Ca-Class Fleet Destroyer of the 11th Emergency Flotilla ordered in February 1942 from Yarrow at Scotstoun. The ship was originally to be named TOURMALINE but this was changed in November 1942 as part of the rationalisation of names for the Class. She was laid down on 30th January 1943 and given the name CASSANDRA when launched on 29th November 1943. She was the 5th Royal Navy warship to carry this name, introduced in 1805 and previously used by a cruiser sunk in the Baltic during December 1918. The build was completed en 28th July 1944 and she had been adopted by the civil community of Surbiton, Surrey after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942.

 

B a t t l e  H o n o u r s

 

ARCTIC 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, a woman's head affronte with two snakes

wreathed round her neck and poised about her ears all Proper.

 

M o t t o

Furiosior undis:   More mad than the waves'

 

 

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)

 

 

1 9 4 4

 

July                    Contractor's sea trials and commissioned .for service with 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.

          25th          Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

 

August              On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.

                            Worked up for service at Scapa Flow with Home Fleet ships.

 

September          Deployed with Flotilla for screening duties in Home Fleet.

 

October              Home Fleet duties with Flotilla in continuation.

          23rd          Deployed with screen for HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE and HM Cruiser BELLONA

                            with HM Destroyers VENUS, SCOURGE, SAVAGE, VERULAM, CAPRICE, ZAMBESI

                            and CAMBRIAN during air attacks on Sorreisa and Bardufoss as well as photo-reconnaissance

                            of the German battleship TIRPITZ in Tromso area.

                            For details of naval activities in Norway see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by

                            Corelli Barnett, CONVOY1 by P Kemp and Naval Staff History.)

.         31st           Detached for escort of ss EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA carrying Russian nationals who had

                            been captured by the allies in Normandy.

 

November

           2nd           Joined EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA with HM Cruiser BERWICK, HM Escort Carrier

                            CAMPANIA, HM Destroyers CAMBRIAN, CAPRICE, SAUMAREZ, SCOURGE and

                            SERAPIS for passage to Kola Inlet as Russian Convoy JW61A.

          11th           Return passage to Clyde with same ships.

 

 

December

            1st           Joined escort of Russian Convoy JW62 with HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Escort Carriers

                            CAMPANIA and NAIRANA. HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Destroyers CAESAR, CAMBRIAN,

                            CAPRICE of Flotilla and HM Destroyers ONSLOW, OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT,

                            ORIBI and ORWELL of 17th Flotilla.

          10th          Carried cut offensive sweep against known assembly of U-Boats in Kola Inlet.

                            Joined escort for returning Convoy RA62 with same ships.

          11th          Hit by torpedo from U3&5 which demolished forward bow structure and caused some

                            fatal casualties.

                            Returned to Kola Inlet .under tow by HM Frigate BAHAMAS.

                            (For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,

                            ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and

                            CONVOY! by P Kemp).

 

1 9 4 5

 

January

            5th          Docked for emergency repair at Murmansk.

 

February             Under repair.

to

March

 

April                   Return passage to UK

 

May                    Under repair

to                         (Note: Drawings for permanent repair and fitting of new structure prepared by Yarrow's.

July                                  New structure being built by Yarrow's.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS CASSANDRA was deployed in the Mediterranean after VJ Day and the permanent repairs to her bow structure were completed. After brief service in the Indian Ocean with the Flotilla she returned to UK and Paid-off. She reduced to Reserve status and was laid-up in Reserve until taken in hand for modernisation She re-commissioned on completion and was deployed in the Far East and Mediterranean until Paying-off in 1966. Placed in Reserve at Portsmouth she was placed on the Disposal List and sold to BISCO for demolition by T W Ward. The ship arrived in tow at the breakers’ yard at Inverkeithing on 28th April 1967.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS CASSANDRA

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)