HMS Cassandra (R62)

Last updated

HMS Cassandra 1944 IWM F 7624.jpg
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Cassandra
OrderedFebruary 1942
Builder Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun
Laid down30 January 1943
Launched29 November 1943
Completed28 July 1944
Commissioned28 July 1944
Renamed
  • Ordered as HMS Tourmaline
  • Renamed HMS Cassandra in November 1942
Identification Pennant number: R62 initially, but changed to D10 in 1945
MottoFuriosior undis: 'More mad than the waves'
Honours and
awards
Arctic 1944
FateArrived at breaker's yard for scrapping on 28 April 1967
BadgeOn a Field Blue, a woman's head affronte with two snakes wreathed round her neck and poised about her ears all Proper.
General characteristics
Class and type C-class destroyer
Displacement1,710 tons (standard) 2,520 tons (full)
Length363 ft (111 m) o/a
Beam35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught
  • 10 ft (3.0 m) light,
  • 14.5 ft (4.4 m) full
Propulsion
  • 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers,
  • Parsons geared steam turbines,
  • 40,000  shp (30,000 kW), 2 shafts
Speed37 knots (69 km/h)
Range615 tons oil, 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h)
Complement186
Armament

HMS Cassandra was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, ordered in February 1942 from Yarrow Shipbuilders. [1] She was originally to be named HMS Tourmaline but this was changed to Cassandra in November 1942 to fit her revised class name. She was laid down on 30 January 1943 and launched on 29 November 1943. [1]

Contents

Wartime service

After her commissioning, she served primarily in Northern waters, escorting Russian convoys and was engaged in the search for the German battleship Tirpitz. [1] On 11 December 1944, she was hit by a torpedo from the U-boat U-365 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Diether Todenhagen. [2] 62 men died in the attack and she was towed, first by the frigate Bahamas and then by a Soviet Navy tugboat to Kola Inlet. [3] U-365 was sunk with all hands two days later by a Fairey Swordfish launched from the aircraft carrier Campania. [2]

Post war service

HMS Cassandra, taken from HMS Centaur, c1964 Hms Cassandra circa 1964.jpg
HMS Cassandra, taken from HMS Centaur, c1964

After the war, Cassandra's repairs were completed and she was placed in reserve in 1946. [4] She then served in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Cassandra was modernised by Yarrow and Company. This involved her being fitted with an enclosed bridge and Squid anti-submarine mortars. One set of torpedo tubes and 'X' gun turret were removed at this time.

She re-entered service in April 1960 and was allocated for service in the Far East as part of the 8th Destroyer Squadron. [5] In late June 1961, in response to Iraqi threats to annex Kuwait, Cassandra was ordered to reinforce British naval forces in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Vantage, arriving on 7 July. The British response successfully deterred Iraq from invading Kuwait, and Cassandra was relieved by the frigate Blackpool on 29 July, allowing the destroyer to return to the Far East station. [6] Cassandra covered 50,000 miles during a commission in 1962-3 which took her from the Far East and returning to Portsmouth. [7] In February 1963 the ship became part of the 21st Destroyer Squadron in the Mediterranean. [5] In 1964 and 1965 she served in the Mediterranean and the Far East, including service in the Indonesian Confrontation.

The destroyer was placed in reserve until paying off in January 1966. Cassandra arrived at the breaker's yard of Thos. W. Ward at Inverkeithing for scrapping on 28 April 1967. [1]

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Avenger</i> (F185)

HMS Avenger was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland, she was completed with Exocet launchers in 'B' position.

HMS <i>Euryalus</i> (F15)

HMS Euryalus (F15) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Like the rest of the class, Euryalus was named after a figure of mythology. Euryalus was built by Scotts Shipbuilders of Greenock. Euryalus was launched on 6 June 1963, and commissioned on 16 September 1964.

HMS <i>Naiad</i> (F39) UK Royal Navy Leander-class frigate decommissioned in 1987

HMS Naiad (F39) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Like the rest of the class, Naiad was named after a figure or figures of mythology, in this case the Naiads of Greek mythology. Naiad was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun. She was launched on 4 November 1963 and commissioned on 15 March 1965.

HMS <i>Hermione</i> (F58)

HMS Hermione (F58) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). She was, like the rest of her class, named after a figure of mythology. Hermione was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, though she was completed by Yarrow Shipbuilders. She was launched on 26 April 1967 and commissioned on 11 July 1969.

HMS <i>Finisterre</i> (D55) Battle-class destroyer

HMS Finisterre was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy (RN). She was named after one of the battles of Cape Finisterre. She was the first and thus far the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear this name.

BAP <i>Ferré</i> (DM-74) Peruvian Navy destroyer

BAPFerré(DM-74) was a Daring-class destroyer in service with the Peruvian Navy from 1973 to 2007. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders and completed for the Royal Navy in 1953 as HMS Decoy (D106).

HMS <i>Battleaxe</i> (D118) Weapon-class destroyer

HMS Battleaxe was a Weapon-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, completed just after the Second World War.

HMS <i>Rhyl</i> (F129)

HMS Rhyl was a Rothesay-class or Type 12I anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy, launched by Lady Macmillan on 23 February 1959 and commissioned in October 1960. Following Royal Navy service she was sunk as a target in 1985.

HMS <i>Dainty</i> (D108)

HMS Dainty was a Daring-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. Ordered in 1945, she was built by J. Samuel White at their Isle of Wight shipyard, being launched in 1950 and completed in 1953.

HMS <i>Broadsword</i> (D31) Weapon-class destroyer

HMS Broadsword was a Weapon-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy in service from 1948 and scrapped in 1968.

HMS <i>Scorpion</i> (D64) Weapon-class destroyer

HMS Scorpion was a Weapon-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy in service from 1947 and scrapped in 1971. Originally named Centaur, the ship was renamed Tomahawk and finally Scorpion before her launch.

HMS <i>Crossbow</i> (D96) Weapon-class destroyer

HMS Crossbow was a Weapon-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that was in service from 1948 and scrapped in 1972.

HMS <i>Rocket</i> (H92)

HMS Rocket was an R-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during Second World War. Built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Greenock, Scotland, she was launched in October 1942 and commissioned in August 1943.

HMS <i>Ulster</i> (R83)

HMS Ulster was a U-class destroyer of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom that saw service during World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F83. Ulster was the second vessel in Royal Navy history to have that name.

HMS <i>Ulysses</i> (R69)

HMS Ulysses was a U-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F17.

HMS <i>Vigilant</i> (R93)

HMS Vigilant was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II.

HMS <i>Carysfort</i> (R25) C-class destroyer

HMS Carysfort was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was ordered in 1941, originally under the name HMS Pique.

HMS <i>Caprice</i> C-class destroyer

HMS Caprice was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, ordered on 16 February 1942 from Yarrow, Scotstoun. She was originally to be named HMS Swallow but this was changed to Caprice before launch to fit her revised class name. She is the only British warship to have had this name. She was adopted by the Civil Community of Bexley and Welling, as part of the Warship Week programme.

HMS <i>Comus</i> (R43) C-class destroyer

HMS Comus was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, built by Yarrow at Scotstoun, Glasgow. She was launched on 24 August 1943 and commissioned on 20 December 1946.

HMS <i>Contest</i> (R12) C-class destroyer

HMS Contest was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, built by J. Samuel White, Cowes. She was launched on 1 November 1943 and commissioned on 9 November 1945. She was scrapped in 1960.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Cassandra (R 62) - Ca-class Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Lt-Cdr Bill Henley". Daily Telegraph. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  3. "HMS Cassandra (R 62)". uboat.net. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  4. Marriott, Leo (1989). Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allan Ltd. pp. 57–62.
  5. 1 2 Critchley 1982 , p. 87
  6. "Fifty-five days at sea out of fifty-six". Navy News . October 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  7. "H.M.S. Cassandra April 1962 - May 1963" (PDF). Gale & Polden Ltd. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

Publications