HMS Argonaut (61)

HMS "Argonaut" was the last "Dido" class cruiser to be completed on 8 August 1942. She also had been built from the unmodified design with three twin 5.25 inch guns forward. "Argonaut" was one of the 1939-programme ships which had been suspended in the Dunkirk emergency, and as a result did not join the fleet until 8 August 1942.

She was built by Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, UK), with the keel being laid down on 21 November 1939. She was launched on 6 September 1941, and commissioned 8 August 1942.

History

"Argonaut's" first mission was to bring reinforcements, several 3.7" guns and some Norwegian soldiers, to Spitsbergen. She set sail on October 13th 1942. From there she continued to Murmansk as part of a convoy escort.

She left Scapa Flow on 30 October 1942 as part of a fleet bound for North Africa as part of Force "H", comprising the battleships HMS "Nelson", HMS "Duke of York", HMS "Renown", and joined later by the carriers HMS "Illustrious" and HMS "Formidable". They were going to take part in Operation Torch, the invasion of the French North Africa. During that operation, "Argonaut" was dispatched as a decoy ship, sending false signals to confuse the Axis forces.

In December 1942, "Argonaut" joined Force "Q", along with the cruisers HMS "Aurora" and HMS "Sirius" and the destroyers HMS "Quentin" and HMAS "Quiberon". On December 1st the force found an Axis convoy, and engaged in an hour long battle, in which the Italian destroyer "Folgore" and four troopships were sunk, and the destroyer "Nicoloso da Recco" and a torpedo-boat were damaged. On their way back, they suffered an air attack in which "Quentin" was sunk. On December 13th "Argonaut" joined the cruiser "Aurora" and the destroyers HMS "Eskimo" and HMS "Quality", and they left Bone to intercept another Axis convoy, which they missed. Instead, on 14 December "Argonaut" was torpedoed by the Italian submarine "Mocenigo". Two torpedoes struck the ship, and blew off both stern and bow. Three crewmen lost their lives in the explosions."Argonaut" managed to return to Gibraltar. Provisional repairs proved to be precarious, and on 4 April 1943 she set sail to Philadelphia, escorted by the destroyer HMS "Hero". After a brief scale in the Azores, "Hero" had engine problems and had to leave "Argonaut" on her own on 9 April 1943. On 13 April she was sighted by the American destroyer USS "Butler", that escorted her to Bermuda, where some additional repairs were carried out. Then, escorted by the American minesweepers USS "Tumult" and USS "Pioneer", she reached Philadelphia on 27 April 1943.

The repairs were completed on 13 November 1943. In December 1943, "Argonaut" joined the Home Fleet and was attached to the 10th Cruiser Division. She took part in the invasion of Normandy, where she fired 4,359 shells. Again a lucky ship, she was hit by a German artillery shell that penetrated the quarterdeck and emerged by the starboard side without exploding and without a single casualty.

In August 1944 "Argonaut" was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet, where she took part in Operation Dragoon (the invasion of Southern France). In September 1944 she was moved to the Aegean Sea, and saw action when she located a number of troopships, which she sunk, taking many prisoners. She was also involved in some shore bombardments on the Greek coast.

In early November 1944 she was ordered to Trincomalee, in the Indian Ocean. She was assigned to escort duties, and involved in the bombardment of Palembang oil fields in Sumatra. She was lucky once more: attacked several times by kamikaze aircraft, she sustained only minor damages. In January 1945 "Argonaut" was ordered to Sydney, to join the Pacific Fleet. In February she took part in the shelling of Saskishima (the diversion operation from the main American operation in Okinawa). In August 1945 she sailed to Formosa, to help with the evacuation of British prisoners of war. The same mission brought her to Hong Kong later.

She finally returned to Portsmouth on 6 July 1946, where she was sent to reserve and never to be recommissioned again. Her last trip was to J Cashmore, Newport, for disposal where she arrived on 19 November 1955.

References

*Colledge
* [http://www.world-war.co.uk/index.php3 WWII cruisers]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4020.html HMS Argonaut at Uboat.net]