Naval History Homepage and Site Search

 

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS LONDON  - County-type Heavy Cruiser
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS London  (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

return to Contents List 
 

LONDON-Class cruiser ordered from HM Dockyard; Portsmouth under the 1925 Estimates and laid down on 23rd February 1926. The ship was launched on 14th September 1927 by the Lady Mayoress of the City of London as the eleventh RN ship with this name, first used in 1636 for a 40 gun ship supplied by the City of London to Charles I. She was completed on 31st January 1929 and in November 1938 was Flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron., Mediterranean Fleet. After successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaigns held in the City of London in March 1942 this cruiser was adopted by INVESTMENT TRUSTS in the City of London.

 

B a t t l e  H o n o u r s 

 

KENTISH KNOCK 1652 - GABBARD 1653 - SCHEVENINGEN 1653 - LOWESTOFT 1665 - SOLEBAY 1672 - SCHOONVELDT 1673 - TEXEL 1673  - BARFLEUR 1693 - CHESAPEAKE 1781 - GROIX 1795 - COPENHAGEN 1801 - BLACK SEA 1854 - DARDANELLES 1915 - ATLANTIC 1941 - ARCTIC 1941-43

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge:   On a Field White, a Dagger Red placed in a circular frame.

 

M o t t o

    Domine dirige nos :  'God Guide us'

 

 

 

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

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search

 

 

1 9 3 9

 

September             Under major refit and reconstruction by HM Dockyard Chatham.

to                            Work done included with ship under Dockyard Control.

December              New design superstructure with aircraft hangars, cranes and catapult forward.

                                Bridge design modernised.

                                Funnel arrangements changed and only two used.

                                Two twin 4in AA mountings and additional smaller AA guns fitted.

                                Air warning radar Type 279 fitted on both masts.

                                Fire control radar for forward main armament Type 284 and for 4in mountings Type

                                285 provided with aerial units on gunnery directors. For details of the development

                                and in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).

                                Armour protection added over machinery spaces.

                                (Note: The significant increase on displacement after modernisation resulted in

                                increased structural stresses in a hull which had been designed to met Treaty

                                limitations. During subsequent service these weaknesses were most likely to

                                have been the cause of the leakages in fuel and feed water systems during

                                later service

 

1 9 4 0

 

                                Under Dockyard control at Chatham.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Under Dockyard control at Chatham.

                7th          Re-commissioned.

 

February

                12th        Dockyard refit completed.

                22nd       Post refit trials commenced.

 

March                    Delayed at Chatham for completion of repairs and on completion took passage to join 1st

                                Cruiser Squadron Home Fleet for work-up.

 

April

                2nd         On completion of work-up deployed on Northern Patrol for interception duties with HM Cruiser

                                KENYA and four Home Fleet destroyers.

                10th        Returned to Scapa Flow and prepared for foreign service in South Atlantic.

 

May

                12th        Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS to Gibraltar with H M Destroyer BRILLIANT prior

                                to Malta aircraft delivery in Operation SPLICE.

                19th        Detached with HMS BRILLIANT on arrival at Gibraltar.

                                Sailed from Gibraltar as escort for ss ARUNDEL CASTLE during passage to Clyde

                                (Note: This liner was taking evacuees from Gibraltar to UK.)

                24th        Diverted to join search for BISMARCK after loss of HM Battlecruiser HOOD.

                29th        Released from operation after sinking of BISMARCK and resumed passage to South Atlantic.

                31st         Called at Bathurst, Gambia.

 

June                        Deployed with HMS BRILLIANT in search for German supply ships in South Atlantic.

                4th          Intercepted tanker ESSO HAMBURG which scuttled on approach.

                6th          Intercepted German supply ship EGERLAND which also scuttled.

                21st         Intercepted German supply ship BABITONGA 900 miles SW of Freetown, Sierra Leone

                                which also scuttled on approach.

                                (Note: These interceptions were carried out following decryption of German ENIGMA

                                signals by GCHQ at Bletchley Park. See BREAKING THE ENIGMA by D Kahn and

                                BRITISH INTELLIGENCE IN WW2 (HMSO)

 

July

                3rd          Deployed as Ocean Escort for military convoy WS10 during passage from Clyde to Freetown.

                10th        Detached from WS10 on relief as Ocean Escort by HM Cruiser EDINBURGH

                                Resumed Interception patrol.

 

August                  Atlantic trade defence duties in continuation..

 

September             Transferred to Iceland for duty with Home Fleet ships in northern waters.

                                Deployed with Northern Patrol.

                                Detached and took passage to Scapa Flow.

                22nd       Embarked Lord Beaverbrook and Mr. Averill Harriman with an Anglo-American trade

                                delegation at Scapa Flow and took passage to Archangel.

                27th        Arrived at Archangel.

                28th        Joined HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE, HM Destroyer ELECTRA and ACTIVE as escort for

                                for returning Convoy QP1.

                                (Note: Re-embarked British delegation for return to UK.)

                                (For details of all Russian convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,

                                CONVOY ! by P Kemp, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE RUSSIAN

                                CONVOYS by B.Schoefield.).

 

October

                2nd         Detached from QP1 and resumed Northern Patrol after disembarking passengers.

                9th          Returned to Scapa Flow.

                30th        Taken in hand for repair at Tyne commercial shipyard

 

November              Under repair and refit

To                           (Note: Eight 20mm Oerlikon guns fitted to replace the existing multiple machine guns to improve

December              close range defence against air attack

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Under repair

 

February                On completion of dockyard work carried out Post Refit trials

                15th        Rejoined Home Fleet for patrol and escort in northern waters.

 

March                    Deployed for Patrol WHITE in Denmark Strait with HM Cruiser KENT and three

                                USN ships.

                                Ordered to set up stations east of Bear Island after refuelling in Iceland to refuel

                                destroyers deployed for the interception of German battleship TIRPITZ which posed a

                                threat to convoys to and from North Russia. See ARCTIC DESTROYERS by R Woodman.

                                On release from refuelling resumed patrol off Iceland.

 

April                       Deployed for Northern Patrol.

                28th        Detached from patrol to Join escort for Russian Convoy PQ15.

                30th        Joined HM Cruiser NIGERIA in escort of PQ15.

 

May                        Under air attacks which were unsuccessful.

                1st           Detached from PQ15 escort and rejoined Home Fleet for covering duties.

                                Returned to Scapa Flow.

                12th        Nominated with HM Battleship DUKE OF YORK, HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS,

                                HM Cruisers KENT, LIVERPOOL, NIGERIA and NORFOLK, screened by HM Destroyers

                                ICARUS, BLANKNEY, ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE, FAULKNOR, FURY, INGLEFIELD,

                                LAMERTON, MARNE, ONSLOW, MIDDLETON, ORIBI and WHEATLAND to cover

                                return passage from Murmansk of HM Cruiser TRINIDAD

                                (Note: HMS TRINIDAD had been damaged during defence of an earlier convoy to Russia

                                but sunk on 14th in air attacks and cover force not deployed.)

                15th        Took passage with Home Fleet ships to Hvalfjord.

                16th        Met US aircraft carrier USS WASHINGTON, US cruiser USS TUSCALOOSA and screen of

                                three USN destroyers who had been detached by USN for duty in support of Home Fleet.

                17th        Arrived at Hvalfjord.

                                Resumed Northern Patrol duties

                23rd        Deployed with HMS DUKE OF YORK, USS WASHINGTON, HMS VICTORIOUS, US

                                cruiser USS WICHITA and a screen of RN and USN destroyers to provide cover for

                                passage of Russian Convoy PQ16 and returning Convoy QP12.

 

June

                5th          At Scapa Flow

                                Passage to Iceland to resume Northern Patrol.

                30th        Sailed from Seidisfjord with HM Cruiser NORFOLK, USS TUSCALOOSA, USS

                                WICHITA screened by US destroyers USS WAINWRIGHT and USS ROMAN to provide

                                close cover for passage of Russian Convoy PQ17 and returning QP13.

 

July

                4th          After PQ17 was ordered to scatter by Admiralty, returned to Iceland

                6th          Resumed Northern Patrol.

 

August                  Deployed with Home Fleet for interception duties In NW Approaches.

 

September

                12th        Sailed from Loch Ewe with HM Cruisers SUFFOLK and NORFOLK to provide Cruiser Cover

                                for the passage of Russian Convoy PQ18.

                18th        On arrival of convoy at Kola Inlet resumed Home Fleet interception duties.

 

October                  Deployed with Home Fleet for interception in NW Approaches.

 

November              Independent passage to provide cover with HM Cruiser Suffolk for passage of inward convoy

                                QP15 whilst west of Bear Island,

                                (Note: This was the final west bound convoy of 1942 season from Kola and the last of PQ/QP

                                series).

                17th        Deployed with HMS SUFFOLK screened by HM Destroyers FORESTER, OBDURATE and

                                ONSLOW

                23rd        Returned to Scapa Flow.

                                Nominated for refit in Tyne commercial shipyard

 

December              Under refit.

                                (Note: Hull strengthening undertaken (see 1939 Note re modernisation).

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Under refit

to                            (Note: Work included installation of:

April                       Surface warning radar Type 273

                                Fire control radar Type 282 installed with aerials on directors for 2 pdr Pom-Pom

                                weapons.

                                Five additional 20mm Oerlikon mountings fitted.

                                Removal of aircraft facilities.

                                Carried out harbour trials

 

May                        Rejoined Home Fleet after completion of sea trials.

                                Passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for service.

 

June                        Deployed with Home Fleet for patrol and interception in NW Approaches.

 

July

                7th          Deployed with HM Cruisers BELFAST and KENT with destroyer screen for offensive sweep

                                off Norway as a diversion during Sicily landings (Operation CAMERA).

                9th          Returned to Scapa Flew and resumed interception duties.

 

August                  Deployed on interception duty to prevent breakout of German warships for attacks on

to                            Atlantic convoys between Faeroes and Iceland.

October                  Nominated for special duty and sailed for the Mediterranean.

 

November              Deployed with HM Destroyer ULSTER to collect UK Defence Staff for return to UK after

                                Teheran Conference with US and USSR leaders.

 

December

                3rd          Passage to UK with passengers.

                                On arrival nominated for service in Eastern Fleet and took passage to Rosyth.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Under refit at Rosyth for BPF service

                                (Note: Four Twin 20mm mountings fitted to improve close range AA defence.

 

February                Passage to Ceylon to Join 4th Cruiser Squadron after post refit trials.

 

March

                13th        Joined Squadron at Trincomalee.

                24th        Deployed with HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH and VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser

                                RENOWN, HM Cruisers GAMBIA, CEYLON and CUMBERLAND screened by HM

                                Destroyers QUILLIAM, QUALITY, QUEENBOROUGH, PATHFINDER, NAPIER,

                                NORMAN, NEPAL, QUIBERON, Dutch destroyers TJERK HIDDES and VAN GALEN

                                for offensive sweep in Indian Ocean (Operation DIPLOMAT).

                27th        Met US aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA and US destroyers USS CUMMINGS, USS

                                DUNLOP and USS FANNING joining Eastern Fleet for temporary service,

                                (Note: USN ships were to joined planned air attacks on Sumatra.)

April

                2nd         Arrived Trincomalee with US and RN ships.

                16th        Deployed with HMS RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS and USS

                                SARATOGA as Task Force 70 for air attacks on Sabang screened by HM Destroyers

                                QUILLIAM, QUADRANT, QUEENBOROUGH, USS CUMMINGS, USS FANNING

                                and HM Submarine TACTICIAN for Air Sea Rescue duty.

                                (Note: Cover for operation was provided by Task Force 69 (H M Battleships QUEEN

                                ELIZABETH and VALIANT, French battleship RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers

                                NEWCASTLE, NIGERIA, CUMBERLAND, CEYLON, GAMBIA and Dutch

                                cruiser TROMP screened by HM Destroyers PENN ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE,

                                PETARD, QUIBERON, NAPIER, NEPAL, NIZAM (RAN), and Dutch VAN

                                GALEN (Operation COCKPIT).

                19th        Provided close cover to carriers during attacks on Sabang.

                24th        Returned to Trincomalee.

                30th        Deployed with HMS SUFFOLK as escort for Refuelling Group made up of 6 tankers and a

                                water tanker in Task Force 67.

                                Took passage to Exmouth Bay, Western Australia to support Task Force 65 during air

                                operations against Soerabaya (Operation TRANSOM – See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO)

 

May                        Arrived at Exmouth Bay with Tanker Convoy.

                15th        Joined HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, USS SARATOGA, HMS GAMBIA, HMS CEYLON,

                                HM Destroyers QUADRANT, QUEENBOROUGH, QUILLIAM, USS FANNING and

                                USS DUNLOP) in Task Force 66 (Operation TRANSOM)

                17th        Provided close cover to aircraft carriers during attacks on Soerabaya.

                18th        US Navy ships detached and returned to US Navy administration.

                27th        Returned to Trincomalee with TF67 ships after refuelling at Exmouth Bay.

 

June                        Transferred to 5th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet and deployed on trade defence and

to                            interception duty in Indian Ocean.

August

 

September

                8th          Took part in Joint Fleet exercises with HM Battleship HOWE, HMS CUMBERLAND and

                                HMS GAMBIA off Ceylon.

 

 October

                15th        Joined Task Group 63.2 with HMS SUFFOLK and HMS CUMBERLAND screened by HM

                                Destroyers RELENTLESS, RAIDER, NORMAN (RAN) and Dutch VAN GALEN for

                                offensive operations in Indian Ocean as a diversion during US landings on Leyte.

                                (Note: HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE and VICTORIOUS with H M Cruiser

                                PHOEBE for Fighter Direction and screened by HM Destroyers WHELP,

                                WAKEFUL, WESSEX and WAGER as Task Unit 62-3 carried out air attacks.

                                HMS RENOWN screened by HMS QUILLIAM, QUEENBOROUGH and

                                QUIBERON as Task Unit 62.1 provided cover against any surface interference.

                                (Operation MILLET).

                17th        Bombarded targets in Nicobars with TU63.2 ships during daylight.

                18th        Further bombardment with destroyers after nightfall.

                19th        Under attacks by torpedo carrying aircraft 7 of which were destroyed.

 

November              Deployed with Squadron for convoy defence and interception in Indian Ocean.

to                            Retained in East Indies Fleet on formation of British Pacific Fleet

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Convoy defence and interception duty in continuation

to

March

 

April

                8th          Joined Task Force 63 with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, French RICHELIEU, HMS

                                CUMBERLAND, HM Escort Carriers EMPEROR and KHEDIVE screened by HM

                                Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VENUS, VIRAGO and VIGILANT for programme of offensive

                                operations off Sumatra including bombardments, air strikes and photo-reconnaissance of

                                Port Swettenham and Port Dickson in Malaya (Operation SUNFISH).

                11th        Carried out bombardment of shore targets at Sabang.

                                Under air attacks when returning to rejoin TF63.

                12th        Provided close cover for Escorted Carriers during photo reconnaissance flights.

                14th        Continued Close Cover during further PR flights.

                15th        Under air attack during return passage to Trincomalee.

                18th        Arrived at Trincomalee.

 

May                        Passage to Simonstown for refit.

 

June                        Under refit by HM Dockyard Simonstown.

to                            (Note: Radar Type 283 for barrage fire control fitted.

July                         Anti-aircraft armament modified including 4 Twin 4in mounting to replace 4in guns

                                of pre-war design.

                                Radar Type 277 fitted aft to replace Type 273 for surface warning.)

 

August                  On completion of post refit trials took passage to Ceylon to rejoin Squadron.

                                Prepared for support of landing operations in southern Malaya. (Operation ZIPPER).

                15th        Sailed with Eastern Fleet for landings.

                                Operation cancelled at US insistence after Japanese surrender and delays in the

                                implementation of PYTHON Release Scheme for long serving SEAC personnel.

                                Diverted to Rangoon to await further instructions.

                26th        Passage to Sabang with HM Battleship NELSON.

                28th        Anchored 5 miles from Sabang with HMS NELSON and received charts of the Japanese

                                minefields off Malaya and Singapore from Japanese delegation.

                31st         Surrender of Japanese forces in Sumatra carried out on board from Vice Admiral HIROSE,

                                IJN.

 

September

                2nd         Landed Royal Marines for occupation of Sabang.

                                Passage to Singapore.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS LONDON remained on Station until January 1946 when she returned to UK. The ship was then  deployed for two trooping duties to bring personnel back to UK from Sydney and Singapore. In September 1946 she Paid-off and was  reduced to Reserve status at Chatham. She the refitted for further service with the British Pacific Fleet. On completion in 1947, after working-up in the Mediterranean the ship went to join the 5th Cruiser Squadron at Hong Kong. In the next two years the ship was deployed on Fleet duties including protection of British flagged ships trading in Chinese waters. The most notable event in this period was the attempt to rescue HM Sloop AMETHYST which had been trapped in the Yangtse River. Whilst in action against Chinese Communist shore batteries with HM Sloop BLACK SWAN the ship was hit by 23 shells which caused major damage. Both warships then had to return to Shanghai. HMS LONDON returned to UK on 18th June 1949 and arrived in Chatham on 8th September. She was placed on the Disposal List and laid up at Falmouth prior to sale to BISCO for demolition by T W Ward on 3rd January 1950. The ship went to Barrow-in-Furness under tow and arrived at the breaker’s yard on 22nd January, Work on demolition was completed later that year. 

 

 


 

Addenda

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS LONDON

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

09/04/41

23/04/41

SL 071

29/04/41

04/05/41

17/05/41

28/05/41

SL 075

29/05/41

13/06/41

28/09/41

28/09/41

QP 001

02/10/41

10/10/41

10/04/42

30/04/42

PQ 015

01/05/42

05/05/42

21/05/42

23/05/42

PQ 016

29/05/42

30/05/42

21/05/42

23/05/42

QP 012

29/05/42

29/05/42

27/06/42

01/07/42

PQ 017

04/07/42

04/07/42

02/09/42

14/09/42

PQ 018

22/09/42

21/09/42

13/09/42

14/09/42

QP 014

22/09/42

26/09/42

17/11/42

19/11/42

QP 015

26/11/42

30/11/42

11/07/44

11/07/44

US 024B

23/07/44

23/07/44

09/01/45

14/01/45

HB 001

20/01/45

23/01/45

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 


 

 

HMS LONDON, 1929-1931 COMMISSION

by Paul Morgan

 

Link to a Photographic Album

 

 

back to Contents List
or Naval-History.Net

revised 8/10/10
further editing and formatting is required