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), and we celebrated with a commemorative stamp issue that reflects the essential role that the RNZN plays.
The stamp shows not a ship but two crewmembers from New Zealand which served on the ship and werw killed by the loss of the vessel.
Issue information
As the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force, the RNZN is committed to defending New Zealand’s interests at sea and making a difference at home and abroad.
On 1 October 1941, His Majesty King George VI approved the designation ‘Royal New Zealand Navy’, creating the independent maritime force that is the RNZN today. Since then, many thousands have served with the Navy, playing a crucial role in contributing towards the prosperity and security of New Zealand.
The issue consisted of six large gummed stamps - each represented a different aspect of the Navy’s history or role today: The loss of HMS NEPTUNE, Conflict in Korea, Women at sea, Supporting the United Nations, Disaster relief in Christchurch and The Navy family.
The stamp design featureed a brass scuttle that was recovered from the wreck of the Moa, sunk by Japanese bombers in 1943. The scuttle framed the images on the stamps, which were coated with spot UV, to replicate the effect of looking through glass.
A miniature sheet and two first day covers were also available. The first day cover featured a photo of HMNZS Endeavour I at McMurdo Sound in January 1957, and an Inshore Patrol Vessel was the focus of the miniature sheet.
For the complete collectables, you could order the presentation pack and the limited edition. The presentation pack contained the set of six stamps, the miniature sheet and the first day cover. It had been written by Michael Wynd, Researcher at the National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy, and told the story of the Navy’s past 75 years.
The limited edition was limited to 2,000 copies and contained exclusive stamp products not available anywhere else. 

Single $1.00 'The loss of HMS NEPTUNE' gummed stamp.
On 19 December 1941 the cruiser HMS NEPTUNE was lost in an enemy minefield off the North African coast. 757 officers and ratings lost their lives, with Able Seaman John Norman Walton being the sole survivor. Amongst those lost were 150 New Zealanders who had joined the ship in preparation for its transfer to the RNZN, including the 19-year-old twins Bruce and William Anderson of Kohimarama, featured on this stamp. The sinking of NEPTUNE led to the greatest loss of life ever suffered by the RNZN in a single action or incident.

https://collectables.nzpost.co.nz/75th- ... -the-navy/


Built as a light cruiser by the Portsmouth Dockyard, Portsmouth for the Royal Navy.
24 September 1931 laid down.
31 January 1933 launched as the HMS NEPTUNE (20) one of the Leander class,
Displacement 7,270 ton standard, 9,740 tons full load.. dim. 169.1 x 17 x 5.8m (draught)
Powered by 4 x Parsons geared steam turbines, 72,000 shp., four propellers, speed 32.5 knots.
Range 6,730 miles by a speed of 13 knots,
Crew in peace 550 man, and during wartime 680.
Armament when built: ? X BL 6 inch MkIIInaval guns, 4 x 4 inch guns, 12 x o,5 inch machine guns, and 8 x 21 inch torpedo tubes.
She carried one catapult launched aircraft, original a Fairey Seafox, later the catapult and aircraft were replaced with a Supermarine Walrus.
12 February 1934 commissioned.

HMS NEPTUNE (20) HMS NEPTUNE was a Leander-class light cruiser which served with the Royal Navy during World War II. NEPTUNE was the fourth ship of its class and was the ninth Royal Navy vessel to carry the name.

Built by Portsmouth Dockyard, NEPTUNE was laid down on 24 September 1931, launched on 31 January 1933, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 12 February 1934 with the pennant number 20.

During World War II, NEPTUNE operated with a crew drawn predominantly from the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. The ship also carried a large contingent of seconded South African personnel.

In December 1939, several months after war was declared, NEPTUNE was patrolling in the South Atlantic in pursuit of German surface raider heavy cruiser ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE. NEPTUNE, with other patrolling Royal Navy heavy units, was sent to Uruguay in the aftermath of the Battle of the River Plate. However, she was still in transit when the Germans scuttled GRAF SPEE off Montevideo on 17 December.

NEPTUNE was the first British ship to spot the Italian Fleet in the battle of Calabria, on 9 July 1940, marking also the first time since the Napoleonic Wars that the Mediterranean Fleet received the signal "enemy battle fleet in sight". During the subsequent engagement, she was hit by the Italian light cruiser GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI. The 6-inch shell splinters struck the aircraft catapult and damaged her floatplane beyond repair, its wreckage being thrown into the sea. Minutes later, NEPTUNE's main guns scored three hits on the heavy cruiser BOLZANO, inflicting some damage on her torpedo room, below the waterline and the "B" turret. During 1941, she led Force K, a raiding squadron of cruisers. Their task was to intercept and destroy German and Italian convoys en route to Libya. The convoys were supplying Rommel's Afrika Korps in North Africa with troops and equipment.

Force K was sent out on 18 December 1941, to intercept a convoy bound for Tripoli, right after the brief fleet engagement at sunset known as First Battle of Sirte.

On the night of 19–20 December, NEPTUNE, leading the line, struck two mines, part of an Italian minefield laid by an Italian cruiser force in June 1941. The first struck the anti-mine screen, causing no damage. The second struck the bow hull. The other cruisers present, AURORA and PENELOPE, also struck mines.

While reversing out of the minefield, NEPTUNE struck a third mine, which took off her propellers and left her dead in the water. AURORA was unable to render assistance as she was already down to 10 knots (19 km/h) and needed to turn back to Malta. PENELOPE was also unable to assist.

The destroyers KANDAHAR and LIVELY were sent into the minefield to attempt a tow. The former struck a mine and began drifting. NEPTUNE then signalled for LIVELY to keep clear. KANDAHAR was later evacuated and scuttled with a torpedo by the destroyer JAGUAR, to prevent her capture.

NEPTUNE hit a fourth mine and quickly capsized, killing 737 crew members. Initially some 30 others survived the sinking, but they also died of wounds and exposure in the subsequent days. As a result, only one was still alive when their carley float was picked up five days later by the Italian torpedo boat GENERALE ACHILE PAPA . The sole survivor, Norman Walton, spent 15 months in an Italian prisoner of war camp.
1991, Walton travelled to the small city of Nelson, New Zealand, to unveil a memorial to NEPTUNE. Of the 764 that perished, 150 were New Zealand sailors, including four from Nelson. A memorial service to NEPTUNE and her crew is held each year in Nelson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_NEPTUNE_(20)