H.. M. S. C A R A D O C
CALEDON” Class Cruiser ordered from Scotts
of Greenock on 8th December 1915 and the laid down on 21st February 1916. She was lauched on 23rd
December that year as the second Royal Navy ship to carry this name, first used in 1847
for an Iron Paddled Gunboat and was the English name for Caractacus
a knight of the Round Table. Build was completed on
16th June 1917. Following a successful “WARSHIP WEEK”
National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was “adopted” by the civil community
of the City of Chester.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
BLACK SEA 1854-55 - ATLANTIC 1940
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field
Black, a beast genus unknown, gold.
D e t a i
l s o f S e r v i c e
1 9 1 7
May Contractors trials.
June
Commissioned.
16th Build completion
and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On completion of trials and storing took passage to join Grand Fleet at
Scapa
Flow for work-up prior to
operational use.
July
Deployed at Scapa Flow with Grand Fleet
August
During Grand Fleet deployment grounded at Fair Isle
September
Resumed Grand Fleet service.
to
December
1 9 1 8
January
Deployed with Grand Fleet
to
October
November
Nominated for service in Baltic in support of defence of countries under
threat from Bolshevik forces.
11th Germany agreed to an Armistice.
21st German High Seas fleet surrendered.
Passage to Baltic
December
Deployed with HM Cruiser CALYPSO in Gulf of Finland and provided
gunfire support for Estonian troops under
attack by Bolshevik forces.
26th Took part in capture of Russian
destroyers AVTROIL and SPARTAK off
Revel with HMS CALYPSO, HM Destroyers VENDETTA, VORTIGERN
and WAKEFUL.
(Note: The Russian ships surrendered without
returning fire.)
1 9 1 9
January
Passage to UK on relief by 1st Light Cruiser Squadron.
February
Nominated for service with 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron and took passage
to
join Mediterranean Fleet.
(Note: HM Cruisers CARDIFF and CALYPSO were in
LCS3.)
March
Deployed with Squadron in Mediterranean
to (Note: During this period ships of the Mediterranean Fleet carried out
December duties as Guardship to safeguard British interests during unrest
in Turkey and Greece.)
1 9 2 0 t o
1 9 2 2
Mediterranean Fleet deployment with
Squadron in continuation
Recommissioned for further service in 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron.
1 9 2 4 to 1
9 2 5
Deployed with Squadron in Mediterranean
1 9 2 6
January
Mediterranean Fleet service in continuation.
to
Nominated for transfer to China Station.
November
(Note: The number of British warships on the
Station was increased after
outbreak of civil
war in China in order to protect British commercial
interests in the area.)
December Passage Singapore and Hong Kong.
1 9 2 7
January
Deployed on China Station
to Nominated for return to UK to recommission after
refit.
June
July Passage to Mediterranean via Red Sea.
August Passage from Gibraltar to Sheerness.
De-ammunitioned
prior to refit..
September
Arrived at Chatham.
19th Paid off and taken in hand for
refit by HM Dockyard, Chatham
October Under refit.
to
December
1 9 2 8
January
Under refit
to
July
August
Refit in continuation.
Nominated for service
with 8th Cruiser Squadron on the America and
West Indies Station as relief for HM Cruiser DAUNTLESS.
(Note: HMS DAUNTLESS had been badly damaged after running aground
off Halifax, NS on 2nd July.)
Recommissioned for service.
September
Refit completion and storing for foreign service.
Passage to Portsmouth
October
Prepared for foreign service.
Took
passage from Portsmouth for Bermuda to join Squadron.
November
Deployed with Squadron for exercises and visits programme.
to
December
1 9 2 9
Deployment
on West Indies Station in continuation.
(Note: Ships in Squadron visited ports in West Indies, South America
and
on West ands East coasts of North
America.
1 9 3 0
January Squadron deployment in West Indies in continuation.
Nominated
for return to UK on relief by HMS DAUNTLESS.
February
Passage to Portsmouth to pay off.
15th Arrived at Portsmouth and prepared for reduction to Reserve status.
March
Passage to Devonport
April
Laid-up in Reserve Fleet at Devonport.
to Nominated for service with 5th Cruiser
Squadron in China Station.
June
July
Prepared for operational service.
15th Recommissioned.
August
Shakedown and exercises before passage to Singapore,
September
Passage to join Squadron.
to
October
November
Joined Squadron and deployed for protection of British interests and
exercises
with ships on Station.
December
China Station deployment with Squadron in continuation.
1 9 3 1 t o
1 9 3 3
Deployed
with Squadron on China Station.
1 9 3 4
January
Squadron deployment on China Station in continuation
to
July
August
Nominated for return to UK to pay-off and refit.
September Passage to Sheerness.
October
Paid off on arrival after de-ammunitioning.
17th Reduced to Reserve status and destored.
November
Laid-up in Reserve.
to
December
1 9 3 5 t o
1 9 3 6
Laid-up
in Reserve.
1 9 3 7
Under refit
1 9 3 8
January Under refit.
to Nominated for service in Reserve Fleet at
Devonport for use as a
June Boys Training Ship
July On completion of refit
carried out post refit trials.
August
12th Deployed in Reserve Fleet, Devonport
as Boys Training Ship
September
Training duties at Devonport in continuation.
to
December
1 9 3 9
January
Training duties at Devonport in continuation.
to
Nominated for attendance at Review of Reserve Fleet by HM King
July George VI in Weymouth Bay.
August
Commissioned with Reservists for Royal Review and deployed as
Flagship
in 11th Cruiser Squadron.
Carried
out trials before passage to Weymouth Bay for Review.
9th Attended Royal
Review and remained in commission for war service.
Took
up War Station with Channel Force based at Portland.
September
Deployed at Portland.
11th Provided
cover for passage of military convoys to France carrying BEF.
14th Deployed
at Plymouth in continuation.
23rd Returned
to Plymouth after machinery defects.
25th Taken in
hand for repair by HM Dockyard Devonport.
October
Nominated for trade defence and interception of blockade runners with
America and West Indies Squadron.
7th Took passage from Plymouth for detached service in West Indies.
12th Joined HM Battleship REVENGE as
escort for HM Cruisers EMERALD
and
ENTERPRISE during passage to Halifax.
(Note:
The cruisers were taking gold bullion to Canada for safe custody.)
17th Arrived at Halifax.
18th Took passage
from Halifax to join 8th Cruiser Squadron in Bermuda..
20th Arrived at Bermuda and sailed after briefing for interception patrol.
23rd Intercepted
German tanker EMY FRIEDRICH after sighting report by HM
Cruiser
ORION and HM Destroyer SAGUENAY (RCN).
(Note:
German ship was on passage from Tampico.)
Enemy ship
scuttled on approach.
27th Returned to Bermuda from patrol with defects.
November
Repair arranged at RCN dockyard, Esquimalt.
Passage
to Panama
Canal
with call at Kingston, Jamaica.
20th Arrived at Esquimalt after Panama Canal transit.
December Under repair.
1 9 4 0
January
Under repair
to
March
April
15th Carried out post
repair trials and on completion took passage to resume
Squadron
duties.
May
Deployed in Pacific and West
Indies for interception of
blockade runners
to and
commerce raiders.
October
November
Deployed in Caribbean area.
11th Intercepted
German blockade runner RHEIM in Straits of Florida.
Enemy ship set on fire in
order to prevent boarding after being challenged.
Drifting hulk sunk
by gunfire after crew abandoned ship.
December Squadron duties in West Indies in continuation.
1 9 4 1
January Squadron duties for patrol and
interception in continuation.
to
Nominated for refit by US Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York.
September
October Passage to New York from Bermuda.
28th Taken in hand
for refit.
November
Under Refit
to (Note: Close range AA defence was
supplemented by fit of five 20mm
December Oerlikon guns and
preparation for fit of radar was carried out.)
1 9 4 2
January Under refit.
February
26th On completion
carried out post refit trials and shakedown for Atlantic
passage.
March
Passage to Portsmouth for completion of radar installation.
(Note: Type 286 an RAF Air-Surface radar for aircraft use which gave
limited surface and air cover was fitted. For details of
development
and use of radar
by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
Nominated
for service in 5th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet.
April Passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of Home
Fleet.
May
On completion of work-up took passage top join Squadron.
June
Retained for convoy defence at Gibraltar.
(Note: Support of relief convoy to Malta had reduced number of ships
available for
Atlantic service at Gibraltar.
Not
deployed for Operation HARPOON.)
July Deployed at Gibraltar.
On release took
passage via Cape of Good Hope to join Squadron in
Indian Ocean.
August
Deployed for trade defence and convoy escort in Indian Ocean.
Nominated
for support of military occupation of Madagascar.
(Operation STREAM)
September
Deployed with HM Battleship WARSPITE, HM Cruisers GAMBIA,
BIRMINGHAM, DAUNTLESS, MANXMAN and the Dutch cruiser
HEEMSKERK with
destroyers of Eastern Fleet as Force “A” to provide
naval support for landings in STREAM..
Nominated for
support of landing at Nosi Be, an island off NW coast
of Madagascar (Operation ESME (B))
9th Joined HMS
MANXMAN for passage to Nosi Be.
10th Provided Royal
Marines landing party which landed at Hellville.
(For details see WAR WITH
JAPAN, Volume III (HMSO).)
Rejoined Force
“A”
October On release from STREAM took
passage to Persian Gulf.
15th Relieved HM
Cruiser CAPETOWN as Persian
Gulf Guardship.
November Guardship
deployment in Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Deployed in Indian Ocean for convoy defence.
to (Note: During this period Radar Type 271 was fitted aft on the
July
superstructure to provide efficient surface warning
Type
286 was also replaced by RN design Type 290
which provided an improved cover against aircraft.
See
above reference.)
August Transferred to Simonstown
for convoy defence and interception patrol
in South Atlantic and southern Indian Ocean.
September
Convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Indian Ocean trade defence duties in continuation.
to
February
March Nominated for withdrawal
from operational service and took passage
to Colombo.
April Withdrawn from service and
deployed as an Accommodation Ship at
Colombo
May Accommodation Ship
deployment in continuation.
to
(Note: On 22nd November when British Pacific Fleet was formed the
December Flag of CinC Eastern
Fleet was transferred from HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN and transferred to this ship.)
1 9 4 5
January Accommodation Ship deployment
in continuation.
to
Remained Flagship for East
Indies Fleet
August
September
Nominated for return to UK
October Prepared for return passage.
15th Sailed
from Colombo for paying-off.
November
Called at Aden.
17th Took
passage for Devonport from Gibraltar after call in Malta.
25th At
Devonport and Paid-off.
Commenced de-storing.
December
Reducing to Reserve status at
Devonport
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS CARADOC was transferred to Dartmouth after being accepted into Reserve. The ship was
placed on the Disposal List in February 1946 and sold to BISCO for breaking-up
by TW Ward at Briton Ferry the next month. She arrived at the breaker’s yard in
tow on 4th April 1946 for
demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS CARADOC
by Don
Kindell
Date convoy Joined
convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
07/08/40 07/08/40 BHX 064 12/08/40 12/08/40
16/08/42 16/08/42 CM 031 23/08/42 31/08/42
30/09/42 30/09/42 CM 032B 09/10/42 09/10/42
24/02/43 24/02/43 BA 038 03/03/43 03/03/43
22/03/43 01/04/43 CM 040 01/04/43 01/04/43
01/04/43 01/04/43 CM 040A 08/04/43 08/04/43
(Note on Convoys)
