SOUTHAMPTON-Class
cruiser ordered in March
1935 from Fairfield SB at Govan, Glasgow
in the 1935 Estimates and laid down on
17th February 1936. This ship was launched
on 24th March 1937 by Mrs. Montague
Norman, wife of the Governor of the Bank
of England. She was the 8th Royal Navy
ship to carry this name, introduced for a
5th Rate in 1756. It has been
previously borne by a 1909 cruiser sold in
1921. Build was completed on 2nd
November 1938. She was not adopted by a
civil community in UK after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign during 1941 and early 1942 as
the ship was not in commission.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
HELIGOLAND
1914 - MEDITERRANEAN 1940
- CALABRIA
1940 - ARCTIC 1942
- MALTA CONVOYS 1942
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Silver, a
Cormorant Black,
beaked and legged Red,
holding in its beak a branch of seaweed called lavergreen.
M
o t
t o
Deus nobis haec
otia fecit:
'God gave us this ease'
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 3 9
September
Deployed
on
East Indies Station in 5th Cruiser Squadron.
6th
Deployed to meet
HM Depot Ship LUCIA in
Gulf
of
Oman.
10th
Based at
Aden
for
interception of German raiders and
blockade runners.
October
Trade defence duties in
continuation.
November
14th
Transferred to
China Station in continuation.
Passage to
Hong
Kong
with calls
at
Singapore
and
Saigon.
December
10th
Arrived at
Hong
Kong.
14th
Deployed in Chinese waters on trade
defence and interception duty.
1
9 4 0
January
Trade
defence and interception duty off
China
and
Japan
in continuation.
21st
Intercepted and
boarded Japanese liner ASSAMA MARU
off coast of
Japan.
Recovered
21 German seamen who were survivors
from merchant ship COLOMBUS.
which had
scuttled off the east coast of US when
challenged
as a blockade runner.
28th
Taken in hand for
repair in
Hong Kong.
February
On
completion resumed trade defence and
interception duty.
to
March
April
Transferred
to
East Indies Station for duty with HM
Australian Cruiser HOBART in
Red
Sea
Force.
Supported military
operations in
Somaliland.
May
Red Sea Force duty in continuation.
13th
Joined HM Battleship RAMILLIES, HM
Cruisers
KENT and HOBART (RAN), French
cruiser
SUFFREN,
HM Destroyers DECOY, DEFENDER and HM
Sloop
SHOREHAM
as escort
to military
convoy US2
during passage in
Red
Sea.
(Note:
This convoy was taking ANZAC troops to
Middle
East)
17th
Detached for call
at
Port Sudan.
June
Joined
7th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean
Fleet.
Deployed
with HM Battleship WARSPITE and
MALAYA,
HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE,
ships
of Squadron
and destroyers to attack Italian
convoy to
North
Africa
reported on
passage
south of
Crete.
12th
Bombarded positions at Tobruk with HM
Cruiser
GLOUCESTER
and four
destroyers.
Engaged enemy
minesweepers whilst under fire from
shore batteries.
Sank
minesweeper
GIOVANNI BERTA.
27th
Deployed with HM Cruisers
KENT,
GLOUCESTER,
NEPTUNE, ORION and
SYDNEY
to meet HM Cruisers CALEDON
and CAPETOWN to cover passage of
convoy from
Aegean to
Egypt.
Detached
with Cruisers of Squadron to intercept
Italian convoy escorted by three
destroyers.
In
action off Zante
against Italian
warships.
Sank Italian
destroyer ESPERO taking supplies to
Tobruk. Two
others ZEFFIRO
and OSTRO.
Hit
aft by 4.7in shell causing minor
damage.
(Note:
Mediterranean Fleet was mainly
deployed for cover of Convoys MF1 and
MS1
from
Malta
(Operation MA3)
This
operation was later abandoned after
high expenditure of ammunition
against air
attacks)
July
7th
Deployed with HM Battleships WARSPITE,
MALAYA, ROYAL
SOVEREIGN,
HMS
EAGLE, HM Cruisers NEPTUNE,
GLOUCESTER,
ORION and
SYDNEY
screened by
HM Destroyers DAINTY, DEFENDER, HASTY,
HOSTILE,
HYPERION,
ILEX, IMPERIAL, JUNO,
VAMPIRE (RAN) and
VOYAGER (RAN)
as Force A to
provide Distant Cover for passage of
Convoys
MF1 and MS1 in a repeat of
Operation
MA3 (Operation MA5).
8th
Under air attack
from high level bombers during which
HMS GLOUCESTER was damaged.
9th
Took part in brief action against
Italian force including two
battleships and 12 cruisers which
then
withdrew at high speed (Battle of
Calabria).
(Note:
For details of naval activities in
Mediterranean
see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D
MacIntyre and Naval Staff History).
11th
Under air attacks.
13th
Sustained damage in air attacks.
21st
Deployed with HM Cruiser CAPETOWN, HM
Destroyers STUART (RAN), DAINTY,
DEFENDER
and
DIAMOND as
escort for convoy to Aegean ports
and return convoy to
Alexandria.
29th
Hit by bomb on Bridge front which
failed
to explode after passing through B Gun
Deck
.
There
was one fatal casualty.
30th
Transferred to 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
August
Under repair.
30th
Deployed with HMS WARSPITE, HMS
MALAYA,
HMS EAGLE, HMS
KENT,
HMS
GLOUCESTER, HMS ORION and HMAS SYDNEY
screened by Fleet
destroyers
including HM Destroyers DECOY, ILEX,
IMPERIAL,
JANUS, NUBIAN,
VAMPIRE
(RAN), VENDETTA (RAN) and Polish ORP
GARLAND.
September
Provided
distant escort of Convoy MS2 to
Malta
(Operation MB3).
2nd
Deployed with Mediterranean Fleet
ships
as for MB3 to meet HM Battleship
VALIANT,
HM
Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Cruisers
CALCUTTA
and
COVENTRY
off Pantellaria
to reinforce
Mediterranean Fleet (Operation HATS).
4th
Fleet carried out air operations
against
Rhodes.
5th
Returned to
Alexandria
with Fleet
units.
22nd
Escorted HMS ILLUSTRIOUS on passage to
join Fleet in eastern
Mediterranean.
Detached
with HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER,
KENT,
HM Destroyers MOHAWK and
NUBIAN to a convoy
to
Alexandria
in
Gulf
of
Nauphlia.
28th
Embarked troops with HMS GLOUCESTER
for
passage to
Malta
covered by HMAS
SYDNEY.
October
8th
Deployed with HM Aircraft Carriers
EAGLE and ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Battleships
MALAYA,
RAMILLIES and WARSPITE, HM
Cruisers
AJAX,
GLOUCESTER,
ORION,
YORK
and SYDNEY (RAN)
to
provide Distant Cover for passage of
Convoy
MW2 to
Malta
and also return Convoy ME4
of empty ships to
Egypt.
(Operations
MF3 and MB6.
(Note:
Screen included HM Destroyers DAINTY,
DECOY, JANUS, JERVIS,
JUNO,
STUART,
VAMPIRE and Polish
ORP
GARLAND).
11th
Covered air attacks by HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
and HMS EAGLE on
airfields at Leros.
12th
Under attack by Italian torpedo boats
one of which,
ARTIGLIERE, was sunk by HMS
YORK.
14th
Provided cover for further air attacks
by carriers on Leros.
During
air operations on Leros hit forward by
aircraft torpedo which caused fire
in petrol
stowage and damaged A turret.
Major
damage sustained to bow structure.
Taken
in tow by HMS ORION screened by HM
Destroyers DAINTY, DECOY, DIAMOND
and VAMPIRE
(RAN).
15th
Bow structure broke away during stern
tow.
16th
Arrived at
Alexandria
and taken
in hand for temporary repair.
November
Under repair.
to
December
1
9 4 1
January
Repair
work in continuation at
Alexandria.
to
Permanent repair arranged in
USA
at
Mare
Island
California.
March
Prepared
for ocean passage.
April
Passage to
USA
via
Manila.
May
Passage across Pacific.
June
Passage from
Hawaii
to
San
Francisco.
16th
Arrived at
Mare
Island
and taken
in hand for repair.
July
Under
repair
to
October
November
Post refit
trials.
20th
Took passage to
UK.
December
5th
Arrived in
UK.
Taken
in hand for completion of radar
installations and other work not
completed
during
refit.
1
9 4 2
January
Under refit.
Radar
Type 273 for surface warning, Radar
Type 281 for aircraft warning
Fire
Control
Radar
Type 284 (main armament) and Type
285 (4in AA armament)
installations
were
completed.
(Note:
Type 282 for close range armament may
also have been included.)
February
Post refit
trials including radar acceptance.
6th
Sailed to work-up at
Scapa
Flow
with Home Fleet ships on
completion.
March
Worked-up
with Home Fleet in continuation.
Joined
18th Cruiser Squadron for convoy
defence and
interception duties in NW
Approaches.
Deployed with HM
Cruisers
TRINIDAD.,
LONDON
and
KENT
for patrol east of Jan Mayen
Island
during Home Fleet operations in
defence of passage of Convoy PQ12 in
transit to
Kola
Inlet and under threat from German
battleship TIRPITZ.
(Note:
These ships were also available for
refuelling of Home Fleet destroyers
deployed with
Home
Fleet operation, See ARCTIC CONVOYS
by R Woodman).
April
12th
Escorted returning
Convoy QP10 with HM Destroyers
PUNJABI, ORIBI.
MARNE,
FURY
and
ECLIPSE
covered by Home Fleet major units.
(For
details of all Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R
A Ruegg,
ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman, RUSSIAN CONVOYS
by B Schoefield
and
CONVOY ! by
P
Kemp.
18th
Detached from QP10
and resumed Squadron duties in Home
Fleet.
May
13th
Part of Home Fleet covering force for
return passage of the damaged cruiser
HMS
TRINIDAD
with HM Battleship DUKE OF
YORK,
HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS,
HM
Cruisers
KENT,
LONDON,
NIGERIA
and
NORFOLK
until HMS TRINIDAD was
abandoned.
See
above references.
Came
under air attacks on return passage.
23rd
Provided cruiser cover for passage of
Russian Convoy PQ16 and return convoy
QP12
with HM
Cruisers
KENT,
NIGERIA
and
NORFOLK
screened by HM Destroyers
ICARUS,
MARNE,
ONSLOW and
ORIBI.
28th
Detached from
covering duties and resumed Home
Fleet duties with Squadron.
June
5th
Joined escort for Convoy WS19S with HM
Cruiser KENYA screened by HM
Destroyers
BEDOUIN,
ESCAPADE, ICARUS,
MARNE, MATCHLESS, ONSLOW, HM Escort
Destroyers
BADSWORTH, BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON and
Polish ORP KUJAWIAK.
11th
Joined Force W as escort for HM
Battleship MALAYA, HM Aircraft
Carriers
EAGLE
and ARGUS
with HM Cruisers KENYA and CHARYBDIS
to cover
passage of
Malta
relief
convoy.
(Operation HARPOON).
(For
details see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN and Naval Staff
History).
13th
Refuelled escorts
during passage.
14th
Under air attack
by Savoia
aircraft.
Hit
on starboard side in engine room by
torpedo.
Major
flooding caused 7 degree list and
steering gear jammed.
Speed
reduced to 4 knots and training gear
for X and Y-turrets jammed.
Taken
in tow by HM Destroyer ANTELOPE
escorted by HM Destroyer
WESTCOTT.
HM Corvettes
JONQUIL and SPIREA joined escort
from
Gibraltar.
16th
Under air attacks
during passage to
Gibraltar.
Sustained
further damage and flooding by near
misses.
17th
Taken in hand for
temporary repair at
Gibraltar.
July
Repair
work in continuation.
August
Prepared
for ocean passage.
5th
Took passage to
UK.
September
Taken
in hand for repair by HM Dockyard,
Rosyth.
October
Under repair.
to
December
1
9 4
4
January
Repair
work in continuation.
to
X-turret removed and additional AA
armament fitted.
July
To
be placed in Care and Maintenance at
Rosyth on Completion..
Radar
Fit was up-dated and following changes
made:
Air
warning radar replaced by single
mast Type 281B.
Surface
warning radar replaced by Type 293 and
associated Heightfinder
Type 277.
Main
armament Fire Control radar replaced
by Type 274.