Max Kennedy Horton

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Max Kennedy Horton bigraphy, stories - Royal Navy admiral

Max Kennedy Horton : biography

29 November 1883 – 30 July 1951

Admiral Sir Max Kennedy Horton, GCB, DSO and two bars SGM (29 November 1883 – 30 July 1951) was a British submariner in World War I and commander-in-chief of the Western Approaches in the latter half of World War II, responsible for British participation in the Second World War’s Battle of the Atlantic.

Interbellum

During the 1920s, Horton served as captain of HMS Conquest and of the battleship HMS Resolution. On 17 October 1932, Horton was promoted rear admiral with flag on board the battleship HMS Malaya. Three years later he took command of the 1st Cruiser Squadron with flag onboard HMS London. Promoted to vice admiral in 1937, he commanded the Reserve Fleet.

First World War

Horton joined the Royal Navy officer training ship, HMS Britannia on 15 September 1898. Whilst on , he was involved in the rescue efforts when ran aground off Cape Spartel and was subsequently awarded the The Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea in silver.

The outbreak of war saw Lieutenant-Commander Horton in command of one of the first British ocean-going submarines, the 800-ton . At dawn on 13 September 1914, he torpedoed the German light cruiser six miles southwest of Heligoland. Hela was hit amidships with the two torpedoes, fired from a range of 600 yards. All but two of her crew were rescued by the and another German ship. Although pursued most of the day by German naval forces, E9 managed to reach Harwich safely. Entering the port, Horton initiated the tradition of British submariners of hoisting the Jolly Roger after a successful patrol.

Three weeks later, Horton sank the German destroyer S 116 off the mouth of the river Ems. For sinking the cruiser and the destroyer, Horton was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). Sent to the Baltic Sea as part of a British flotilla, Horton sank another destroyer and a number of merchant vessels and damaged the German armoured cruiser SMS Prinz Adalbert. During this period, on 31 December 1914, Horton was promoted to Commander.

In 1917, Horton was awarded the bar to his DSO for long and arduous services in command of overseas submarines. Three years later, as a captain, he was awarded a second bar to his DSO for distinguished service in command of the Baltic submarine flotilla.

Honours and awards

  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (14 June 1945, King’s Birthday Honours); KCB (2 January 1939, New Year Honours); CB (4 June 1934, Birthday Honours)
  • Distinguished Service Order and two bars (21 October 1914, highly successful attacks on German men-of-war; 2 November 1917, for long and arduous services in command of overseas submarines; 8 March 1920, distinguished service in command of the Baltic submarine flotilla)
  • Mention in Despatches (11 July 1940)
  • The Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea in silver (1911)
  • Order of St. George, 4th Class (Russia) (LG 15 November 1915)
  • Grand Officer of the Légion d’honneur (France)
  • Croix de Guerre with Palmes (France)
  • Order of St. Vladimir 4th Class with swords (Russia)
  • Order of St. Anna, 2nd Class with swords and diamonds (Russia)
  • Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd Class
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands, 12 May 1942)
  • Chief Commander of Legion of Merit (USA, 28 May 1946)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olaf (Norway, 13 January 1948; services to Norway)

Second World War

With the onset of World War II, Horton was put in command of the so-called Northern Patrol enforcing the distant maritime blockade of Germany in the seas between Orkney and the Faroes. In 1940, he was made commander of all home-seas-based submarines, even though he was far more senior in rank than the Flag Officer Submarines had traditionally been, because of a new Admiralty regulation that the Flag Officer Submarines had to be an officer who had served aboard submarines in the Great War. Horton’s biographer, Rear Admiral William S. Chalmers, cites the opinion that this regulation was forced through for the sole purpose of ensuring that Horton was on a very short list of qualifiers for this post, almost ensuring his rapid transfer to Aberdour, so great was the desire of some within the Admiralty to have Horton revitalize the submarine arm.