H. M. S. B O N A V E N T U R E
"DIDO"
Class cruiser ordered from Scotts of Greenock on 21st March 1937 under the 1937
Programme. The ship was laid down on 30th August 1937 and launched on 19th
April 1939. She was the 10th Royal Navy ship to carry the name, introduced in
1?89 and previously used by a cruiser sold in 1921.The recently introduced
aircraft warning radar Type 279 was fitted during build. For details of the
development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.
B a t t l e H o n o
u r s
LOWESTOFT 1665 - FOUR DAYS' BATTLE 1666 - ORFORDNESS 1666 - SOLEBAY
1672 - SCHOONEVELDT 1673 - TEXEL 1673 - BEACHY HEAD 1690 - BARFLEUR
1693 - CHINA 1900
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field barry wavy of 6 White and Blue.
within a horseshoe inverted Gold, a Griffin Red.
D e t a i l s o f W a
r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
May
24th Commissioned for Contractors Trials.
June Contractor's trials in
continuation.
19th Accepted Into service and prepared
for work-up.
July.
5th Escorted liners SOBIESKI, MONARCH CF
BERMUDA and BATORY taking bullion
to Halifax, Canada escorted by HM Battleship REVENGE.
18th Sailed from Halifax via Bermuda for Scapa
Flow.
25th Commenced work up for service with 15th
Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
August
21st On completion deployed with HM Cruiser
COVENTRY to escort Atlantic convoy.
September Deployed with Home Fleet in NW
Approaches.
13th Deployed on Northern Patrol for
interception of commerce raiders.
October
16th Detached to escort newly commissioned
battleship HMS KING GEORGE V from Tyne to
Rosyth with HM
Cruiser NAIAD screened by HM Destroyers BRILLIANT, ELECTRA,
MAORI and SIKH.
November Nominated for duty in Mediterranean
Fleet with 15th Cruiser Squadron.
6th Resumed Home Fleet Northern Patrol duty.
Sustained weather damage to Foc'sle deck.
December
4th Taken in hand for repair at Rosyth.
On completion
deployed as escort for Middle East military convoy WS5A from UK.
(Note: This convoy included 4 ships carrying supplies for
Malta and Pireaus as part
of Operation EXCESS - See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D
Maclntyre and Naval Staff History (HMSO).)
. 18th Joined WS5 as Ocean Escort during
passage in Atlantic.
(Note: HM Corvettes CLEMATIS, CYCLAMEN, GERANIUM and JONQUIL
were also
part of escort to Freetown.)
25th In action with German cruiser
HIPPER off Finisterre with H M Cruisers BERWICK and
DUNEDIN and HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS in defence of convoy.
(Note: : 6" turret jammed in training as a result of
which modifications were carried out sin
all ships of this
Class. (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli
Barnett)
. 26th Rounded up ships of convoy which
had scattered.
28th Detached with mercantiles taking
passage through Mediterranean.
1 9 4 1
January
6th Part of Force "F" with W
Destroyers HASTY, HERO, HERE WARD and JAGUAR as
escort
to Skerki Channel where convoy was to be transferred to
Mediterranean Fleet
ships already
covering transit of convoys in Eastern Mediterranean.
7th Ships of Force "H"
joined convoy to provide additional cover (Operation
EXCESS).
(For details
of operations in Mediterranean see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D Maclntyre, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman
and Naval
Staff
History (HMSO).).
9th Under air attack by Italian Savoia
bombers, three of which were destroyed.
In action
against two Italian destroyers with HMS HEREWARD.
Italian
Destroyer VEGA sunk and the other damaged.
Minor superficial
damage was sustained.
Covered tow
of damaged destroyer HMS GALLANT by HM Destroyer MOHAWK to
Malta.
11th Arrived in Malta and joined 15th
Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
14th Sailed with HM Cruisers PERTH
(RAN), ORION and JAGUAR for Alexandria.
February Deployed at Suda Bay with
CS15 ships.
24th Joined HM Armed Boarding Vessel
ROSAURA, being used as troop transport with HM
Cruiser GLOUCESTER, HM Destroyer HEREWARD and HM Destroyer
DECOY for
commando raid on the Island of Casteloriso.
This was cancelled (See WAR
IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith and E Walker and THE
NAVAL WAR
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by Greeene and A Massignani.).
27th Escorted HMS ROSAURA with HM Cruiser
PERTH screened by HM Destroyers HASTY
and JAGUAR
to make second attempt at landing on Casteloriso
28th Patrolled north of Casteloriso
during landings which proved a disaster.
March
1st Transferred
to 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
6th Escorted Convoy AG1 to Pireaus
with HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER and YORK
9th Returned to Alexandria.
23rd Damaged by bomb splinters during air
attacks on Grand Harbour, Malta.
Under
repair in Malta.
On
completion rejoined Squadron at Alexandria for escort of convoys to Greece.
(Operation
LUSTRE - See above references).
30th Joined HM Destroyers HEREWARD,
GRIFFIN and STUART (RAN) for escort
of
military Convoy GAS on passage to Alexandria (Operation LUSTRE).
Under
attack by Italian submarine DAGABUR which was unsuccessful.
Torpedoed
amidships on starboard side by Italian submarine AMBRA off Sollum.
Extensive flooding
caused sinking within 6 minutes.
310 of
crew rescued by HMS HEREWARD and HMAS STUART.
(Note:
Official Casualty List was published on 17th May 1941.)
(Casualty
List - note on casualties)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS BONAVENTURE
by Don Kindell
Date
convoy Joined convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
29/03/41 30/03/41 GA 008 31/03/41 31/03/41
(Note on Convoys)
