A battleship sunk: tell or conceal?

Admiral Andrew Cunningham commands the Mediterranean Fleet from Alexandria, in a sea where every heavy ship tips the balance. Known for his aggressiveness, he understands how precarious the naval balance is against the Italian fleet and the Axis submarines.

On 24 November 1941, the 1st Battle Squadron sails to cover cruisers hunting the Italian convoys. On the evening of the 25th, the battleship HMS Barham takes three torpedoes from the German submarine U-331, commanded by Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen. The ship rolls over and, about four minutes later, the explosion of her magazines pulverizes her.

The losses are massive: some 861 to 862 men perish, with roughly 450 survivors picked up by the escorting vessels. The scene, visible from afar, was even filmed. The enemy, for his part, still does not know the result of his attack: von Tiesenhausen has obtained no confirmation of the sinking.

There remains the question of communication, with hundreds of families awaiting news. The Admiralty and Cunningham must weigh three paths: to announce the loss of the battleship publicly at once; to keep the sinking secret while quietly informing the next of kin under a seal of confidentiality; or to formally deny any loss.