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HMSHermione(74)

Coordinates:33°20′N26°00′E/ 33.333°N 26.000°E/33.333; 26.000
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For other ships with the same name, seeHMS Hermione.

Aerial photograph ofHermioneat sea, January 1942
History
United Kingdom
NameHermione
BuilderAlexander Stephen and SonsGlasgow
Laid down6 October 1937
Launched18 May 1939
Commissioned25 March 1941
IdentificationPennant number74
FateSunk 16 June 1942 byGerman submarineU-205
General characteristics
Class and typeDido-classlight cruiser
Displacement
  • 5,600 tonsstandard
  • 6,850 tonsfull load
Length
  • 485 ft (148 m) pp
  • 512 ft (156 m) oa
Beam50.5 ft (15.4 m)
Draught14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion
  • Parsonsgeared turbines
  • Four shafts
  • Four Admiralty 3-drum boilers
  • 62,000 shp (46,000 kW)
Speed32.25 knots (60 km/h)
Range
  • 1,500 nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
  • 4,240 nmi (7,850 km; 4,880 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement480
Armament
Armour

HMSHermionewas aDido-classlight cruiserof theRoyal Navy.She was built byAlexander Stephen and Sons(Glasgow,Scotland), with the keel laid down on 6 October 1937. She was launched on 18 May 1939 and commissioned 25 March 1941. On 16 June 1942,Hermionewas torpedoed and sunk by theGerman submarineU-205in theMediterranean.Eighty-eight crewmembers were killed.

Construction and design[edit]

TheDido-class were designed as small cruisers capable of being built quickly and in large numbers to allow a shortfall in numbers of cruisers against the numbers which were required to meet the Royal Navy's needs. Rather than the mixed armament of single-purpose 6-inch (152 mm) low-angle (anti-ship) and 4-inch (102 mm)high-angle (anti-aircraft) gunscarried by previous light cruisers, it was decided to fit adual-purpose main armament,capable of both anti-ship and anti-aircraft fire. This used the new5.25-inch (133 mm) gunas used in theKing George V-classbattleships.[1][2]

Hermionewas one of twoDido-class cruisers ordered under the 1937 construction programme for the Royal Navy,[a]following on from five ships ordered the previous year.[3]Hermionewaslaid downatAlexander Stephen and SonsLinthouse,Glasgowshipyard asYard number560 on 6 October 1937,[4][5]waslaunchedon 18 May 1939 and completed on 25 March 1941.[4]

Hermionewas 512 ft (156.06 m)long overalland 485 ft (147.83 m)between perpendiculars,with abeamof 50 feet 6 inches (15.4 m) and a meandraughtof 16 feet 6 inches (5.0 m) (increasing to 17 feet 3 inches (5.3 m) atfull load.Displacementwas 5,600long tons(5,700t) standard and 6,850 long tons (6,960 t) full load.[4][6]The ship's machinery was arranged in a four-shaft layout, with fourAdmiralty 3-drum boilerssupplying steam at 400 psi (2,800 kPa) to Parsons single-reduction gearedsteam turbines,rated at 62,000shaft horsepower(46,000kW), giving a speed of 32.25knots(59.73 km/h; 37.11 mph).[4]1,100 long tons (1,100 t) offuel oilwere carried, giving a range of 4,240nautical miles(7,850 km; 4,880 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph), reducing to 3,480 nmi (6,440 km; 4,000 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) and 1,500 nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph).[6]

The ship's main armament consisted of ten 5.25-inch guns in five twin turrets on the ship's centreline, with three forward and two aft. Two quadruple2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pommounts were mounted on the ship's beams to provide close-in anti-aircraft protection, backed up by two quadruple.50 in (12.7 mm) machine gunson the bridge wings.[7]Two triple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes provided additional anti-ship capability.[6]Fire control for this armament was provided by a single low angledirector control tower(DCT) on the ship's bridge, together with twoHigh Angle Control System(HACS) director towers, one on the ship's bridge and one aft.[3][7]A 3 in (76 mm)armour beltprotected the ship's machinery andmagazineswith 1 in (25 mm) protecting the ship's shell rooms. Deck armour was also an inch thick, with 3 in (76 mm) plates over the magazines.[4]The 5.25 inch gun turrets had armour of1+1⁄2–1 in (38–25 mm) thickness.[6]

Modifications[edit]

A20 mm Oerlikon gunon board HMSHermione,showing a naval gunner utilising the rubber shoulder rests for high-angle firing, with the Thornycroftdepth chargethrower Mark II and depth charge launching rail in the background.

While several of theDido-class were completed with reduced main armaments owing to production problems (theKing George V-class battleships had priority for the new guns),[8][2]Hermionewas completed with the full ten-gun outfit. In October–November 1941, the ship's.50 in machine guns were replaced by five singleOerlikon 20 mm cannon.[3]

History[edit]

Convoy,Hermione'sship's cat,sleeps in a hammock whilst members of the crew look on

After commissioning and workup,Hermionejoined the15th Cruiser Squadronof theHome Fleet.[9]Hermionetook part in the pursuit of theGerman battleshipBismarckand heavy cruiserPrinz Eugenwhen theysortiedinto the North Atlantic in May 1941.HermioneleftScapa Flowon 22 May as part of a force including the battleshipKing George Vand the aircraft carrierVictorious.[10][11][b]On 24 May,Victorious,escorted byHermione,AuroraandKenya,was detached to launch an air attack againstBismarck.The attack byVictorious'sSwordfishtorpedo bombersresulted in a single torpedo hit onBismarckwhich did little damage to the German ship.[12]On 25 May,Hermione,short of fuel, was detached from the chase in order to refuel atIceland.[13]Following the sinking ofBismarck,the British launched a major operation against German supply ships in the Atlantic which supported the operations of surface raiders, withHermionetaking part in searches for these supply ships and Germanblockade runnersbefore joiningForce H,based atGibraltaron 22 June.[14] Hermionewas then deployed to the Mediterranean. On 2 August 1941, whilst helping to protect a convoy,Hermioneattacked by ramming theItalian submarine Tembien,sinking her;[15][16]an action commemorated in a propaganda painting by artist Marcus Stone.[17]

Fate[edit]

While under Captain G.N. Oliver, DSO, RN,Hermionewas part of theForce Agroup which escorted supply convoy MW-11, under Rear AdmiralPhilip Vian,from Alexandria to Malta in OperationVigorous.On the 14th and 15 June 1942, theHermioneexpended most of her ammunition while defending the ships against heavy air attacks and had to return toAlexandria,escorted byHMSAldenham,HMSBeaufort,andHMSExmoor.[18]

At 23:20 hours on 15 June,U-205(underKapitänleutnantFranz-Georg Reschke) spotted a group of warships north ofSollumand attacked two destroyers with oneG7etorpedo each at 23:38 and 23:40 hours, but missed both. Only then didU-205recognize one of the shadows as a cruiser and fired a spread of three torpedoes at 00:19 hours, hittingHermioneon the starboard side. The ship immediately settled by the stern with a list of 22° before ultimately capsizing, remaining afloat for 21 minutes before sinking. Eight officers and 80 ratings were lost, including the ship's cat. The survivors were picked up by the escorting destroyers and were landed at Alexandria.[18]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^The other beingSirius.[3]
  2. ^The force consisted ofKing George V,Victorious,the cruisersGalatea,Aurora,KenyaandHermioneand the destroyersIntrepid,Inglefield,Punjabi,Lance,NestorandActive.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^Lenton 1973,pp. 112–113
  2. ^abBrown 2012,p. 77
  3. ^abcdWhitley 1995,p. 113
  4. ^abcdeWhitley 1995,p. 112
  5. ^"Hermione".clydeships.co.uk.Caledonian Maritime Research Trust.Retrieved22 November2019.
  6. ^abcdLenton 1973,p. 119
  7. ^abLenton 1973,p. 113
  8. ^Lenton 1973,p. 117
  9. ^Whitley 1995,p. 115
  10. ^abRohwer & Hümmelchen 1992,p. 63
  11. ^Barnett 2000,p. 287
  12. ^Barnett 2000,p. 301
  13. ^Barnett 2000,p. 304
  14. ^Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992,p. 66
  15. ^"HMS Hermione (74) (British Light cruiser) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net".
  16. ^"Souvenir from Italian Submarine Tembien".
  17. ^"The National Archives | Research and learning | Exhibitions | the Art of War | Propaganda | the fighting forces".
  18. ^abMorgan & Taylor 2011,pp. 73–74

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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33°20′N26°00′E/ 33.333°N 26.000°E/33.333; 26.000

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