Improved SOUTHAMPTON or
Edinburgh-Class "heavy" cruiser
ordered on 15th August 1936 from Swan Hunter at Wallsend under the 1936
Estimates on with sister ship HMS BELFAST from Harland and Wolf at Belfast. The
ship was laid down in December 1936 and launched on 31st March 1938 as the 45th
RN ship to carry this name introduced for a 5th Rate Scots ship ROYAL WILLIAM
transferred to the RN in 1707 and last
used for a Turret Ship in 1882, sold in 1910. Build was completed on 3rd August
1939 and she joined the Home Fleet for working-up before outbreak of war. This cruiser was not adopted by a civil
community as a result of a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign during 1941
and 1942.
1 9 3 9
August Contractors trials and commissioning
3rd Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion took passage to
Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
operation al service in 18th Cruiser Squadron.
September
On completion of work-up joined
18th Cruiser Squadron for Home Fleet duties.
8th Deployed with HM Battleship HOOD, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN and
HM Cruiser
BELFAST in NW Approaches for interception
of enemy merchant ships and raiders
18th Deployed on patrol in NW Approaches.
26th Joined HM Battleships NELSON and RODNEY, HMS HOOD, HMS RENOWN,
HM Aircraft
Carrier ARK ROYAL and HM Cruiser
NEWCASTLE, screened by
destroyers of the 4th and 8th Destroyer Flotillas covered by
the 2nd Cruiser Squadron and
ships of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla escorting the damaged submarine
HMS SPEARFISH
from Horns Reef.
October
1st Transferred to 2nd Cruiser Squadron when
relieved by HM Cruiser
SUFFOLK.
8th Searched with HM Cruisers GLASGOW and SOUTHAMPTON for the German
battleship
GNEISENAU
and cruiser KOLN reported in
North Sea.
16th Damaged by splinters from near misses during air attack on ships
of the Home
Fleet in Firth of
Forth.
30th Under repair in HM Dockyard Rosyth.
November
12th Transferred to Humber Estuary for
North Sea patrol duty in case of possible
break out of German warships into the
Atlantic.
23rd Joined HM Cruisers SOUTHAMPTON and AURORA with three destroyers
to search in
Fair
Isle Channel for German Battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU following
the loss of HM Armed Merchant Cruiser RAWALPINDI.
December
2nd Returned to
Humber for North Sea patrol duty.
Boiler clean in HM Dockyard, Rosyth.
1 9 4 0
January
7th Deployed with HM Cruiser GLASGOW for convoy escort In Atlantic.
12th Resumed interception duty in
North Sea and NW Approaches.
28th Deployed with HMS GLASGOW and four Fleet destroyers to escort
HM Submarine
SEAL
during return from patrol and unable to dive.
February Interception patrol in NW Approaches
and North
Sea.
(Note:
For further information about Home Fleet operations between September
1939 until
the German invasion of
Norway in April 1940 see ENGAGE
THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and ARMED MERCHANT
CRUISERS by K.Poolman).
March Under
repair in builders shipyard at
Newcastle to correct structural design
to weakness which had caused cracks
in hull abaft hangar. Air warning radar Type
September 279 was fitted during this period.
(Note:
Details of design weaknesses in this ship and HMS BELFAST are given
in A CENTURY OF NAVAL CONSTRUCTION by D. K. Brown,
RCNC.)
October Joined
18th Cruiser Squadron and worked-up for service.
November Deployed in
Atlantic on convoy defence between
UK and
Freetown because of the
threat of German warship attacks. ADD New items in existing November
1940
record.
17th Joined military convoy WS4B at
Liverpool as Ocean Escort during Atlantic
passage
to
Freetown.
29th Detached from WS4B on arrival at Freetown.
December On return to Home waters from
Freetown detached for patrol off
Iceland with
HMS HOOD.
1 9 4 1
January
3rd Provided Ocean Escort for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during
minelay in Northern
Barrage
(Operation SN6).
24th Deployed with HMS BIRMINGHAM and destroyer screen to join HM Cruisers
AURORA
and NAIAD to cover passage to Kirkwall of merchant ships escaping from
Sweden.
Escorted the ships able to enter the North Sea to Kirkwall. (Operation RUBBLE).
February Relieved HM Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN
as escort for a military convoy TC9
bringing Canadian troops to
UK.
17th Covered minelay by ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron in Northern
Barrage.
(Operation SN7B and SN68A).
March
3rd Deployed with NIGERIA in support of
Commando Raid on Lofoten Islands.
11th Covered minelay by ships of ML1 in Northern Barrage (Operation
SN68B)
24th Joined HM Battleships NELSON and REVENGE in
Clyde for deployment as Ocean
Escort
for military convoy WS7 during Atlantic passage.
28th HMS REVENGE detached with mv GEORGIC
for passage to
Halifax.
29th Detached from WS 7 and returned to Scapa Flow to resume duty
with Home Fleet.
April Deployed
on convoy defence and interception in NW Approaches.
May
6th Covered minelay by ships of ML1 in Northern Barrage (Operation
SN9A).
7th Diverted to Join HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM and
MANCHESTER with four
destroyers to intercept German weather ship MUNCHEN.
On approach. HM Destroyer SOMALI sent boarding party which recovered
ENIGMA
documentation before enemy ship sank.
(Note:
Battle Honour
NORWAY 1940-41 must relate to this operation
as HMS
EDINBURGH was under repair during the operations
off Norway in 1940).
24th Diverted to Join Home Fleet in search for German battleship
BISMARCK after
the sinking of HMS HOOD.
25th Intercepted German supply ship
LECH which was taken as Prize
27th Returned to Londonderry to refuel and
resumed Northern Patrol.
June Home
Fleet duties based at Scapa Flow for interception patrols in continuation.
Nominated for escort of military convoy.
29th Joined convoy WS9B in
Clyde as part of Ocean Escort during Atlantic
passage to Freetown.
(Note:
HM Armed Merchant Cruisers
CATHAY, CHITRAL and
MORETON
BAY
with HM: Cruiser GALATEA were also part of Ocean Escort.
July
3rd Detached from WS9B and took passage to resume Home Fleet duties
at Scapa
Flow.
12th Nominated for detached service with other Home Fleet ships for
escort of
Malta relief
convoy.
15th Detached from Home Fleet with HMS NELSON, HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER and
ARETHUSA,
HM Minelayer MANXMAN and 11 Fleet destroyers to escort
Malta
relief convoy from
UK (Operation SUBSTANCE).
2Oth Joined escort for Convoy WS9C during passage. Detached to join Force X.
21st Part of Force X with HMS ARETHUSA, HMS MANXMAN, HM
Destroyers COSSACK,
MAORI and SIKH for escort of merchants through to Malta.
24th Under E-Boat attack in Skerki Channel.
25th Rejoined Force H ships with empty merchantmen for
escort to Gibraltar.
27th Deployed in Atlantic for defence of
Freetown convoys.
August Atlantic
convoy defence duties in continuation.
10th Joined military convoy WS11 during passage in
Atlantic from
Clyde to
Freetown and
relieved HM Cruiser
LONDON as Ocean Escort.
17th Arrived at
Freetown with WS11
21st Joined WS 11 on departure as Ocean Escort with HM Destroyer JUPITER
during
passage to
Cape Town.
September Nominated for escort of military convoy.
2nd Detached from WS 11 on arrival at
Cape Town and took passage to
Gibraltar to join
escort for
Malta convoy.
18th Deployed with HM Battleships PRINCE OF
WALES, NELSON and RODNEY,
HM
Cruisers KENYA, EURYALUS and Fleet destroyers for escort of convoy
GM1 from UK (Operation HALBERD).
24th Part of Force X with HM Cruisers
KENYA,
SHEFFIELD, HERMIONE and
EURYALUS for escort of merchant snips through to Malta.
27th Under heavy air attacks and a threat from a superior Italian force
which did
not materialise.
28th Escorted returning convoy MG2 from
Malta to
Gibraltar.
30th Arrived at
Gibraltar.
October Passage
to UK with Home Fleet ships.
November Deployed on convoy defence and interception
duty in NW Approaches.
December NW Approaches deployment in continuation
Nominated
with HM Destroyers ECHO and ESCAPADE.
12th Joined PQ6 after delay due to heavy weather and refuelling in
Iceland..
See
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.
13th Detached for gunnery exercises.
14th Provided fuel to HMS ESCAPADE in extreme
icing conditions.
18th HMS ESCAPADE detached to investigate engagement between HM Minesweepers
HAZARD and SPEEDY and German minelaying destroyers. See above
reference.
19th Detached from PQ6 for escort of two Russian mercantiles into
Murmansk
20th Lost contact with one mercantile and detached HMS
ECHO to escort second ship into
Murmansk
20th Under air attack which was repelled by Russian
HURRICANES.
Arrived
at Murmansk with mercantile and took passage to Kola Inlet.
1 9 4 2
January Deployed
in Kola Inlet to await departure of return Convoy QP4.
5th Relieved Local Escort for Convoy QP4 from
Archangel and deployed as Ocean Escort
with HM Destroyers ESCAPADE and
ECHO.
9th Detached when QP6 dispersed and took passage
to
Scapa Flow.
15th Under refit in Tyne shipyard.
February Under
refit.
March
8th Rejoined Home Fleet and deployed on Northern Patrol.
21st Part of reinforced Home Fleet Distant Cover for Russian Convoy
PQ13 and the
returning Convoy QP9. Joined HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and
DUKE OF
YORK,
HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS and HM Cruiser
KENT.
screened by eleven Home Fleet destroyers.
(Note:
This was required because of the threat presented by the deployment of German
major warships, TIRPITZ, ADMIRAL SCHEER and HIPPER in Northern
waters.
For details
of Russian Convoy operations see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
by Corelli Barrett, CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by R. Ruegg
and
CONVOY ! by P Kemp).
April
3rd Met US Navy ships, the battleship USS WASHINGTON, aircraft carrier
USS WASP, the
cruisers TUSCALOOSA and WICHITA with a screen of nine USN destroyers
as Task
Force 69. These allied warships were joining the British Home
Fleet whilst RN
Ships
were deployed for
Madagascar landings.
9th Joined Distant Covering force for Russian Convoy PQ14 with the
destroyers
HMS
FORESIGHT and HMS FORESTER but did not join close escort.
25th Independent passage to
Murmansk with steel plates for repair of
the damaged
cruiser HMS TRINIDAD and to embark gold bullion for transfer
to UK.
29th Sailed from Murmansk to join returning
convoy.
30th On Joining escort for Convoy QP11 whilst taking position ahead
of the body of
ships was twice attacked by German submarine U456. The first
attack failed but
on the second attempt two torpedoes struck on the starboard side.
One hit
amidships and the other blew away the stern structure including
the rudder.
Although
the ship was able to use the port shafts, steering by engines was
impracticable because of the prevailing weather conditions. Little
progress
was made and a towing attempt by HMS FORESTER failed when the
tow broke
HMS FORESIGHT
was then taken in tow by the damaged cruiser which proved
much more successful until both destroyers had to be detached
to refuel.
May
1st After making slow progress eastwards other RN ships and a Russian
tug arrived
but an attempt to tow again failed. Despite the significant damage
the main
armament could still be used in Local Control.
2nd Engaged German destroyers making torpedo attacks and hit SCHOEMANN
which was
abandoned by her crew and subsequently sank. One of the torpedoes
fired by
the German destroyer Z24 hit the ship on the port side amidships
abreast
the hangar. Further major damage amidships sealed her fate as
it was unlikely
that the structure could remain intact. As salvage was clearly
impracticable
the ship had to be abandoned. 790 men of the 847 in the complement
were taken
off by HM Minesweepers HARRIER and GOSSAMER before HMS FORESIGHT
was ordered to sink the ship by torpedo. The final casualty list
recorded that 78
men were killed and 43 wounded. (Casualty List
-
note on casualties)
For details
see ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman and Naval Staff History.
(Note:
More details of this heroic action are given in THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS
by B. B. Schoefield, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett,
CONVOY! by P. Kemp and in the Naval Staff War History).
95% of
bullion was recovered in the 1981 despite the fact that the wrecked
hull of HMS BELFAST is designated as a "War Grave").
