In September 1939 over 145 ships of the Royal Navy were manned by sailors of the Chatham Division. They were to serve worldwide and receive many Battle Honours for their actions. The cost however was high, with forty one Chatham ships sunk and over 10,500 Chatham sailors killed. In December 1939 the first major victory at sea was secured for the Royal Navy by the South Atlantic squadron, led by the Chatham manned cruiser, HMS Ajax, in the Battle of the River Plate. The photograph to the right shows the HMS Ajax being towed into Chatham Dockyard by tugs for repairs following the Battle of the River Plate, 1940.
