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Robert Lock

@robertlock

Amateur Naval History enthusiast . Often found digging into odd corners of WW2 Naval History - very slowly writing book on Hertfordshire's Navy

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Latest posts by Robert Lock @robertlock

I'm assuming the name was originally a French Prize name when it first came into RN

07.03.2026 22:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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A few more photos of the French landings in Haiphong, 6-8 March 1946, that I neglected to post previously. The auxiliary cruisers Barfleur and Cephee are apparently depicted but not clearly identified.

#Vietnam #France #MilitaryHistory #NavalHistory #Indochina #ColdWar #OnThisDay #OTD

07.03.2026 14:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Cheers ,

As a coastal submarine with a range of 6000 nautical miles it's an impressive feat

01.03.2026 22:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yup

01.03.2026 21:14 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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next meeting with Northmark. She continued her trip north, passing the Cape Verde Islands, then between the Canary Islands and the Azores, and then into the Bay of Biscay and eventually arrived in Bordeaux on 20 May 1941. Overall, Perla covered 13,100 nm in 81 days of navigation.

01.03.2026 20:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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his perplexity about his mission and suggested to him to reach either Brazil or Argentina to be interned; by his account, Napp politely rejected the advice, telling that he would do his utmost to obey his orders, much to Rogge's admiration.

Perla then had to travel 4,000 nm until her

01.03.2026 20:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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She traveled south, passing east of Madagascar, where she rendezvoused with Atlantis and got refueled and restocked
Atlantis' skipper, Bernhard Rogge, wrote in his memoirs that, after seeing the small coastal submarine and its emaciated crew, he told the commander, Lt. Bruno Napp,

01.03.2026 20:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Perla left Massawa on 1 March 41 under the command of captain Bruno Napp. Just as she departed she was attacked by a Bristol Blenheim with depth charges without any success. Perla traveled submerged through the Red Sea & the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait & only surfaced once she reached the Indian Ocean.

01.03.2026 20:17 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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HMS Welshman . Happy St David's day

01.03.2026 12:04 ๐Ÿ‘ 15 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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During this journey Ping Wo also secretly transported 10,635 fine ounces of gold bullion

28.02.2026 09:26 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

TO TANJONG PRIOK, JAVA, AS THE JAPANESE THREATENED THE ISLAND. AS IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE MAIN ENEMY ATTACK ON JAVA WAS NEAR, "VENDETTA" WAS AGAIN TAKEN UNDER TOW TO FREMANTLE, THIS TIME BY "PING WO". "VENDETTA" WAS EVENTUALLY TOWED TO MELBOURNE.

27.02.2026 19:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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AT SEA, 1942-03. H.M.A.S. "VENDETTA" IN TOW OF H.M.A.S. "PING WO". THE "VENDETTA" WHICH WAS IMMOBILISED, HAVING BEEN IN DOCKYARD HANDS FOR A MAJOR REFIT AT KEPPEL HARBOUR, SINGAPORE, DURING THE CONTINUED SOUTHWARD ADVANCE OF THE JAPANESE ARMY IN MALAYA, ESCAPED UNDER TOW BY H.M.S. "STRONGHOLD"

27.02.2026 19:03 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Western Australia and subsequently part of the way to Melbourne to Albany. This tow was the longest ever involving an RAN warship

27.02.2026 18:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Batavia (now Jakarta) and with a mixed complement of RN and RAN reservists and civilian Chinese seamen, was engaged in the 62-day tow (at an average speed of three knots) of the disabled HMAS Vendetta from the Javan port of Tanjung Priok to Fremantle,

27.02.2026 18:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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HMAS Ping Wo (not to be confused with HMAS Whang Pu) was a 3,105 tons former Indo-Chinese river steamer that was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II

After the fall of Singapore the vessel sailed to

27.02.2026 18:56 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Allied Chinese Ships - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_...

27.02.2026 18:42 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Following the Battle of Singapore in early 1942, many of the requisitioned ships joined the Allied retreat to Australia. Six were acquired by the Royal Australian Navy; four of these were commissioned as auxiliary warships, while two served as Victualing Supply Issuing Ships

27.02.2026 18:41 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The terms Allied Chinese Ships and Allied China Fleet refer to 32 vessels of the Hong Kong-based China Navigation Company requisitioned by the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy during World War II.

27.02.2026 18:41 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Old but fun and also Man Vs Bee which is the Rowan Atkinson Mini series

21.02.2026 18:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Tuffa Boots Tuffa Equestrian Boots - Riding Boots, Country Boots, Racing Boots, Yard and Safety Boots. Proudly designed in England. Quality leathers and components.

They look suspiciously like horse riding boots so I can reccomend Tuffa Boots which I've been getting for ages because they come in sizes I meed and they're hard wearing

tuffaboots.com

20.02.2026 22:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They have fluffy Bacteria and Viruses in the gift shop

20.02.2026 18:38 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Raspberries?

16.02.2026 19:56 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The Monk ?

03.02.2026 23:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

There are worlds out there where the sky is burning. And the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger. Somewhere there's injustice. And somewhere else, the tea's getting cold. Come on, Ace โ€” we've got work to do!".

03.02.2026 23:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I never sent him an original. What was the point? He had been hanged

02.02.2026 13:13 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

happening outside the window I would have said he was very civilised. Odd, isn't it? But maybe there was a rather dishonourable reason. I have always found it difficult to dislike someone who was an admirer of my work. And strangely, Kramer was.

02.02.2026 13:13 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Kramer gave Giles his Walther P38 pistol and holster, a ceremonial dagger, and his swastika armband, in return asking for a signed original of Giles's work. Giles said:
I have to say, that I quite liked the man. I am ashamed to say such a thing. But had I not been able to see what was

02.02.2026 13:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

At one point during World War II he was assigned as War Correspondent to the Coldstream Guards unit which liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Giles interviewed the camp commandant, Josef Kramer, who turned out to be aware of and an admirer of Giles's work.

02.02.2026 13:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

his cartoons were reprinted in poster form for the Railway Executive Committee and others. In 1945 he became the Daily Express's "War Correspondent Cartoonist" with the 2nd Army

02.02.2026 13:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Giles was rejected for war service for being blind in one eye and deaf in one ear following a motorcycle accident, but made animated shorts for the Ministry of Information, while some of

02.02.2026 13:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0