Ordinary Signalman C/JX 207604 Frank DODGSON.
Royal Navy H.M.S. Coventry (D43)
14 Sep 1942 aged 22.
Chatham Naval Memorial, 59, 1.
Son of Harry and Ellinor Dodgson, of Portwood, Stockport, Cheshire.
On 14 Sep 1942 H.M.S. Coventry (Captain Ronald John Robert Dendy) was taking part in Operation Agreement, a Commando raid against Tobruk harbour.
At 11:40 hrs, H.M.S.Coventry was north of Marsa Matruh, Egypt with her escort group, consisting of destroyers H.M.S. Belvoir, H.M.S. Dulverton, H.M.S. Hursley and H.M.S. Croome. H.M.S. Coventry was the main target for a German group of 16 Ju-88s of I/LG.1, under Captain Joachim Helbig from Iraklion, Crete. Each plane carried 1 x 500- and 3 x 250 kg bombs. During the attack, H.M.S. Coventry received 4 direct hits, 3 detonating in the engineering spaces, while the 4th wrecked the bows, causing her to go dead in the water and badly on fire with 63 killed. At 15:15 H.M.S. Coventry was scuttled by H.M.S. Zulu, who was sunk less than 1 hour later by 19 Ju-87s.
H.M.S. Coventry (photo from Roll of Honour)
