Vincent Barkly Molteno
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Vincent Barkly Molteno CB
(30 April 1872 – 12 November 1952) was a Royal Navy
officer during World War I
. He fought and distinguished himself in the Battle of Jutland
in April 1916, commanding from the armoured cruiser HMS Warrior
. He was subsequently awarded the Russian Order of St. Anna
for bravery, and made Commander of the Order of Bath and Aide-de-camp to the King
.
, then part of the Cape Colony
; his father was John Charles Molteno
who at the time was Prime Minister of the Cape. His father died when he was 14 years old, and he left the colony to enter the Royal Navy as a cadet. Quickly distinguished as a gun specialist, in 1893 he took part in the Vitu Expedition to Zanzibar
as a lieutenant to crush the slave trade and was awarded the General African Medal. His effectiveness and skill on this mission were repeatedly mentioned in despatches, and led to his being promoted to Commander. Molteno was later promoted to flag captain in 1913 and vice-admiral in 1926.
, including HMS Revenge
, Antrim
, King George V
, Shannon
, Minotaur
, Bellerophon
and HMS Redoubtable, successfully leading the bombardment of German bases along the Flanders coast. He also served as Flag-Captain of the 2nd Battle Squadron and the 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
Molteno fought at the Battle of Jutland
, the largest naval engagement of the First World War, commanding from the Armoured cruiser HMS Warrior
.
HMS Warrior was part of the ill-fated First Cruiser Squadron, which was deployed as a vanguard several miles ahead of the main British fleet. When contact was first made with the German High Seas Fleet
, the First Cruiser Squadron was ordered by Rear-Admiral Arbuthnot
to engage, and thus soon found itself facing the combined firepower of the German Dreadnought
s. Hopelessly outgunned, the other ships in Arbuthnot's squadron were swiftly blown to pieces and sank - taking their entire crews (as well as Admiral Arbuthnot himself) down with them.
HMS Warrior fought on, exchanging fire for a considerable time with the combined line of German dreadnoughts. While able to manoeuvre to somewhat minimise the damage, Warrior was nevertheless taking hits from 11-inch and 5.9-inch shells, and beginning to suffer large fires and massive carnage on deck. With casualties mounting and signs of flooding, Molteno manoeuvred Warrior out of harms way as the beleaguered HMS Warspite unintentionally drew the enemy fire.
Once out of danger, Molteno had the heavily damaged ship taken in tow, and the crew were safely landed before the ship was finally discarded and allowed to sink.
He was awarded the Order of St. Anna
with Swords for his exceptional performance at the battle.
A newspaper from the time reports:
.jpg)
Molteno then led attacks on German forces that were covering axis convoys in the North Sea
, commanding from HMS Shannon
, and when hostilities ended he was appointed aide-de-camp to the King
and made Commander of the Order of Bath
.
He retired in 1921 as a Rear-Admiral but was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1926 while on the retired list. He died on 12 November 1952 aged 80.
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Vincent Barkly Molteno CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(30 April 1872 – 12 November 1952) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He fought and distinguished himself in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
in April 1916, commanding from the armoured cruiser HMS Warrior
HMS Warrior (1905)
HMS Warrior was a Duke of Edinburgh-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1900s. She was stationed in the Mediterranean when the First World War began and participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser and light cruiser . Warrior was transferred to the Grand Fleet in...
. He was subsequently awarded the Russian Order of St. Anna
Order of St. Anna
The Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
for bravery, and made Commander of the Order of Bath and Aide-de-camp to the King
Personal Aide-de-Camp
A Personal Aide-de-Camp is a senior officer of the military of any Commonwealth realm who is appointed to act as the honorary military attendant to the monarch or any of his or her viceroys...
.
Early life
Molteno was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, then part of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
; his father was John Charles Molteno
John Charles Molteno
Sir John Charles Molteno KCMG was a soldier, businessman, champion of responsible government and the first Prime Minister of the Cape Colony.-Early life:...
who at the time was Prime Minister of the Cape. His father died when he was 14 years old, and he left the colony to enter the Royal Navy as a cadet. Quickly distinguished as a gun specialist, in 1893 he took part in the Vitu Expedition to Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
as a lieutenant to crush the slave trade and was awarded the General African Medal. His effectiveness and skill on this mission were repeatedly mentioned in despatches, and led to his being promoted to Commander. Molteno was later promoted to flag captain in 1913 and vice-admiral in 1926.
World War I
He commanded several warships in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, including HMS Revenge
HMS Revenge (1892)
HMS Revenge was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Royal Sovereign class of the British Royal Navy. She was renamed HMS Redoubtable in 1915. HMS Revenge notably served as the flagship of the Flying Squadron and bombarding the coast of Flanders during World War I before being refitted as an...
, Antrim
HMS Antrim (1903)
HMS Antrim was a 10,850 ton Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the British Royal Navy, built by John Brown & Company and launched on 8 October 1903. Like her sisters, she served in the First World War and survived. After the war she became the first ship to be fitted with an experimental sonar...
, King George V
HMS King George V (1911)
The first HMS King George V was a King George V-class of 1911 dreadnought, with a displacement of 23,400 tonnes and an armament of ten 13.5 inch guns in twin gun turrets and a secondary armament of sixteen 4 inch guns and had a crew complement of 870, though this increased...
, Shannon
HMS Shannon (1906)
HMS Shannon was a ship of the Minotaur-class of armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy.-Career:She was built at Chatham and launched on 20 September 1906. She served in the First World War with her sisters and fought at Jutland, where she was captained by John S. Dumaresq...
, Minotaur
HMS Minotaur (1906)
HMS Minotaur was the lead ship of the Minotaur-class of armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy, launched in 1906.-Career:She served in the First World War with her sisters, taking part in convoy duties from Australia to the Mediterranean. She fought at Jutland as part of the Second Cruiser Squadron. ...
, Bellerophon
HMS Bellerophon (1907)
HMS Bellerophon was a dreadnought of the Royal Navy. She was the lead ship of the Bellerophon class, and the fourth Royal Navy vessel to bear the name of the mythic Greek hero...
and HMS Redoubtable, successfully leading the bombardment of German bases along the Flanders coast. He also served as Flag-Captain of the 2nd Battle Squadron and the 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
Molteno fought at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
, the largest naval engagement of the First World War, commanding from the Armoured cruiser HMS Warrior
HMS Warrior (1905)
HMS Warrior was a Duke of Edinburgh-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1900s. She was stationed in the Mediterranean when the First World War began and participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser and light cruiser . Warrior was transferred to the Grand Fleet in...
.
HMS Warrior was part of the ill-fated First Cruiser Squadron, which was deployed as a vanguard several miles ahead of the main British fleet. When contact was first made with the German High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
, the First Cruiser Squadron was ordered by Rear-Admiral Arbuthnot
Sir Robert Arbuthnot, 4th Baronet
Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Keith Arbuthnot, 4th Baronet, KCB, MVO was a British Royal Navy officer during World War I...
to engage, and thus soon found itself facing the combined firepower of the German Dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
s. Hopelessly outgunned, the other ships in Arbuthnot's squadron were swiftly blown to pieces and sank - taking their entire crews (as well as Admiral Arbuthnot himself) down with them.
HMS Warrior fought on, exchanging fire for a considerable time with the combined line of German dreadnoughts. While able to manoeuvre to somewhat minimise the damage, Warrior was nevertheless taking hits from 11-inch and 5.9-inch shells, and beginning to suffer large fires and massive carnage on deck. With casualties mounting and signs of flooding, Molteno manoeuvred Warrior out of harms way as the beleaguered HMS Warspite unintentionally drew the enemy fire.
Once out of danger, Molteno had the heavily damaged ship taken in tow, and the crew were safely landed before the ship was finally discarded and allowed to sink.
He was awarded the Order of St. Anna
Order of St. Anna
The Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
with Swords for his exceptional performance at the battle.
A newspaper from the time reports:
Molteno then led attacks on German forces that were covering axis convoys in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, commanding from HMS Shannon
HMS Shannon (1906)
HMS Shannon was a ship of the Minotaur-class of armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy.-Career:She was built at Chatham and launched on 20 September 1906. She served in the First World War with her sisters and fought at Jutland, where she was captained by John S. Dumaresq...
, and when hostilities ended he was appointed aide-de-camp to the King
Personal Aide-de-Camp
A Personal Aide-de-Camp is a senior officer of the military of any Commonwealth realm who is appointed to act as the honorary military attendant to the monarch or any of his or her viceroys...
and made Commander of the Order of Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
.
He retired in 1921 as a Rear-Admiral but was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1926 while on the retired list. He died on 12 November 1952 aged 80.
Family life
Molteno married Ethel Manwaring Robertson in 1915, and they had one daughter Viola born in 1917. Ethel had been married twice before, firstly to George Batley in 1895 and then James Swanston in 1901.Further reading
- Uys, I. South African Military History Who's who. 1452-1992. Fortress Publishers Germiston (1992). ISBN 095831733X.