H. M. S. C A P E T O W N
“CAPETOWN” Class Cruiser ordered from Cammell Laird. Birkenhead in July 1917 and laid down on 23rd
February 1918. The ship was launched on 28th June 1918 as the 1st RN ship to bear this name. Build was
transferred to HM Dockyard, Pembroke Dock after the end of WW1
and completed on 28th February 1922. Until placed in Reserve in 1938 this cruiser served on
foreign stations and had been intended for conversion
into an anti-aircraft cruiser but this was not implemented
and she commissioned for service in August 1939. Following a WARSHIP WEEK campaign for National Savings
in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Watford, Hertfordshire.
B a t t l e H
o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1940 -
NORMANDY 1044
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge: On a field
Blue an anchor proper.
M o t t o
'Good Hope'
R e c o r d o
f S e r v i c e
1 9 2 2
February Contractors Trials
Commissioned for
Trials
March
9th Paid off on completion of Acceptance
Trials.
April
11th Re-commissioned for service in 8th
Light Cruiser Squadron on America and West
Indies Station.
March Deployed with Squadron.
to
December (Note: Visits were paid
to Empire communities in the Area and to foreign countries in the area
1 9 2 3 to 1 9 2 5
January Carried out Squadron exercise
and visits programme based at Bermuda.
to December
(Note: Routine dockings and refits in Canadian dockyards.)
1 9 2 6
January Squadron deployment on Station
in continuation
to September (Note: During visit to Montreal in
this period ship sustained structural damage to
stern
by collision when entering harbour.)
October Resumed Squadron service and
returned to Bermuda.
21st Rescued 29 survivors from HM Sloop
VALERIAN which capsized in a hurricane
south of Bermuda.
(Note: HMS
VALERIAN sank on 22nd October.)
November West Indies deployment with
Squadron in continuation.
to December
1 9 2 7
January West Indies deployment with
Squadron in continuation
to April
May Passage to Devonport to
re-commission.
June Deployed at Devonport
(Note: During this
period ship may have been refitted.)
Paid-off.
July
1st Re-commissioned for service with 8th
Light Cruiser Squadron in West Indies.
August Passage to Bermuda to resume foreign
service with Squadron.
to Deployed with
Squadron for visits and exercises.
December
1 9 2 8
Squadron duties
based at Bermuda in continuation.
1 9 2 9
January West Indies deployment in
continuation.
to November Nominated for reduction to Reserve
status at Devonport.
December Passage to Devonport to pay-off.
17th Arrived at Devonport
31st Reduction to Reserve commenced
1 9 3 0 t
o 1 9 3 2
Laid-up in
Reserve Fleet Devonport.
1 9 3 3
January Laid-up at Devonport
to October
November Prepared for refit by HM Dockyard,
Devonport prior to foreign service.
December
7th Taken in hand for refit.
1 9 3 4
January Under refit
to June
July
17th Re-commissioned for service on China
Station with 5th Light Cruiser Squadron.
August Carried out trials and
shakedown in Home waters.
to September Passage to Hong Kong to commence
Squadron service.
October Deployed with Squadron and
took part in exercises and duties to protect British
to December flagged shipping.
1 9 3 5
Squadron duties
based at Hong Kong in continuation.
1 9 3 6
January Deployed on China Station.
to March Nominated for return to UK to
re-commission.
April
25th Sailed from Hong Kong to
re-commission
(Note: The
reason for early return to UK is not known.
Foreign
commissions usually lasted 2½ years and would have normally
lasted until December 1936)
May Passage to UK
to June Paid-off
July Deployed at Devonport
30th Re-commissioned for service on China
Station with 5th Light Cruiser Squadron.
August Deployed at Devonport
to December (Note: Ship may have refitted
during this period.)
Passage to
rejoin Squadron
1 9 3 7
January Deployed with Squadron on
China Station.
to June
July Deployed at Wei-Hei-Wei with Squadron
15th Arrived at Hong Kong for refit.
(Note: Refit
was cancelled and ship had routine docking before despatch to
Nanking for guardship duties.)
22nd Sailed from Hong Kong to Nanking.
August
1st Arrived at Nanking as relief for HM
Cruiser DANAE as guardship.
(Note:
Guardship was responsible for providing shore parties as needed to
protect British community during
threat of Japanese military actions
including air attacks and to act as a secure wireless communication link
in
support of British Embassy requirements.)
September Guardship
duties at Nanking in continuation.
20th Embarked British Embassy personnel for
evacuation in view of air attacks expected
within 48 hours
21st Passage to Hangchow with passengers,
(Note: Air
raids began on Nanking on 22nd)
October
2nd Arrived at Hangchow after delay caused by
wrecks of Chinese mercantiles deliberately
sunk to prevent
passage of Japanese warships in the Yangtse River.
November Remained at Hangchow pending
Japanese permission to sail down river.
December
18th Sailed from Hanchow
after permission by Japanese to leave.
27th Arrived at Hong Kong after call at
Shanghai.
1 9 3 8
January Deployed for Squadron duties
based at Hong Kong.
to February
March
6th Despatched to assist French freighter
YOLANDE which was aground in
Betty Cove
near Alceste Island.
April Nominated for return
to UK for conversion into an anti-aircraft cruiser.
26th Sailed for UK from Hong Kong
May Passage to Devonport
to July (Note: Ship may have
been delayed in Mediterranean in view of Italian
aggressive
operations against Abyssinia.)
August Passage from Mediterranean
to Devonport.
9th Arrived at Devonport
September Reduced to Reserve status prior
to conversion by HM Dockyard Rosyth.
October Laid-up at Devonport
to December
1 9 3 9
January Transferred to Rosyth and
used as an Accommodation Ship.
to June Conversion delayed due to
international situation
July Commissioned with
Fleet Reserve personnel to attend review of the
Reserve Fleet
by HM King George VI.
August Attended Review in
Weymouth Bay and remained in commission
to take up
war station
as part of 11th Cruiser Squadron.
(Note: Ship
is likely to have done limited work-up prior to being deployed for
Atlantic convoy defence and must have
stored for war service before sailing.)
28th Sailed from Plymouth for Gibraltar.
Details of War Service
September
1st Deployed at Gibraltar
3rd Sailed for interception patrol to
enforce blockade and for defence of Atlantic
convoys which
were commenced after commencement of war with Germany.
12th Returned to Gibraltar from patrol
(Note: Other
ships of the Class were deployed in northern Atlantic.)
17th Sailed from Gibraltar for escort of SL
convoy from Freetown.
27th Returned to Gibraltar.
October
2nd Sailed for patrol and convoy escort.
During
passage developed defects and returned to Gibraltar.
3rd Returned to Gibraltar.
Repair arranged at Malta.
(Note:
Deployment to be transferred to North Atlantic on completion.)
6th Sailed from Gibraltar for repair.
8th On arrival taken in hand for repair by
HM Dockyard, Malta.
21st Deployed at Malta on completion of
repair.
25th Transferred to 3rd Cruiser Squadron,
Mediterranean Fleet.
(Note:
Deployment of this Class of cruiser in North Atlantic had been found unsuitable.)
27th Deployed for contraband patrol and
sailed from Malta.
November
3rd Returned to Malta from patrol
7th Deployed for patrol and convoy defence
in western Mediterranean.
9th At Gibraltar.
12th Deployed for patrol in Gibraltar area.
18th Sailed from Gibraltar.
20th Returned to Malta.
26th Sailed for patrol from Malta
December
5th Returned to Malta from patrol
18th Sailed for patrol from Malta
26th Returned to Malta
1 9 4 0
January Deployed in Malta
12th Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard,
Malta
30th Resumed Squadron duties.
February Deployed for blockade
duties and patrol based in Malta.
to May (Note: During this
period extensive Mediterranean Fleet exercises were carried
out in anticipation of war with Italy.
June Deployed in Eastern
Mediterranean for defence of convoys.
26th Escorted convoy during passage from
Egypt to Dardanelles with HM Destroyers
NUBIAN and
MOHAWK.
30th Returned to Alexandria with HM Cruiser
CALEDON, HM Destroyers GARLAND,
VAMPIRE
(RAN) and same ships having escorted convoy from Cape Helles
during
passage to Egypt.
July
6th Carried out bombardment at Bardia in
support of shore military operation.
11th Sailed from Alexandria as escort for
convoy to Piraeus during initial stage of passage.
13th Returned to Alexandria.
18th Transferred to 7th Cruiser Squadron,
Mediterranean Fleet.
21st Deployed with HM Cruiser LIVERPOOL, HM
Destroyers DIAMOND and STUART
(RAN) as
escort for single ship from Alexandria to Aegean.
22nd Joined by HM Destroyers DAINTY and DEFENDER
with four mercantiles
to form
Convoy AN2 escort during passage.
27th Detached with AN2 escort when convoy
dispersed and joined south bound convoy
to Egypt as
escort
31st
Transferred to East Indies station.
(Note: This
change was made when experience of the extent and severity of aerial
attacks on RN warships in eastern Mediterranean clearly showed that this
Class of cruiser was unsuitable for deployment in the Mediterranean
because of lack of speed and poor AA armament,)
August
3rd Sailed from Alexandria to join 4th Cruiser
Squadron for convoy defence in Indian
Ocean and Red
Sea.
September
20th Deployed with HM Cruisers CANBERRA (RAN)),
DURBAN, HM Aircraft Carrier
HERMES and HM
Armed Merchant Cruiser WESTRALIA (RAN)) in search for
German raider
ATLANTIS active in Indian Ocean.
October On release from search took
passage to Singapore for refit.
November Under refit by HM Dockyard,
Singapore.
December Resumed convoy defence and
patrol duty in Indian Ocean.
1 9 4 1
January Indian Ocean deployment
in continuation.
February Nominated for service in
Force “T” for support of planned military operation in
Italian
Somaliland.
10th Deployed with HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE, HMS
HERMES, HMS HAWKINS,
HM Cruiser
CERES and HM Destroyer KANDAHAR as Force “T”.
14th Deployed at Mogadiscio
with Force “T” and provided support bombardment.
18th On release from support duties took
passage to Mombasa with Force “T” ships.
21st Sailed from Mombasa and joined HMS HERMES
and HM Cruiser EMERALD
in search for
German ADMIRAL SCHEER.
26th Search abandoned and joined HM Cruiser
ENTERPRISE in escort for military
convoy WS5BX
during passage from Mombasa to Bombay,
29th Detached from WS5BX and took passage to
Red Sea for convoy defence, patrol
and support
of military operations duties.
31st Arrived at Port Sudan.
March Deployed in Red Sea for
convoy defence and interception patrol.
(Note: In
order to ensure convoy routes were clear of mines ships on patrol
paravanes were streamed to cut any moored mine cables. Dan
buoys were laid
to
mark limits of swept channel.)
April Red Sea
deployment in continuation.
8th During patrol duty north of Massawa, off
Mersa Kuba with HM Australian
Sloop PARRAMATTA came under attack by Italian
torpedo boat MAS 213
which launched
two torpedoes.
Hit in after
boiler room and sustained severe damage with flooding.
Ship disabled
with many casualties.
9th Under tow by HMAS PARRAMATTA escorted by HM
Indian Sloop INDUS.
10th At Port Sudan
11th Ship
de-stored and commenced preparation for tow to naval dockyard for repair.
(Note: Ship
paid off and ship’s company transferred to other ships on station..
It
is not known whether a party was retained to man ship during tow.)
May Repair arranged at
Bombay.
Passage to in
Red Sea under tow.
June On arrival at Bombay
taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard.
July Under repair
to December (Note: One source suggests that
period under dockyard control may have been
extended by delay in arrival of replacement boilers from UK)
1 9 4 2
January Under repair and refit
to
May (Note: No major
alterations were made to increase AA armament or to fit radar.)
June Re-commissioned for
service in 5th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet
Carried out
post refit trials.
July On completion of
storing took passage to resume Squadron duties in Persian Gulf.
August Deployed as Base Ship at
Hormuz
September
10th After relief at Hormuz deployed in Persian
Gulf deployed for convoy defence
in Red Sea and
Arabian Sea.
October
15th Transferred for convoy defence of traffic in
Indian Ocean between Persian Gulf,
East Africa
and India.
November Indian Ocean convoy defence in
continuation.
December Deployed with escort for
military convoy WS24 in Indian Ocean (To be confirmed)
1 9 4 3
January Indian Ocean convoy
defence in continuation.
to
June
July Nominated for return
to UK.
August Passage in Atlantic.
September
1st Arrived at Gibraltar
Passage to
Plymouth
October Paid-off and placed under
Care and Maintenance at Devonport.
December Taken in hand for refit to fit
20mm Oerlikon weapons for close range defence
against air
attacks and for installation of surface warning radar Type 273
(Note: For details
of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.)
1 9 4 4
January Deployed at Plymouth as an
Accommodation Ship.
February Used for accommodation of
landing craft personnel at Plymouth
to
March (Note: Large
numbers of Landing craft were based at Plymouth in preparation
for planned allied landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE)
April
Nominated for
service in support of NEPTUNE.
17th Re-commissioned
May Prepared for duty as
Control Ship for military convoys during passage from
beachhead
area.
Nominated for
deployment with Western Task Force in MULBERRY “A”
June Deployed under
overall US Command for duty as Captain Southbound Sailings
Control Ship
and Depot Ship at Mulberry “A”.
4th Operation delayed for 24 hours
6th Passage to Solent.
7th Passage through swept channel from south
of Isle of Wight to Mulberry “A”
in Western
Task Force Area.
9th Commenced duty as Control Ship Southbound
sailings to US landing beaches.
(Note: HM
Cruiser CERES was deployed as Captain North Bound Sailings
at
Mulberry “A”
19th Mulberry “A” wrecked in severe gale. No
serious damage known in ship.
24th NEPTUNE terminated when headquarters moved
ashore.
Depot Ship
duties in continuation.
July Beachhead deployment
under command of ANCXF in continuation.
to
August
September Passage to Plymouth on release
from far shore duties.
October Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve status.
Some
secondary armament removed.
Deployed at
Falmouth as an Accommodation ships for personnel of Reserve
Fleet ships laid-up there.
November Falmouth deployment in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Falmouth deployment in
continuation.
to
May
P
o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
CAPETOWN remained in Reserve after VE Day and was later placed on the Disposal
List. She was sold
to BISCO for breaking-up in April 1946 and arrived in tow at Preston on 2nd
June 1946 for demolition by
TW Ward & Co.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS CAPETOWN
by Don
Kindell
Date convoy Joined
convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
14/09/39 21/09/39 SL 001 24/09/39 01/10/39
28/06/40 28/06/40 AS 001/1 02/07/40 02/07/40
28/09/40 28/09/40 BM 001S 01/10/40 01/10/40
18/03/41 22/03/41 BS 020 25/03/41 26/03/41
24/03/41 25/03/41 BN 021 27/03/41 31/03/41
24/03/41 29/03/41 BS 021 30/03/41 01/04/41
20/03/41 02/04/41 BN 022 03/04/41 07/04/41
26/03/43 26/03/43 BA 040 01/04/43 01/04/43
04/04/43 04/04/43 AB 006 11/04/43 11/04/43
11/05/43 11/05/43 KA 006 17/05/43 17/05/43
15/06/43 15/06/43 KR 005 27/06/43 27/06/43
(Note on Convoys)
