HMS Curacoa, British light cruiser, WW2

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

HMS CURACOA - World War 1 C-type Light Cruiser
including Convoy Escort Movements

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above left - HMS Curacoa

(SP, click photographs for enlargements)

H. M. S. C U R A C O A

"CERES" Class cruiser ordered in June 1916 in an Emergency War Programme and built by HM Dockyard Pembroke and laid down in July of that year. The ship was laid down on 13th July 1916 and launched on 5th May 1917 as the fourth RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1809. After completion on 18th February 1918 she served with the Grand Fleet. HMS CURACOA was selected for conversion to an Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in 1939 and gave distinguished service with the Home Fleet during the Norwegian campaign in 19*10. After a WARSHIP WEEK in March 1912 she was adopted by the civil community of Wolverhampton. She was sunk on 2nd October 1942 under most tragic circumstances as recorded below.

B a t t l e H o n o u r s

BLACK SEA 1851-55 - NEW ZEALAND 1864 - NORWAY 1940 - ATLANTIC 1940 - NORTH SEA 1940-42 - ARCTIC 1942

H e r a l d i c D a t a

Badge: On a Field Black, a Stork's head White, in his beak a snake Green.

M o t t o

Certamine summo : 'In the midst of battle'

D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e

1 9 3 9

September Under conversion in HM Dockyard Chatham for use as an AA cruiser.

December

1 9 4 0

January Commissioned for service and carried out post refit trials.

26th Conversion completed.

First production aircraft warning radar Type 279 fitted.

(For details of the development and use of radar in the RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)

30th Started work-up with ships of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

February On completion of work-up joined Home Fleet.

March Deployed with Humber Force in 1st AA Squadron for convoy defence in North Sea and NW

Approaches.

April

8th After German invasion of Norway nominated for landing on troops.

17th Embarked troops of 148th Infantry Brigade with HM Cruisers GALATEA, ARETHUSA and

CARLISLE and sailed from Rosyth for Molde. (Operation SICKLE)

22nd Deployed at Andalsnes for AA Guardship duties.

24th After repelling heavy and sustained air attacks on the area since arrival, hit by bomb below

Bridge structure and sustained major damage.

Withdrawn from Guardship duty and took passage to UK for repair under own steam, escorted by

HM Sloop FLAMINGO.

3O of ship’s company were killed and another 30 wounded

(For details see Naval Staff History (HMSO- 2001) )

May

2nd Arrived at HM Dockyard, Chatham.

June Repair delayed by accumulation of higher priority work..

July Under repair and refit.

August Post refit trials.

September Deployed in Nore Command for convoy defence and AA Guardship duties.

October

November

4th Transferred to Rosyth for convoy escort duty in North Sea and NW Approaches to supplement

AA defences against Fokke-Wolfe KONDOR aircraft.

December Convoy defence duties in continuation

1 9 4 1

January Convoy defence duties in continuation

March

April Under repair in m Dockyard Rosyth.

June

July Resumed AA defence duty for convoys in NW Approaches and North Sea

August Joined HM Destroyers LIVELY and LIGHTNING 'to assist return of French submarine RUBIS

from Norway after being damaged during patrol. Escorted RUBIS to Dundee.

September Deployed with Rosyth AA Defence Force in continuation of convoys defence.

December

1 9 4 2

January Convoy defence in continuation in North Sea and NW Approaches.

April

May Under refit at Rosyth.

Surface warning radar Type 271 and fire control radar Type 282 installed for close range AA

armament.

June On completion resumed AA defence duties in Rosyth Defence Force.

20th Detached for duty with Home Fleet in diversion operation.

Deployed with HM Cruiser SIRIUS, HM Destroyers CASTLETON and ST MARYS for

escort of 'dummy,'convoy including HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMENON,

MENESTHEUS and SOUTHERN PRINCE during passage of Russian Convoy PQ17.

(Operation ES).

(Note: This was not successful as convoy was never sighted by enemy aircraft

July Home Fleet for AA defence in continuation..

August

September Transferred to Western Approaches Command and joined Irish Sea Escort Force for convoy

defence in Irish Sea and NW Approaches based at Belfast.

October

1st Deployed with HM Destroyers BULLDOG to join HM Destroyers BRAMHAM, COWDRAY

SKATE and Polish destroyer BLYSKAWICA as escort for rms QUEEN MARY during final

stage of passage with troops to Clyde NW Approaches.

2nd Rammed and sunk by rms QUEEN MARY in North Channel during passage to UK with

troops.

Only 101 of her complement of 439 survived this disaster caused largely by lack of judgement

of course changes by the liner to avoid submarine attack. (Casualty List - note on casualties)

(Note: HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair records that the liner was under threat of attack

by U407 but was sighted visually. This account suggests that in an attempt to prevent

approach by U407, HMS CURACOA crossed the zig-zag path of QUEEN MARY.

THE QUEEN MARY AND THE CRUISER by D Thomas and P Holmes gives a more

comprehensive account of the disaster and provides details of the subsequent Boards of

Inquiry.)

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CURACOA

by Don Kindell

Date convoy Joined convoy Convoy No. Left convoy Date convoy

sailed as escort arrived

26/09/40 26/09/40 OA 220 27/09/40 28/09/40

10/09/40 30/09/40 SL 047 01/10/40 28/09/40

30/09/40 01/10/40 OA 222 unknown 03/10/40

04/10/40 19/10/40 HX 078 20/10/40 20/10/40

03/10/40 25/10/40 SL 050 26/10/40 26/10/40

30/12/40 01/01/41 WN 062 01/01/41 02/01/41

01/01/41 04/01/41 WN 063 04/01/41 05/01/41

04/01/41 06/01/41 WN 064 07/01/41 07/01/41

05/01/41 08/01/41 WN 065 08/01/41 07/01/41

08/01/41 10/01/41 WN 066 10/01/41 11/01/41

13/01/41 16/01/41 WN 069 16/01/41 17/01/41

23/01/41 25/01/41 WN 073 25/01/41 26/01/41

24/01/41 26/01/41 WN 074 26/01/41 27/01/41

29/01/41 01/02/41 WN 077 01/02/41 03/02/41

31/01/41 02/02/41 WN 078 02/02/41 03/02/41

04/02/41 06/02/41 WN 080 06/02/41 07/02/41

28/12/40 09/02/41 WN 061 09/02/41 01/01/41

08/02/41 10/02/41 WN 082 10/02/41 11/02/41

11/02/41 12/02/41 EN 070/1 12/02/41 14/02/41

10/02/41 13/02/41 WN 083 13/02/41 14/02/41

13/02/41 13/02/41 EN 071/1 13/02/41 17/02/41

26/02/41 01/03/41 WN 091 01/03/41 02/03/41

01/03/41 01/03/41 EN 079/1 01/03/41 05/03/41

05/03/41 05/03/41 EN 081/1 05/03/41 09/03/41

06/03/41 09/03/41 WN 095 09/03/41 10/03/41

13/03/41 13/03/41 EN 085/1 14/03/41 17/03/41

14/03/41 17/03/41 WN 099 18/03/41 18/03/41

18/03/41 18/03/41 EN 087/1 18/03/41 22/03/41

18/03/41 21/03/41 WN 101 21/03/41 22/03/41

21/03/41 21/03/41 EN 089/1 22/03/41 25/03/41

20/03/41 22/03/41 WN 102 23/03/41 23/03/41

23/03/41 23/03/41 EN 090/1 24/03/41 27/03/41

22/03/41 25/03/41 WN 103 25/03/41 26/03/41

25/03/41 25/03/41 EN 091/1 26/03/41 29/03/41

24/03/41 26/03/41 WN 104 26/03/41 27/03/41

26/03/41 29/03/41 WN 105 29/03/41 30/03/41

29/03/41 29/03/41 EN 093/1 30/03/41 02/04/41

30/03/41 02/04/41 WN 107 02/04/41 04/04/41

03/04/41 05/04/41 WN 109 06/04/41 07/04/41

06/04/41 06/04/41 EN 095/1 07/04/41 10/04/41

07/04/41 09/04/41 WN 111 10/04/41 10/04/41

28/06/41 30/06/41 EC 039 01/07/41 04/07/41

05/07/41 08/07/41 EC 042 08/07/41 11/07/41

07/07/41 08/07/41 WN 150 10/07/41 10/07/41

08/07/41 10/07/41 EC 043 11/07/41 14/07/41

12/07/41 14/07/41 WN 152 15/07/41 15/07/41

13/07/41 15/07/41 EC 045 16/07/41 18/07/41

20/07/41 22/07/41 WN 155 22/07/41 23/07/41

20/07/41 22/07/41 EC 048 23/07/41 25/07/41

20/12/40 26/07/41 WN 057 26/07/41 24/12/40

25/07/41 26/07/41 EC 050 27/07/41 28/07/41

24/12/40 30/07/41 WN 059 31/07/41 28/12/40

29/07/41 31/07/41 EC 052 01/08/41 03/08/41

31/07/41 02/08/41 WN 160 02/08/41 03/08/41

31/07/41 02/08/41 EC 053 03/08/41 05/08/41

04/08/41 06/08/41 EC 055 07/08/41 09/08/41

06/08/41 08/08/41 WN 163 09/08/41 09/08/41

16/08/41 17/08/41 WN 168 18/08/41 19/08/41

16/08/41 18/08/41 EC 061 19/08/41 22/08/41

19/08/41 21/08/41 WN 170 22/08/41 22/08/41

13/09/41 unknown WN 180 unknown 16/09/41

29/09/41 unknown WN 187 unknown 02/10/41

02/12/41 02/12/41 EN 014 04/12/41 05/12/41

02/12/41 unknown WN 213 unknown 05/12/41

18/12/41 unknown WN 220 unknown 21/12/41

04/12/41 04/12/41 EN 015 05/12/41 07/12/41

09/03/42 11/03/42 WN 256 12/03/42 13/03/42

02/08/42 06/08/42 AT 019 07/08/42 07/08/42

10/08/42 10/08/42 TA 019 11/08/42 16/08/42

30/08/42 04/09/42 AT 021 05/09/42 05/09/42

08/09/42 08/09/42 TA 021 09/09/42 14/09/42

05/09/42 10/09/42 AT 022 11/09/42 11/09/42

14/09/42 14/09/42 TA 022 15/09/42 19/09/42

27/09/42 01/10/42 AT 024 02/10/42 02/10/42

(Note on Convoys)

further formatting is needed, but the data is being made available without delay

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