F. S. Bell 1939. "Exeter's" six eight-inch guns were mainly responsible for seriously damaging the in the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939. In this battle, "Exeter" also incurred severe damage from seven hits by eleven-inch shells and suffered 61 killed and 23 wounded. One salvo from the "Graf Spee" did a great deal of damage to the wheelhouse and killed all but three of the officers in it. Bell survived with minor injuries and he ordered that the remaining turrets should continue firing on the enemy. As damage control parties battled fires and flooding, Bell used a compass from one
HMS Amethyst (1799) days. Still, the ship was too badly damaged to salvage and by 10 March wave action had broken up the hull. The subsequent court martial found Walton and Robert Owen, the master, negligent and reprimanded both for allowing "Amethyst" to be anchored so close to shore with only one anchor. The court also barred Owen for a year from serving in anything larger than a sixth rate. Notes Citations References HMS Amethyst (1799) HMS "Amethyst" was a Royal Navy 36-gun "Penelope"-class fifth-rate frigate, launched in 1799 at Deptford. "Amethyst" served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, capturing