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 Porpoise (1799) fifteen minutes of actual diving. The site is now a protected area with the designation dating to 29 April 1992. Citations References HMS Porpoise (1799) HMS "Porpoise" was a 12-gun sloop originally built in Bilbao, Spain, as the packet ship "Infanta Amelia". On 6 August 1799 HMS "Argo" captured her off the coast of Portugal. "Porpoise" wrecked in 1803 on the North coast of what was then part of the Colony of New South Wales, now called Wreck Reefs, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. "Porpoise" was commissioned in October 1799 under Lieutenant William Scott as a storeship for New