H. M. S. D U N E D I N
"D"
Class cruiser ordered from Armstrong's High Walker shipyard at Newcastle on Tyne in July 1917
and laid down on 5th November that year. She was launched on 19th
November 19l8 and towed to HM
Dockyard for completion as an economy measure. Build was finished in
October 1919 and the ship was
allocated for duty with the New Zealand Division in place of HM Cruiser
CHATHAM. She sailed from
Devonport
with HM Battlecruisers HOOD and REPULSE, H M Cruisers DRAGON, DELHI, DANAE
and DAUNTLESS deployed for a world cruise. She detached in May 1924
for service in New Zealand
and served in the Pacific
until returned to UK in 1931 for refit at Chatham. On completion she joined
the Fleet in the Mediterranean The ship's company was
transferred to HM Cruiser LEANDER in April
1937
and commenced Reserve Fleet service She attended the Coronation Naval Review by
HM King George
VI in June 1937 and re-commissioned on November 11th at Portsmouth for use as Boys Training Ship
until brought forward for operational service in 1939. During a refit at Portsmouth in 1939 the second
prototype air warning radar Type79Z was to have been fitted but this was
installed in HM Cruiser CURLEW instead.
No significant modification or additions to armament were node before her loss
in November 1941.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941
Heraldic Data
Badge: On a Field Green, a ram's head silver with horns Green
surrounded
by a wreath of corn Gold.
M o t to
Nis dominus
frusta Vainly without the Lord
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
August Commissioned from Reserve and
manned by Reservists.
Attended
Royal Review of Reserve Fleet in Weymouth Bay.
Remained in commission
and allocated for war service based at Scapa Flow
On completion of
storing and manning to war complement took passage to join
12th
Cruiser Squadron.
(Note: Commanding
Officer Commander C Lambe,
later Admiral Sir Charles Lambe),
September Deployed on Northern Patrol for
interception of mercantiles attempting to return to
Germany and commerce
raiders on passage to enter Atlantic
5th Carried out- first patrol.
October Northern Patrol deployment in
continuation
Intercepted German
mercantile attempting to run the Blockade.
Crew who had scuttled
the enemy ship on approach were taken prisoner.
November
21st Set up patrol line off North Rona as
part of Home Fleet- operation to intercept German
battleships
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU after the sinking of HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser RAWALPINDI.
December Resumed Northern Patrol deployment.
(Note: Senior Officer
of Squadron reported this Class of cruiser had proved unsuitable
for
Northern Patrol duty.)
Taken in hand for
weather damage repair in Belfast.
(Note: Under way for
92 days since outbreak of war.)
1 9 4 0
January Resumed to Northern Patrol duty.
26th Released from Northern Patrol and took
passage to Portsmouth.
29th Transferred to West Indies for duty with 8th
Cruiser Squadron for interception
of blockade
runners and for trade
protection.
Prepared for foreign
service at Portsmouth.
February
5th Sailed from Portsmouth to join Squadron
at Kingston, Jamaica.
Deployed for
interception patrol duties.
March
2nd Intercepted German blockade-runner on
passage from Aruba.
Enemy ship scuttled on approach.
8th Intercepted German mercantile HANNOVER
with HM Canadian Destroyer ASSINIBOINE.
Took enemy freighter in tow whilst a party from HMCS ASSINIBOINE fought
the fires started
when crew abandoned ship.
As
no tugs were available both ships secured
alongside and took ship to Jamaica as Prize.
(Note: This mercantile became ss EMPIRE
AUDACITY and later was converted for use as
an escort
carrier and renamed HMS AUDACITY. Sunk on 21st December 1941 in
defence of
a convoy on passage from Gibraltar to UK.
Her
service helped establish the value of Escort Carriers in the relentless U-Boat
war).
(For details of Atlantic operations see THE BLOCKADERS by A Cecil
Hampshire).
April Convoy
defence role in eastern Atlantic with 8th Cruiser Squadron in continuation.
to
May
June
8th Deployed on patrol in Caribbean area as
Senior Officer Jamaica Force
July.
Recalled to UK to reinforce Home Fleet.
August Passage
to Greenock.
September
13th Taken in hand at commercial shipyard for
fitting of 'Deguassing cables and change
of
AA armament.
(See THE TORPEDOMEN by A Poland for details of this equipment.)
October Nominated
for duty in Portsmouth command on completion for anti-invasion duties.
(Note: New Commanding Officer Captain RS Lovatt).
11th Sailed from Greenock for Portsmouth.
Deployed in SW Approaches based at Portsmouth.
November Channel and
SW Approaches Convoy anti-invasion patrol in continuation.
December Nominated
for escort of military convoy WS5A and took passage to join convoy in
SW Approaches.
24th Joined WS5A with HM Cruiser BERWICK for
Ocean Escort.
(Note: HM Cruiser NAIAD and HM Cruiser BONAVENTURE had already joined
escort
with HM Corvettes CLEMATIS, CYCLAMEN, GERANIUM and
JONQUIL.)
25th In action with German cruiser HIPPER in
defence of military Convoy WS5A.
Laid smoke screen to obscure
troopships and took part in a brief engagement in poor
visibility during which HMS BERWICK was damaged.
HIPPER broke off action
because of imaginary threat of torpedo threat.
(Note: German ship had located convoy during night and waited until
dawn before
attacking what was considered a
normal trade convoy.
For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Bamett
and Naval
Staff History.
(Note: The brief engagement was totally unsatisfactory.
An intended air search for HIPPER by carrier SWORDFISH Aircraft
cancelled
after order from the Admiralty.
Only two troopships were hit ss EMPIRE
TROOPER and ss ARABISTAN
which were escorted to Azores by HMS CYCLAMEN.
27th Detached from Ocean Escort and took
passage to Gibraltar.
29th At Gibraltar.
1 9 4 1
January Resumed
convoy defence duties and available as Distant Cover for military Convoy
WS5A which had been
re-assembled.
(Note: One source suggests that this ship rejoined the escort, for
WS5A.arriving at
Freetown
on 6th January.)
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
February Nominated for transfer to South
Atlantic Command after routine docking.
Took
passage to Clyde for convoy defence in North Atlantic.
22nd Deployed in NW
Approaches after arrival in Clyde.
March
23rd Took passage to
Devonport for docking prior to foreign service.
April
8th On completion of
docking took passage from Devonport to South Atlantic.
May Deployed for trade defence and
interception duties in South Atlantic.
(Note: Capture of
ENIGMA documentation earlier in 1941 had enabled German radio signals
to
be decrypted at. Bletchley Park. This information enabled the Admiralty
to identify
the
movements of U-Boat and Commerce Raider supply ships.
As a
result interception by British warships in the South Atlantic was made possible
with
certainty. See BREAKING THE ENIGMA by D Kahn and HITLERS U
- BOAT WAR
by C Blair.)
June Diverted for interception of
supply ships with HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE.
15th Captured
German freighter LOTHRINGEN in position 19.49N 38.30 W after sighting by
aircraft from HMS
EAGLE.
(Note: ENIGMA
material obtained enabled more vital information to be obtained.)
This
ship was later used as a British mercantile named ss EMPIRE SALVAGE)
30th Captured Vichy French freighter VILLE DE
TAMATAVE east of St. Paul's Rock in the South
Atlantic.
July
22nd Captured Vichy French
freighter VILLE DE ROUEN east of Natal,. Brazil.
August Trade defence and interception
duties In South Atlantic in continuation. October
to
October
November Deployed with HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE
and DORSETSHIRE to intercept U-Boat
Supply Ship
PYTHON and Commerce Raider ATLANTIS known to be deployed in South
Atlantic for
attacks on shipping and re-supply of U-Boats.
The RN ships were
operating as independent units and deployed in
specific areas where the
enemy operations
were intended.
(Note: HMS
DEVONSHIRE sank ATLANTIS on 22nd November. See above references.)
Nominated for
interception of PYTHON.
24th Under attack by U124 which was on passage to
met PYTHON for re-supply.
Hit by two of three
torpedo fired by U124 off St Pauls Rock
in position 03.02N 18.29W
north of Pernambuco and 900 miles west of Freetown.
Ship was steaming at
high speed and bulkheads were unable to withstand stress of
an explosion
whilst under way.
One torpedo struck
amidships and the other aft.
Extensive damage
including loss of radio facilities.
Foundered stem
first.
27th 72 members of the
snip's company were rescued by US mercantile NISHAMA and were the
only survivors.
Five of those rescued died later.
420 of the ship's
company lost their lives including Captain R S Lovatt,
OBE, RN.
(Casualty
List - note on casualties)
(Note: The
rescued men were landed in Trinidad on December 7th 1941.
U124
still commanded by Korvette Kapitan
Jonann Mohr was sunk in position 41.02N
15.39W west, of Oporto. Portugal by HM Sloop BLACK SWAN and HM Corvette
STONECROP on 3rd April 1943 during an attack on Convoy OS45.
There
were no survivors.
Acknowledgements
The
additional information was provided by Mr W Gill who was a survivor from this
ship. His contribution enabled more detail to be recorded. Details of escorts
for WS Series convoys were provided by Donald L. Kindell
of Ohio, USA from an unpublished source. These are gratefully acknowledged.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS DUNEDIN
by Don Kindell
Date convoy Joined
convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
26/01/41 26/01/41 SLG 001 05/02/41 05/02/41
14/02/41 14/02/41 SLG 001A 22/02/41 22/02/41
02/05/41 02/05/41 CF 001/1 07/05/41 15/05/41
06/11/41 12/11/41 SL 092 13/11/41 01/12/41
(Note on Convoys)
