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Admiral Sir Max Kennedy Horton

Admiral Sir Max Kennedy Horton, GCB, DSO & Two Bars, SGM (1893-1951) was the son of Robert Joseph Angel Horton and his wife Esther Maude née Goldsmid.

He joined the Royal Navy officer training ship, HMS Britannia on 15 September 1898. Whilst on HMS Duke of Edinburgh in December 1911 , he was involved in the rescue efforts when SS Delhi ran aground off Cape Spartel and was subsequently awarded the Board of Trade Medal for Saving Life at Sea (S.G.M).

WW1

The outbreak of WW1 saw Lieutenant-Commander Horton in command of one of the first British ocean-going submarines, the 800-ton HMS E9. At dawn on 13 September 1914, he torpedoed the German light cruiser SMS Hela six miles southwest of Heligoland. Hela was hit amidships with the two torpedoes, fired from a range of 600 yards.

E9
E9

Three weeks later, Horton sank the German destroyer S116 off the mouth of the river Ems. For sinking the cruiser and the destroyer, Horton was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

Returning from Russia in 1915, Max Horton assumed command of the very large submarine J6 and did a number of strenuous patrols in the North Sea. Later Horton was selected to command and supervise the building of the experimental submarine M1. She was a notable departure from existing design, carrying, in addition to her torpedo armament a twelve-inch gun mounted in a turret.

M1
M1

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.

Promoted to vice admiral in 1937, he was given command of the Reserve Fleet that year.

WW2

With the onset of World War 2, Horton was put in command of the Northern Patrol enforcing the distant maritime blockade of Germany in the seas between Orkney and the Faroes. In 1940, he was made Rear Admiral Submarines.

He was responsible for the creation of convoy rescue ships, which accompanied some Atlantic convoys to rescue survivors from ships sunk by enemy action. Rescue ships were typically small freighters with passenger accommodations. Conversion to rescue service involved enlarging galley and food storage areas and providing berthing and sanitary facilities for approximately 150 men.

Having been promoted to full Admiral on 9 January 1941, Horton was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches Command on 17 November 1942. Here he instituted a series of tactical changes in the way the escort ships were to be used. In addition to the existing escort group system, in which groups of ships were assigned to defend the perimeter of convoy boxes, Horton instituted a system of support groups, who would also travel with the convoys, but have much more freedom in pursuing submarines to the death, even if such action necessitated leaving the convoy for longer periods of time than were considered acceptable for escort groups. Horton's support groups proved to be decisive in the crucial spring of 1943, taking the battle to the U-boats and crushing the morale of the U-boat arm with persistent and successful counter-attacks. Horton is widely credited, along with his predecessor, Admiral Sir Percy Noble, as being one of the most crucial figures in the Allied victory in the Atlantic. In August 1945, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June 1945 and was Bath King of Arms from January 1946. He was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool.

He died aged 57 on the 30th of July 1951 in London, his remains were cremated and a Naval Funeral was held in Liverpool when his ashes were placed in the south east transept of Liverpool Cathedral.

Honours and awards

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Petty Officer 1st Class Albert George Hodder Frederick Robert Knight