CAESAR-Class Fleet Destroyer of the 11th Emergency Flotilla ordered on 24th March 1942 from Scotts at Greenock with a sister ship. The ships were originally to be named SPITFIRE and STRENUOUS but the names were changed in November 1942 as part of rationalisation of names for the Class. This ship was laid down on 14th August 1942 and was launched on 10th December 1943 as HMS CAMBRIAN. She was the seventh Royal Navy warship to have this name, introduced for a 3rd Rate in 1797 and last used by a trawler hired in September 1939 for use a Boarding Vessel and sunk by a mine in May 1940. The build was completed on 17th July 1944 by John Brown at Clydebank at the request of Scotts and she replaced HM Destroyer JACKAL as the ship adopted by the civil community of Colwyn Bay, Wales.  (Note: HM Destroyer JACKAL was lost after air attacks when she sank in tow on 11 May 1942 and had been allocated after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in November 1941).

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

NAVARINO  1827 - CHINA  1860 - ARCTIC  1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field White, On a mount Green the Dragon of Wales.

 

M o t t o

Parves pars magna:  'Of a small people I am a great part'.

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

 

 

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July                      Contractors trials and commissioned for service with 6th Destroyer Flotilla.

                             (Note: Work to complete build  had been transferred to Clydebank.

                                         Delay in availability of fire control equipment and Mark 6 Director  had prevented

                                         delivery of ship at an earlier date.).

           17th           Build completed and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                             On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with ships

                             of Home Fleet.

 

August                 Worked-up for operational service with Home Fleet.

 

September           Deployed with Flotilla for screening of major units of Home Fleet units.

October               Flotilla duties based at Scapa Flow in continuation.

           20th          Joined HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE and HM Cruiser BELLONA as part of destroyer

                            screen with HM Destroyers CAPRICE, CASSANDRA, SAVAGE, SCOURGE, VENUS,

                            VERULAM and ZAMBESI.

           21st          Deployed with above ships to carry cut offensive sweep

           23rd          Carrier aircraft made attacks on airfield at Bardufoss and targets at Sorreisa.

                            Nominated for duty with HM Cruiser BERWICK and HM Escort Carrier CAMPANIA for escort

                            of ss EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and ss SCYTHIA as Convoy JW61A.

                            (For details of all Russian Convoy operations and names of ships deployed see THE RUSSIAN

                            CONVOYS by B Schoefield,  CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,  ARCTIC CONVOYS by

                            R Woodman and  CONVOY ! by P Kemp.)

 

November

            2nd          Deployed with HM Destroyers CAPRICE and CASSANDRA of Flotilla, SAUMAREZ,

                            SCOURGE and SERAPIS of 23rd Destroyer Flotilla as Ocean Escort for above ships during

                            passage to Murmansk.

                            (Note: These two mercantiles were carrying 11,000 Russian Nationals captured in Normandy

                                        whilst serving with the German army and Norwegian troops who were to take part in a

                                        planned operation with Russian troops.

            6th           Detached with ships of escort on arrival at Murmansk after fast passage.

          11th           Sailed from Murmansk as part of escort for same two mercantiles as Convoy RA61A.

                            (Note: The escort comprised same ships as JW61A with HM Destroyers SCORPION and

                                        SAVAGE which had made an independent, passage to Russia with an Advance Party

                                        of Norwegian troops to join a planned operation with  Russian forces

                                        (Operation FREEMAN)

          17th           Detached on arrival of mercantiles in Clyde and returned to Scapa Flow.

 

December

            1st           Deployed with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, BULLDOG, CAESAR, CAPRICE, CASSANDRA,

                            KEPPEL, OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT, ONSLOW, ORIBI, ORWELL and

                            WESTCOTT as screen for HM Cruiser BELLONA, KM Escort Carriers CAMPANIA and

                            NAIRANA as escort for passage of Russian Convoy JW62 to Kola Inlet.

            7th           Detached from JW62 on arrival at Kola Inlet after uninterrupted passage.

           10th          Sailed from Kola Inlet with same ships as escort for return Convoy RA62.

                            (Note: Prior to departure of RA62 known assembly of U-Boats off Kola Inlet were attacked by

                                        Sloops and Frigates which had also accompanied JW62 for anti­submarine protection.

                                        See above references.

           11th          HMS CASSANDRA of 6th Flotilla was hit by torpedo from U365 and had to return to Kola

                            Inlet for repair.

           12th          HM Norwegian Corvette TUNSBERG CASTLE was lost after striking a mine.

                            (See WARSHIP LOSSES by D Brown and above references.)

                            Torpedo attacks by German aircraft failed.

           13th          Aircraft from HMS CAMPANIA sank U365-

           19th          Resumed Flotilla duties in Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                Deployed with Flotilla at Scapa Flow with Home Fleet.

to                          Nominated for service with Flotilla in East Indies Fleet after refit.

May

 

June                     Under refit prior to Foreign service.

 

July                      Passage to Ceylon with Flotilla to join East Indies Fleet after work-up.

 

August                Joined Fleet at Trincomalee after VJ Day.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS CAMBRIAN returned to UK in May 1946 after serving with 6th Flotilla in the Indian Ocean. The ship was  then paid off and reduced to Reserve status. As part of a modernisation programme she was taken out of Reserve during the 1950's and on completion was commissioned for service in 1963. She then remained in service until 1968 and was deployed mainly on foreign service. After being laid-up at Portsmouth the ship remained in Reserve until August 1971 when placed on the Disposal List and sold to BISCO for demolition by T W Ward.. She arrived  in tow at the breakers’ yard in Briton Ferry on 3rd September. This name is now used for the Headquarters of the Royal Naval Reserve Division at Penarth.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS CAMBRIAN

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above 

(Note on Convoys)