PHOEBE HMS 1940
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:38 pm
Built under yard No 666 as a light cruiser by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Govan, Scotland for the Royal Navy.
02 September 1937 laid down.
25 March 1940 launched under the name HMS PHOEBE (C 43) one of the Dido class.
Displacement 5.450 tons, dim. 512 x 51.½ x 14ft. (draught).
Armament 8 – 5.25 inch and between 26 to 28 – 40 and 20mm AA guns, 6 – 21 inch torpedo tubes.
Powered by Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 62.000 shp., four propellers, speed 33 knots.
Crew 530.
27 September 1940 commissioned.
After commissioned she joined the Home Fleet in the 15th Cruiser Squadron, and operated in the North Atlantic for convoy protection.
April 1941 she joined the Mediterranean Fleet in Alexandria, and she participated in the evacuation of Greece and Crete, also used to escort Malta convoys.
June 1941 as flagship she covered the operations against Vichy-French Syria.
27 August 1941 while carrying troops to Tobruk enemy aircraft torpedoed her. She was damage and 7 crewmembers were killed in the attack. Temporarily repairs in Alexandria, before she headed to New York for full repairs on the Navy Dockyard there, from 21 Nov. 1941 till 21 April 1942.
May 1942 she returned to service, and returned to the Mediterranean.
Took part in Operation Pedestal in August to protect a convoy to Malta.
September 1942 got orders to proceed to Capetown to intercept Axis blockade-runners in the South African waters when she passed to and from the Far East.
Not any blockade-runner was caught and she proceeded from Simonstown to Freetown but she had to refuel in Pointe Noire in at that time French Equatorial Africa.
At that time two German U-Boats the U-161 and U-126 patrolled the area. On 23 October 1942 the HMS PHOEBE was torpedoed forward and aft by torpedoes fired from U-161. An allied corvette coming up from Pointe Noir prevented the U-161 to finish off the cruiser.
The PHOEBE was heavily damaged, and 60 crewmembers were killed.
After temporarily repairs at Pointe Noire, she sailed in December again for New York. for full repair, which lasted till June 1943.
July she sailed for the Mediterranean and operated in the Aegean and took part in the Anzio landings in Italy in January 1944.
Later the same year she sailed to the Indian Ocean to join the 5th Cruiser Squadron Eastern Fleet, and the remainder of the war operated there, she covered the aircraft carriers raids on the Nicobars and Sabang in Operation CRIMSON as a Fighter Direction Ship. The fleet arrived off Sabang at daybreak on 25 July.
Took part in the assault landings as flagship of the 21st Escort Carrier Squadron on the coast of Burma again as a fighter direction ship and the Rangoon landing in April/May 1945.
After the war she sailed home arriving Sheerness on 29 October 1945 for a refit.
1946 Joined the Mediterranean Fleet as flagship, Destroyer Flotillas, until November 1947.
Then in the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.
16 October 1950 during an exercise she came in collision with the HMS GAMBIA off Malta, she got heavy damage on one of her propellers and shaft.
Was repaired at Malta, her damaged propeller and shaft were removed and after the repair she sailed for England.
14 March 1951 she arrived at Chatham to pay off.
Between 1951 and 1955 used as senior officer’s ship at Harwich in reserve.
Thereafter in reserve at Portsmouth until 1956.
01 August 1956 she arrived by the scrap yard of Hughes Bolkow at Blyth for scrapping.
Tristan da Cunha 1994 25p sg 566 , scott 548
Source: http://www.world-war.co.uk , some other web-sites under which the U-boat net. Ships of the Royal Navy by Colledge. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II. Operation Pacific by Edwyn Gray.
02 September 1937 laid down.
25 March 1940 launched under the name HMS PHOEBE (C 43) one of the Dido class.
Displacement 5.450 tons, dim. 512 x 51.½ x 14ft. (draught).
Armament 8 – 5.25 inch and between 26 to 28 – 40 and 20mm AA guns, 6 – 21 inch torpedo tubes.
Powered by Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 62.000 shp., four propellers, speed 33 knots.
Crew 530.
27 September 1940 commissioned.
After commissioned she joined the Home Fleet in the 15th Cruiser Squadron, and operated in the North Atlantic for convoy protection.
April 1941 she joined the Mediterranean Fleet in Alexandria, and she participated in the evacuation of Greece and Crete, also used to escort Malta convoys.
June 1941 as flagship she covered the operations against Vichy-French Syria.
27 August 1941 while carrying troops to Tobruk enemy aircraft torpedoed her. She was damage and 7 crewmembers were killed in the attack. Temporarily repairs in Alexandria, before she headed to New York for full repairs on the Navy Dockyard there, from 21 Nov. 1941 till 21 April 1942.
May 1942 she returned to service, and returned to the Mediterranean.
Took part in Operation Pedestal in August to protect a convoy to Malta.
September 1942 got orders to proceed to Capetown to intercept Axis blockade-runners in the South African waters when she passed to and from the Far East.
Not any blockade-runner was caught and she proceeded from Simonstown to Freetown but she had to refuel in Pointe Noire in at that time French Equatorial Africa.
At that time two German U-Boats the U-161 and U-126 patrolled the area. On 23 October 1942 the HMS PHOEBE was torpedoed forward and aft by torpedoes fired from U-161. An allied corvette coming up from Pointe Noir prevented the U-161 to finish off the cruiser.
The PHOEBE was heavily damaged, and 60 crewmembers were killed.
After temporarily repairs at Pointe Noire, she sailed in December again for New York. for full repair, which lasted till June 1943.
July she sailed for the Mediterranean and operated in the Aegean and took part in the Anzio landings in Italy in January 1944.
Later the same year she sailed to the Indian Ocean to join the 5th Cruiser Squadron Eastern Fleet, and the remainder of the war operated there, she covered the aircraft carriers raids on the Nicobars and Sabang in Operation CRIMSON as a Fighter Direction Ship. The fleet arrived off Sabang at daybreak on 25 July.
Took part in the assault landings as flagship of the 21st Escort Carrier Squadron on the coast of Burma again as a fighter direction ship and the Rangoon landing in April/May 1945.
After the war she sailed home arriving Sheerness on 29 October 1945 for a refit.
1946 Joined the Mediterranean Fleet as flagship, Destroyer Flotillas, until November 1947.
Then in the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.
16 October 1950 during an exercise she came in collision with the HMS GAMBIA off Malta, she got heavy damage on one of her propellers and shaft.
Was repaired at Malta, her damaged propeller and shaft were removed and after the repair she sailed for England.
14 March 1951 she arrived at Chatham to pay off.
Between 1951 and 1955 used as senior officer’s ship at Harwich in reserve.
Thereafter in reserve at Portsmouth until 1956.
01 August 1956 she arrived by the scrap yard of Hughes Bolkow at Blyth for scrapping.
Tristan da Cunha 1994 25p sg 566 , scott 548
Source: http://www.world-war.co.uk , some other web-sites under which the U-boat net. Ships of the Royal Navy by Colledge. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II. Operation Pacific by Edwyn Gray.