Although not a particularly large sea area and only a small part of the war at sea, the Moray Firth certainly had its share of

Although not a particularly large sea area and only a small part of the war at sea, the Moray Firth certainly had its share of attention from the enemy, probably due to the Naval Base at Scapa Flow and being in easy range of the German air arm in occupied Norway.

Many people are unaware of the role played and the casualties involved.

More ships were lost and damaged than in the Falklands War, and casualties who were killed and went missing at sea were probably more than double.

The first months of the conflict were known as the "phoney war" as there was no real clash of armies until the Germans invaded Norway and the low countries, in 1940.

It was no phoney war for the crews of the warships, merchant ships and aircrews of the RAF Coastal Command at that time.

Although unlike World War 1, there were no large fleets of battleships and cruisers using the Moray Firth.

As the home fleet sailed to its war station at Scapa Flow, from the Cromarty Firth just before the outbreak of war, it did not return there until 1946. The Cromarty Firth was still used as a main oil storage and refuelling base. Many oil tankers loaded and discharged there and many other ships used the anchorage during World War 2. It was also a flying boat base for the RAF.

Many large convoys sailed through the outer Moray Firth to and from all the large East Coast ports with their escorts and air protection.

A few weeks after the outbreak of war, the tanker "Inverlane" (9,000 tons) on a voyage from the Persian Gulf to Invergordon, with a cargo of fuel oil, struck a mine only a few miles from the safety of the Soutors of Cromarty - four of the crew men died, many people recall seeing the smoking wreck which stayed afloat for several days.

In February 1940 the tanker "Gratafield" (10,000 tons) was torpedoed and sunk by a U-Boat 157 off the coast of Wick - eleven crew men died.

In May 1940 off the seaboard villages, the tanker "San Tabucio" (6,000 tons) was mined and sunk. Eye witnesses recall seeing the bow pointing skywards before she sank.

In early 1940 the naval auxiliary "Durham Castle" (8,000 tons) was mined and sank off the seaboard villages. Eye witnesses recall seeing the masts of the wreck at low tide.

In January 1940, the destroyer HMS "Exmouth" was torpedoed and sunk by U-Boat 22, between Tarbatness and Wick, all hands were lost, (188 men). The wreck was located recently. It was originally thought the “Exmouth” had struck a mine, but post war records confirmed the sinking by U-22.

Around the same time the destroyer HMS "Daring" was torpedoed and sunk by U-23 off Duncansby Head. There were only five survivors from a crew of over 180.

The large fleet mine sweeper "HMS Sphinx" had her bows blown off, by bombing and is believed to have turned over while under tow to the Cromarty Firth. Eventually the wreck ended up on the rocky Caithness coast, according to eye witnesses..

In January 1940 the destroyer HMS "Duncan" arrived in the Cromarty Firth badly damaged after being in a collision in the North Sea, three of her sister ships of the same flotilla had been lost since the beginning of hostilities.

The destroyer HMS "Imogen" was lost in collision with HMS "Glasgow" off Duncansby Head in 1940.

Several small minesweepers were also lost in 1940. One being HMS "Marsona", during the 1942 convoy O.A. was attacked in the outer Moray Firth, two ships were sunk.

Many bomb damaged ships made for the shelter of the Cromarty Firth, for repairs, and to land casualties. So the Moray Firth certainly had an important role to play, in many different ways.