A Second War ‘Battle of Cape Matapan’ D.S.C. group of nine awarded to Lieutenant G. E. Allen, Royal Navy, Gunnery Officer in H.M.S. Warspite during the battle of Calabria in July 1940 when the ship achieved one of the longest range gunnery hits from a moving ship to a moving target in history, hitting Giulio Cesare at a range of approximately 24 km; and also in the same battleship at the battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941 when he was decorated for his ‘efficiency and successful results’ obtained by the ship during the action, three Italian cruisers and two destroyers being sunk

Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1942 and additionally engraved ‘Lieut. G. E. Allen R.N.’; 1914-15 Star (J.12853. G. E. Allen. A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.12853 G. E. Allen. P.O. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals, mounted for display together with a ‘Portsmouth Port Rifle and Revolver Meeting’ prize medal with ribbon bar inscribed ‘General’s Cup’, nearly very fine (10) £1,600-£2,000

D.S.C. London Gazette 3 February 1942: ‘For bravery and enterprise in the Battle of Cape Matapan.’ One D.S.O., two D.S.Cs. and one Bar, and 20 D.S.Ms. awarded for the battle of Cape Matapan.

The recommendation for the Immediate award of the D.S.C. states: ‘Commissioned Gunner George Enos Allen. Battle of Cape Matapan. As officer in charge of the 15” Transmitting Station, Mr Allen contributed very materially to the Gunnery efficiency and successful results obtained by H.M.S. “Warspite” during the action. Mr Allen has been in charge of the 15” T.S. during the action off Calabria and for three bombardments of shore positions, in all of which he has performed most valuable service.’

George Enos Allen was born at Deptford, London, on 14 September 1894, and joined the Navy directly from school on 24 July 1911, as a Boy 2nd Class in H.M.S. Ganges II. He joined the Gunnery branch and advanced through the rates to become Petty Officer by the end of the Great War, having served throughout the war aboard H.M.S. Emperor of India from October 1914. He passed for Gunner in January 1919 and was promoted to Acting Gunner and transferred to the Officers’ Section on 1 July 1923 and appointed to Excellent. His ability as a gunner is noted throughout by his various Captain’s reports with frequent ‘Above Average’, and ‘Has outstanding technical ability and is of great value to the (G) Dept., but he is not naturally good at imparting his wide knowledge to others. Has exceptional ability and experience of Fire Control - Capt. Crutchley.’

Allen was promoted to Commissioned Gunner on 1 July 1923, and qualified as a ‘Dagger Gunner’ in November 1925, giving him a particular emphasis on director control identified by a dagger suffix to his rank title in the Navy List. In this rank he joined the battleship Warspite under Captain Victor Crutchley in December 1936, whilst she was undergoing a comprehensive refit which included a new fire control system and the addition of two Fairy Swordfish float-planes. Warspite took a very active part in the battles of Narvik in 1940, the gunnery proving to be exceptionally effective.

Battle of Calabria

Moving to the Mediterranean, now under the overall command of Admiral ‘A.B.C.’ Cunningham, the fleet engaged the Italian fleet at the battle of Calabria on 9 July 1940. During the battle Warspite achieved one of the longest range gunnery hits from a moving ship to a moving target in history, hitting Giulio Cesare at a range of approximately 24 km (26,000 yd), the other being a shot from Scharnhorst which hit Glorious at approximately the same distance in June 1940. Captain Douglas Fisher noted of Allen, ‘An extremely able officer with exceptional technical knowledge who has carried out his duty as officer in charge of Warspite’s 15in. T.S. with marked ability’, recognition, if any were needed, of his success in this action.

Battle of Cape Matapan

On 27 March 1941, Admiral Cunningham took his fleet to sea, flying his flag in Warspite, to intercept the Italian fleet which had sailed to intercept Allied convoys between Egypt and Greece, in an attempt to support the German invasion of the Balkans. On 28 March the British cruisers encountered the Italian fleet and were forced to turn away by the heavy guns of Vittorio Veneto. To save his cruisers Cunningham ordered an air strike, prompting the Italians to retreat. Subsequent air attacks damaged the battleship and the cruiser Pola, slowing the former and crippling the latter. Vittorio Veneto escaped to the west as dusk fell, but the British pursued through the night, first detecting Pola on radar and then two of her sister ships. Warspite, Valiant, and Barham closed on the unsuspecting Italian ships and, aided by searchlights, destroyed the heavy cruisers Fiume and Zara, and two destroyers at point blank range. Pola was also sunk once her crew had been taken off. Having established by aerial reconnaissance that the rest of the Italian fleet had escaped, Warspite returned to Alexandria on 29 March, surviving air attacks without suffering any casualties. The Battle of Cape Matapan had a paralysing effect on the Italian fleet, providing the Royal Navy with an opportunity to tighten its grip on the Mediterranean theatre.

Allen left Warspite in April 1941 and was promoted to Lieutenant (G) on 12 November 1941, receiving his well-earned D.S.C. early in the following year. He spent the remainder of the war on the Staff of Excellent, employed on ‘Dagger’ duties as a gunnery instructor and was placed on the Retired List in February 1948.