DIDO-Class cruiser ordered from Alexander Stephen's of
Govan, Glasgow under the 1937 Programme on
21st March
1937.
The ship was laid down on 6th October 1937 and launched on 18th May 1939 as the third RN ship to carry the name, previously used in 1893. Her completion date
was 25th March 1941 and following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign in November 1941 she was adopted by Smethwick
then in the county of Staffordshire
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
CHINA 1900 - BISMARCK Action 1941
- MEDITERRANEAN 1941 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941-42 - DIEGO SUAREZ 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field
Blue, in a ducal coronet an oak tree fructed
Gold
penetrated transversely in the main stem by a frame saw
White.
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 4 1
March Contractors
Trials.
25th Commissioned and carried out Acceptance
Trials.
April On completion
of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.
13th Began work-up with 15the Cruiser Squadron
Home Fleet for service.
May Deployed with
15th Cruiser Squadron in NW Approaches
15th
Provided Ocean Escort for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during a
minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation SN9A). For details
see Naval Staff History - MINING.
22nd
Deployed with ships of 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet search for the
German battleship
BISMARCK.
24th
Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS with HM Cruisers AURORA and KENYA when carrying
out
air strikes on BISMARCK
(For details of the search
and sinking of BISMARCK see Naval Staff History and BATTLESHIP
BISMARCK by
Mullenheim Rechberg).
25th Detached to refuel in Iceland.
29th In collision with merchant ship TEMBIEN.
June
2nd
Escorted HMS VICTORIOUS from Clyde carrying aircraft for delivery to Malta.
4th
On passage aircraft from Carrier searched for German supply ship
GOZENHEIM in Atlantic.
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
13th Joined by destroyers from Force
H at Gibraltar for escort during passage in Mediterranean for
Malta
aircraft delivery
(For details of all
Mediterranean activities between 1940 and 1943 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY, THE BATTLE FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and The
Naval Staff History)
15th
Diverted during return passage to UK to join Force H search
for enemy raider in Atlantic.
22nd
Escorted HMS VICTORIOUS for passage to Gibraltar carrying aircraft for
delivery to Malta.
Joined Force H
on arrival.
26th
Covered HM Aircraft Carriers ARK ROYAL and FURIOUS during aircraft
deliveries to Malta
(Operation RAILWAY 1)
30th Provided cover to same ships for repeat
delivery RAILWAY 2 on 30/6).
July Under repair at Gibraltar.
21st
Escorted HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Battleship NELSON and HMS ARK ROYAL
which were
covering passage of Malta
personnel convoy as far as Skerki Channel and transit of HM Supply Ship
BRECONSHIRE) from Malta
(Operation SUBSTANCE).
23rd
Transferred to Convoy Close Escort after HM Cruiser MANCHESTER was
damaged and remained
with convoy for rest of
passage.
24th
Sailed from Malta to rejoin Force H at Gibraltar.
28th
Embarked troops from Transport LEINSTER which had grounded and had not
joined SUBSTANCE
convoy.
31st
Joined HM Cruisers MANXMAN and ARETHUSA as Force X for
passage to Malta with
passengers (Operation
STYLE).
August
2nd
During return passage to Gibraltar rammed and sank Italian submarine
TEMBIEN off Tunis.
4th
Under repair to bow structure at Gibraltar.
21st
Escorted HMS NELSON and HMS ARK ROYAL for air attacks on Tempio,
Sardinia and
during a demonstration sweep
by Force H off Valencia as diversion for minelay off Italian
coast
by HM Minelaying Cruiser
MANXMAN (Operation MINCEMEAT).
September
8th
Escorted HMS NELSON during covering operations
for three aircraft deliveries to Malta by HMS
ARK ROYAL and HMS FURIOUS
(Operations STATUS 1 , 2 and 3)
14th
Resumed duties with Force H on completion.
24th
Joined Force X with HM Cruisers KENYA, EDINBURGH, SHEFFIELD,
EURYALUS for the
escort of a personnel and
stores convoy through Sicilian Narrows to Malta with cover by HM
Battleships NELSON, PRINCE OF
WALES and RODNEY as Force A.
Provided AA cover for HMS ARK
ROYAL during passage.
Italian
intervention was prevented by the astute use of covering force and the enemy ships withdrew.
(Operation
HALBERD).
28th
Detached to carry out diversionary bombardment of Pantellaria.
October Deployed with Force H.
16th Escorted HMS ARK ROYAL covered by HMS
RENOWN for aircraft delivery to Malta.
(Operation CALLBOY).
November Force
H Deployment in continuation.
3rd (Note: Under unsuccessful attack by U83
near Gibraltar during escort of HMS ARK ROYAL and
HMS ARGUS during
passage near Gibraltar.
See HITLERS
U-BOAT WAR, Volume 1 by C Blair.)
10th Escorted H M Battleship MALAYA, HM
aircraft Carriers ARK ROYAL and ARGUS for
an aircraft
delivery
to Malta (Operation PERPETUAL).
13th HMS ARK ROYAL torpedoed east of Gibraltar
by U81 and sank the following day.
December Deployment at
Gibraltar in continuation.
1 9 4 2
January Routine docking and maintenance at
Gibraltar.
Took passage to UK with Admiral
Somerville embarked after his appointment as Cin C designate
East Indies Station.
February Deployed in Home
waters and nominated for
escort of military convoy during return passage to
Gibraltar for service in
Force H,
17th Joined military convoy WS16 in Clyde with
HM Battleship MALAYA, HM Aircraft
Carriers
ARGUS,
EAGLE and FORMIDABLE as Ocean Escort
during Atlantic passage.
(Note: HM
Destroyers ACTIVE, ANTHONY, BLANKNEY, CROOME, DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE,
FIREDRAKE, LAFOREY and LIGHTNING provided screen during passage.)
21st
Detached from WS16 and took passage to
Gibraltar with HMS MALAYA, HMS ARGUS and HMS
EAGLE for
service in Mediterranean.
March
6th Escorted
HMS MALAYA, HMS ARGUS and HMS EAGLE for aircraft delivery to Malta.
(Operation SPOTTER).
20th
Escorted HMS MALAYA, HMS ARGUS and HMS EAGLE for aircraft delivery to
Malta
(Operation PICKET I).
27th
Repeat aircraft delivery with same ships (Operation PICKET II).
April
1st Detached with HMS MALAYA, HM Destroyers ACTIVE, ANTHONY, LAFOREY,
LIGHTNING
and DUNCAN, six corvettes
and six minesweepers for support of planned landings in Madagascar as
as Force F.
9th Passage from Freetown to Durban.
19th Arrived at Capetown.
22nd Arrived at Durban.
28th Escorted HMS RAMILLIES and HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS with screen of six Fleet destroyers to meet
Convoy Y taking main
Diego Suarez assault force to assault area (Operation IRONCLAD).
(For full details see
Naval Staff History, RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray).
May
3rd Carried out diversionary bombardment of
French positions south of Diego Suarez Bay
Bombarded shore batteries
commanding Orja Pass which ceased return fire after 10 minutes.
10th On release from IRONCLAD completion
transferred to Mediterranean Fleet.
(Note:
This was necessary to replace ships sink or damaged during operations in
defence of Crete.)
Passage
to Alexandria for service with 15th Cruiser Squadron.
June
7th Arrived at
Alexandria with HM Cruisers NEWCASTLE and ARETHUSA.
Joined
Squadron.
11th Nominated for support of passage to Malta
of relief convoy MW11 with HM Battleship
CENTURION (Disguised as a KING GEORGE V battleship,) HM Cruisers
NEWCASTLE,
BIRMINGHAM,
CLEOPATRA, DIDO, EURYALUS, ARETHUSA, and COVENTRY screened
by 17
destroyers.
(Note:
In addition
nine HUNT Class Escort destroyers were deployed as close escort for
mercantiles to fight this convoy through to the beleagured
island (Operation VIGOROUS).
13th Sailed with these ships to join MW11
14th Joined MW11 and under air attacks and
threat from Italian major warships.
(Note: Heavy expenditure
of AA ammunition)
Attack by Torpedo boats
after nightfall was driven off by escort
15th Convoy ordered by CinC at Alexandria to
reverse course and under attack by torpedo boats.
(Note: HM Destroyer HASTY
was hit and had to be sunk by HM Destroyer HOTSPUR.
HM Cruiser
NEWCASTLE was also hit and sustained serious damage,
16th
Under heavy and sustained air
attacks during which several ships were damaged.
(Note: HM Escort
Destroyer AIREDALE and HM Destroyer NESTOR (RAN) were later
sunk by other
ships in escort.
Convoy ordered by CinC to resume
westward passage and later rescinded
Later instruction to
resume west passage was ignored owing lack of AA ammunition
During
return passage hit on starboard side amidships by torpedo fired from U205 in position
33-30N
26.10E, south of Crete.
Machinery compartments flooded and ship took on a 22 degree list- before
lying completely on one
side
for 21 minutes prior to sinking.
440 of ship’s company were
rescued by HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT and
EXMOOR.
(Casualty
List - note on casualties)
(Note: Surviving
mercantiles and escorts returned to Alexandria when operation was abandoned
due to threat
of surface intervention by Italian fleet and continuation of heavy air attacks.
For full
details of this disastrous operation during which ill-advised and unhelpful
instructions by CinC
deprived those at sea from making appropriate decision based on actual
circumstances.
See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Bamett,
THE BATTLE FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre, MALTA CONVOYS by
R Woodman and
the Naval Staff History.
Casualty List
was published on 30th July 1942.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HERMIONE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
24/09/41
|
24/09/41
|
HALBERD
|
27/09/41
|
27/09/41
|
11/06/42
|
14/06/42
|
MW 011
|
15/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)