Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte
The Hipper’s eight 8-inch guns fired a broadside weighing more than 2000 lb., and the six 4.1-inch anti-aircraft guns added another 200 lb. In reply the Onslow’s two guns (two were still frozen up) fired a 96 lb. reply and the Orwell’s four 4-inch guns a 124 lb. broadside. A total of more than 2200 lb. versus 220 lb. Thus the Hipper had the advantage of being able to fire nearly a ton more of high explosives and in addition she knew the guns of the Onslow and Orwell could do her little harm ... ’
What followed led to the award of the Victoria Cross to Sherbrooke of the Onslow, for it was to his command that the Hipper first turned her attention, again and again ominous red glows rippling along the enemy cruiser’s side as she fired her 8-inch guns - several found their mark, turning the little destroyer into a mass of flames forward, but Sherbrooke remained very much in command on the bridge, despite being grievously wounded by a shell splinter - his left eye was hanging down his face. 73 North continues:
‘From astern Austen, in the Orwell, had seen the salvos falling near the Onslow; then the flash of a hit on the funnel was followed by the two hits forward and the whole ship dissolved into a cloud of smoke and steam which streamed aft from a pulsating nucleus of fire. He thought she was going to blow up and immediately came round to port to keep clear.
A few moments later he saw her alter away to starboard. Immediately the Hipper’s gunners switched target and her 8-inch salvos started falling with deadly monotony round the Orwell. Austen ordered her to make smoke to help screen the Onslow.
At the same time he had only a few seconds in which to decide the next move. With the Onslow out of action he was now the Hipper’s main target and the only ship effectively placed to fight her off from the convoy.
Should he try to make a solo torpedo attack on her - an attack probably doomed to fail because of the Hipper’s tremendous gun power, and which would almost certainly mean the destruction of his ship? Or would it be better to turn away and cover the stricken Onslow? That would leave the Hipper open to come down to the convoy.
It was an awful decision to have to make, and could mean the sentence of death for his whole crew.
Then as he watched, he saw the Hipper’s dim silhouette changing and at the same time the shells stop falling round: the Germans themselves had saved him making the decision, for the Hipper was turning away, retiring to the east into the dark anonymity of a convenient snow squall. Thankfully Austen turned the Orwell back to cover the burning ship ... ’
Due to the hesitation of the Lutzow to take advantage of these events from the south, it transpired that the convoy had been saved. Satow, described by Pope as being ‘6ft. 4in. tall and with an almost encyclopaedic memory’, was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 18 May 1943 refers), the recommendation citing his ‘exemplary conduct in action’. And in January 1944, following further adventures on the Arctic-run, he was gazetted for his D.S.C.
Transferring to the destroyer Myngs in early 1944, Satow next moved, in July of that year, to the Kempenfeldt, another destroyer in which he served in the Pacific, the latter work winning him a second “mention” (London Gazette 11 June 1946 refers).
Post-war, Satow was advanced to Lieutenant-Commander in February 1949 and served as a navigation specialist in the aircraft carrier Glory in the Korea War 1952-53, following which one of his final appointments was at N.A.T.O. prior to his retirement in the rank of Commander in 1957.
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