The first two Town-class were ordered from Vickers Armstrong and John Brown & Company on 1 June 1934 as part of the 1933 Construction Programme for the Royal Navy. Vickers laid down its ship, originally to be called Minotaur, at their High Walker shipyard on the River Tyne on 4 October 1934. The ship was renamed Newcastle later that year.[1]Newcastle was launched, in a low-key ceremony owing to the death of King George V three days earlier, on 23 January 1936 by the Duchess of Northumberland.[2]Sea trials, which were disrupted by bad weather, began on 30 November 1936 and continued until 11 December, with a speed of 32.3kn (37.2mph; 59.8km/h) being reached during the eight-hour full power trial.[3]Newcastle was accepted by the Royal Navy and commissioned on 5 March 1937.[4][5]
Newcastle was under refit on the outbreak of war of the Second World War, joining the newly established 18th Cruiser Squadron on the refit's completion.[9][10] Duties included trade protection duties in the Western Approaches and operation with the Northern Patrol in the waters between Scotland, Iceland and Greenland, enforcing the blockade of Germany by intercepting merchant ships suspected of carrying contraband to Germany.[11][12]
On 25–26 September 1939, Newcastle sailed with the Home Fleet as it sortied to cover the 2nd Cruiser Squadron which was escorting the submarine Spearfish, which had been damaged by German trawlers, back to Britain. The covering force came under attack by German bombers, with the battleship Hood hit by a bomb that failed to explode, while air attack against the cruisers of the 18th Cruiser Squadron proving ineffective.[13][14] On 12 November 1939, Newcastle intercepted the German blockade runnerParana in the Denmark Strait. Parana's crew set the German merchant ship on fire before abandoning ship, and NewcastlescuttledParana with gunfire the next day.[15] On 23 November 1939, the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, on a sortie into the North Atlantic, encountered and quickly sank the British armed merchant cruiserRawalpindi of the Northern Patrol. Newcastle, the next ship to the west in the British patrol line, responded to Rawalpindi's contact report and attempted to come to Rawalpindi's aid, but when Newcastle was spotted by the two German battleships, they broke off attempts to rescue Rawalpindi's crew, and made off at high speed, behind a smoke screen, with Newcastle, not yet fitted with radar, soon losing sight of the German ships in a rain squall.[16][17]
On 23 March 1940, Newcastle began a refit on the Tyne which continued until 3 June that year, thus missing the majority of the Norwegian campaign.[18][15] From 7 July, she was detached to Plymouth to guard against a potential German invasion.[18] On the night of 10/11 October 1940, Newcastle provided illumination with star shells while the battleship Revenge bombarded the French port of Cherbourg in an attempt to destroy shipping that could be used in a German invasion.[15][11] On 17 October 1940, Newcastle set out from Plymouth with the cruiser Emerald and the destroyers Jackal, Jupiter, Kashmir, Kelvin and Kipling to investigate reports of German destroyers. Later that day, the British force encountered the German destroyers Hans Lody, Friedrich Ihn, Erich Steinbrinck and Karl Galster. The German destroyers turned back at full speed making for Brest, with the British force in pursuit. Newcastle launched her Walrus seaplane to direct the British force's fire, but while Hans Lody was hit twice and Erich Steinbrinck received splinter damage, the German force escaped to safety in Brest.[15][19]
On 13 November 1940, Newcastle set out for the Mediterranean, carrying 200 RAF personnel and a cargo of aircraft spare parts for Malta, where she arrived on 19 November.[15][20]Newcastle's next mission was Operation Collar, in which a convoy of merchant ships would be escorted westwards from Alexandria in Egypt to Malta, while more merchant ships would be escorted eastwards from Gibraltar to Malta and Egypt, with the opportunity taken to transfer warships, including Newcastle from the Mediterranean to the North Atlantic. On 27 November, the Italian Fleet attempted to intercept the British convoy, resulting in the inconclusive Battle of Cape Spartivento.[15][21][22]
Newcastle was then ordered to the South Atlantic, taking part in an unsuccessful search for the German auxiliary cruiserThor that month.[15][23]Newcastle remained continually at sea from 10 December 1940 to 21 April 1941, a total of 133 days, with 109 days out of sight of land, a record for Royal Navy warships during the Second World War, before a brief refit at Simonstown, South Africa.[15] In May that year, Newcastle returned to commerce protection duties in the South Atlantic, and on 18 May 1941, captured the Vichy French merchant ship Lieutenant Saint Loubert Bie south of Saint Helena.[24] On 25 July, Newcastle intercepted the German blockade runner Erlangen off the mouth of the River Plate estuary, with Erlangen being scuttled by her crew.[24][22]Newcastle continued duties in the South Atlantic until August, when she made passage to the United States for refit.[11][18]
Newcastle was refitted at Boston from September to December 1941, and after returning to Britain on 29 December, was further modified at Devonport dockyard, including revisions to her radar outfit.[18][25] In February 1942, Newcastle left to join the Eastern Fleet, becoming the flagship of the 4th Cruiser Squadron.[18][24] In June 1942, Newcastle was loaned to the Mediterranean Fleet to take part in Operation Vigorous, an attempt to run a convoy from Egypt to Malta at the same time as Operation Harpoon attempted to reach Malta from the West. The Vigorous convoy left Alexandria on 13 July, coming under air attack from 14 July. Early on 15 June, as a result of a sortie of the Italian Fleet, the convoy was ordered to temporarily turn to the east, and while this manoeuvre was underway, the German motor torpedo boatS-56 took advantage to attack the convoy, hitting Newcastle with a single torpedo.[24][26] The torpedo blew a 15ft ×20ft (4.6m ×6.1m) hole on the starboard side of Newcastle's bow. While the cruiser's speed was temporarily reduced to 6kn (6.9mph; 11km/h), damage control was successful , and Newcastle soon was able to increase speed to 12kn (14mph; 22km/h), allowing her to keep up with the convoy, while she reached 20kn (23mph; 37km/h) later that day when avoiding the torpedo attack that sank the destroyer Hasty. Newcastle's armament was undamaged, and she claimed a share in shooting down four enemy aircraft before the convoy returned to Alexandria on 16 June.[24]
It was decided to repair Newcastle at Simonstown, leaving Alexandria on 19 June, and calling in at Aden to reinforce the ship's temporary repairs. On 27 June, Newcastle encountered heavy weather while crossing the Indian Ocean, with a hole being torn on the port side of the ship's bow of similar size to that on the starboard side, and badly damaging the internal structure in the damaged region of the ship. Newcastle returned to Aden for more shoring-up of the damaged areas, and underwent further temporary repairs at Bombay, with the holes in the bow being patched over and temporary decks being installed.[27] Permanent repairs were carried out at Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York in October–November 1942, followed by further modifications at Devonport until March 1943.[28][11][18]
After work up at Scapa Flow, Newcastle left to rejoin the Eastern Fleet on 15 April 1943, arriving at Kilindini Harbour in Kenya on 27 May, where she resumed her role as the flagship of the 4th Cruiser Squadron.[18]Newcastle continued to be employed on commerce protection duties, as well being employed in attempting to intercept supply ships used for the replenishment of German U-boats.[29] In late June 1943, Newcastle, together with the cruiser Suffolk and the destroyers Racehorse and Relentless, was deployed on Operation Player, a search for a U-boat supply ship believed to be operating in the Indian Ocean, but the search proved unsuccessful and was called off on 30 June.[30]Newcastle was refitted at Simonstown from 26 August to 17 September 1943,[31] with her anti-aircraft armament being strengthened.[32] In February 1944, Newcastle, together with Relentless and Catalina flying boats, were deployed in a search for the U-boat supply ship Charlotte Schliemann based on intelligence from decrypted radio messages. The British ships found Charlotte Schliemann on the night of 11/12 February, and when Relentless opened fire, the supply ship's crew scuttled her.[33][34] On 12 March 1944, Newcastle together with the escort carrier, Battler, the cruiser Sussex and the destroyers Roebuck and Quadrant, were sent to intercept the U-boat supply ship Brake, again in response to signals intelligence. Brake was spotted by aircraft from Battler, and Roebuck rushed to intercept, with Brake's crew scuttling the tanker.[35][34]
From 16–24 April 1944, Newcastle took part in Operation Cockpit, an airstrike from the carriers Illustrious and USSSaratoga against Sabang, off Sumatra, with Newcastle forming part of the covering force and battleships and cruisers,[29][36] and on 17 May, Newcastle took part in Operation Transom, another carrier strike by Illustrious and Saratoga, this time against Surabaya, Java.[37] On 17 December 1944, Newcastle left Ceylon as part of the escort force for Operation Robson, a carrier strike by Illustrious and Indomitable against targets in Sumatra on 20 December, with the fleet returning to Ceylon on 22 December.[38]
From early 1945, Newcastle began to be involved in direct support for the British Fourteenth Army in their campaigns in Burma.[39] On 2 January 1945, Newcastle was deployed in support of landings on the north tip of Akyab Island, but the landings were unopposed as the Japanese had already evacuated Akyab.[40] On 26 January, Newcastle, together with the cruisers Nigeria and Kenya and the destroyers Paladin and Rapid, landed Royal Marines on Cheduba Island.[41] She also carried out shore bombardment duties during the Battle of Ramree Island.[29]Newcastle returned to Britain for a refit on the Tyne in May 1945, and was still being refitted at the end of the war.[18]
Postwar
One of Newcastle's 4 inch guns in action against North Korean gun batteries
Newcastle completed the refit in October 1945,[18] and was then used as a troopship carrying out trips to South Africa and Colombo, Ceylon before entering reserve at Devonport in February 1946.[42] The ship was recommissioned late in 1947 to join the Mediterranean Fleet, with duties including acting as flagship, and supporting the interception of ships carrying Jewish refugees attempting to enter Palestine illegally. Newcastle returned to Britain at the end of 1949 and was decommissioned.[42]
Work started on an extensive modernisation (officially classed as a 'Large Repair') at Devonport in May 1950, with the work completing in April 1952.[43] Changes included a new bridge, revised sensors and fire control systems, and a new close-in anti-aircraft outfit of 18 40mm Bofors guns.[44] In May 1952, Newcastle left British waters to serve in the Korean War,[42] relieving the cruiser Ceylon on station off Korea on 4 July that year.[45] Duties included patrols,[46] carrier escort and providing naval gunfire support to UN forces.[42]
Newcastle also served during the Malayan Emergency in the later 1950s, shelling Malayan Communist targets in June and August 1955 and again in December 1957.[47]
Decommissioning and disposal
Newcastle was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1959, and subsequently broken up at Faslane.
Related Research Articles
HMS Jaguar was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Commissioned in September 1939, she was present at the Dunkirk evacuation the following year, during which Jaguar was damaged by dive bombers. She later served in the Mediterranean and was involved in several actions there. She was torpedoed off the coast of Egypt on 26 March 1942 and sunk.
HMS Adventure, pennant number M23, was an Adventure-class minelaying cruiser of the Royal Navy built in the 1920s that saw service during the Second World War. Her commander between 1928 and 1929 was the future First Sea Lord John H. D. Cunningham. Laid down at Devonport in November 1922 and launched in June 1924, Adventure was the first vessel built for service as a minelayer; she was also the first warship to use diesel engines, which were used for cruising. Adventure first joined the Atlantic Fleet, then was transferred to the China Station in 1935. In World War II, the ship was damaged in 1941 and 1944, and was converted to a landing craft repair in 1944. In 1945 Adventure was reduced to reserve and in 1947 she was sold and broken up for scrap.
HMS Orwell was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that entered service in 1942 and was broken up in 1965.
HMS Onslow was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. The O-class were intermediate destroyers, designed before the outbreak of the Second World War to meet likely demands for large number of destroyers. They had a main gun armament of four 4.7 in guns, and had a design speed of 36 kn. Onslow was ordered on 2 October 1939 and was built by John Brown & Company at their Clydebank, Glasgow shipyard, launching on 31 March 1941 and completing on 8 October 1941.
HMS Ursa was a U-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F200.
HMS Verulam was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War.
HMS Paladin was a P-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that served in the Second World War. She was built by John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank. She saw action in the Mediterranean and Far East. After the war she was converted into a type 16 frigate and was eventually scrapped in 1962.
HMS Zealous was a Z-class destroyer of the Royal Navy built in 1944 by Cammell Laird. She served during the Second World War, participating in operations in the North Sea and off the Norwegian coast, before taking part in some of the Arctic convoys. She spent a further ten years in Royal Navy service after the end of the war, before being sold to the Israeli Navy, which operated her as INS Eilat. She saw action during the Suez Crisis in 1956, attacking Egyptian ships and was still active by the outbreak of the Six-Day War in 1967. She was sunk several months after the conflict by missiles launched from several small Egyptian missile boats; this made her the first vessel to be sunk by a missile boat in wartime. It was an important milestone in naval surface warfare, which aroused considerable interest around the world in the development of small manoeuvrable missile boats.
HMS Calcutta was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the Indian city of Calcutta. She was part of the Carlisle group of the C class of cruisers. She was laid down by Vickers Limited at Barrow-in-Furness in 1917 and launched on 9 July 1918. Calcutta was commissioned too late to see action in the First World War and was converted to an anti-aircraft cruiser in 1939. Calcutta served during the Norwegian Campaign and the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940. She was used to escort allied convoys across the Mediterranean and was sunk on 1 June 1941 by Luftwaffe aircraft off Alexandria, Egypt.
HMS Nigeria was a Fiji-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy completed early in World War II and served during that conflict. She was named after the British colony of Nigeria.
HMS Beaufort was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 17 July 1940 at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. She was launched on 9 June 1941 and commissioned on 3 November 1941. During the Second World War the ship served in the Mediterranean Sea, escorting convoys and covering landings. She was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1952 and scrapped in 1965.
HMS Escapade was an E-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. Although assigned to the Home Fleet upon completion in 1934, the ship was attached to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1935–1936 during the Abyssinia Crisis. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 she spent considerable time in Spanish waters, enforcing the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict. Escapade was assigned to convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol duties in the Western Approaches when World War II began in September 1939, but transferred back to the Home Fleet at the end of the year.
HMS Foxhound was one of nine F-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. Although she was assigned to the Home Fleet, the ship was detached as part of the Mediterranean Fleet to enforce the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–39. Several weeks after the start of the Second World War in September 1939, Foxhound helped to sink a German submarine and participated in the Second Battle of Narvik during the Norwegian Campaign of April–June 1940. The ship was sent to Gibraltar in mid-1940 and formed part of Force H where she participated in the attack on Mers-el-Kébir. Foxhound escorted the aircraft carriers of Force H as they flew off aircraft for Malta and covered convoys resupplying and reinforcing the island until late 1941. During this time the ship helped to sink another German submarine.
HMS Fury was an F-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the 1930s. Although assigned to the Home Fleet upon completion, the ship was attached to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1935–36 during the Abyssinia Crisis. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, she spent time in Spanish waters, enforcing the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict. The ship escorted the larger ships of the fleet during the early stages of World War II and played a minor role in the Norwegian Campaign of 1940. Fury was sent to Gibraltar in mid-1940 and formed part of Force H where she participated in the attack on Mers-el-Kébir and the Battle of Dakar. The ship escorted numerous convoys to Malta in 1940–41 and Arctic convoys during 1942.
HMS Wrestler (D35) was a V and W-class destroyer built by the Royal Navy during the First World War and active from 1939 to 1944 during the Second World War. She was the first Royal Navy ship to bear that name, and the only one to do so to date.
HMS Westcott (D47) was a Royal Navy Admiralty W-class destroyer that served in the Second World War. In the Second World War Westcott served in an anti-submarine role and escorted numerous Atlantic and Malta convoys.
HMS Campbell was an Admiralty type flotilla leader of the British Royal Navy. Built by Cammell Laird, Douglas commissioned in December 1918, just after the end of the First World War. During the Second World War, Campbell mainly served with as a convoy escort, particularly on the East Coast of the United Kingdom. She survived the war, and was sold for scrap in 1947.
Z31 was a German Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer, which was completed in 1942 and served with the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. She was constructed in Germany as part of Plan Z, and commissioned 11 April 1942. She spent much of the war in Arctic and Norwegian waters, taking part in the Battle of the Barents Sea on 31 December 1942. She survived the war, and was passed on to the French Navy as a war prize, serving under the name Marceau until 1958.
HMS Talybont was a Type III Hunt-class escort destroyer who served in the Royal Navy. She was launched in February 1943 and completed in May that year, serving for the rest of the Second World War. She took part in the Normandy Landings in June 1944, supporting the landings at Omaha Beach and the Pointe du Hoc. Post war she served in the Mediterranean before being reduced to reserve at the end of 1947. She was sold for scrap in 1961, with disposal completed by 1962.
HMS Cottesmore was a Hunt-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. The ship was built by the Scottish shipbuilder Yarrow at their Scotstoun, Glasgow shipyard in 1939–1940, being launched on 5 September 1940 and commissioning on 29 December that year.
Campbell, N.J.M. (1980). "Great Britain". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. New York: Mayflower Books. pp.2–85. ISBN0-8317-0303-2.
Haarr, Geirr H. (2013). The Gathering Storm: The Naval War in Northern Europe September 1939 – April 1940. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-140-3.
Hobbs, David (2017). The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-5267-0283-8.
Koop, Gerhard; Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2014). German Destroyers of World War II. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-193-9.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-048-7.
Lythall, Basil (1995). "Cecil Horton: Father of British Naval Radar". In Kingsley, F. A. (ed.). The Development of Radar Equipments for the Royal Navy 1935-45. Macmillan Press. ISBN978-1-349-13459-5.
McCart, Neil (2012). Town Class Cruisers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN978-1-904-45952-1.
Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1975). Ensign 5: Town Class Cruisers. Bivouac Books. ISBN0-85680-008-2.
Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1980). British Cruisers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-922-7.
Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN1-85367-117-7.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Reviseded.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Waters, Conrad (2019). British Town Class Cruisers: Design, Development & Performance; Southampton & Belfast Classes. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-5267-1885-3.
Whitley, M. J. (1999). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Brockhampton Press. ISBN1-86019-8740.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United Kingdom 
