HMS Hermione (74)

HMS "Hermione" was a "Dido" class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, She was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, (Glasgow, Scotland), with the keel being laid down on 6 October 1937. She was launched on 18 May 1939, and commissioned 25 March 1941.

History

After working up was completed in May 1941, "Hermione" became a member of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron attached to the Home Fleet. In June she joined the Mediterranean Fleet, 1st Cruiser Squadron Force "H", and was involved in the escorting of the carriers HMS "Ark Royal" and HMS "Furious", bound from Gibraltar to Malta enabling their aircraft to be flown off and based at the island as a means of defence.In July 1941 she operated as a cover group for the battlecruiser HMS "Renown", battleship HMS "Nelson" and the carrier HMS "Ark Royal" in the western Mediterranean while these ships were tasked to attack an airfield at Aghero (Sardinia). Later during the month, these ships escorted a Malta-bound convoy codenamed Operation Substance, consisting of thirteen merchant ships. All managed to get through to Malta, though one vessel with a load of petrol onboard miraculously survived a torpedo hit.

The Australian destroyer HMAS "Nestor" stood by her for hours. During the night, the merchantman again made ten knots, but at daylight, "Nestor" was disturbed to find no trace of the convoy and escorts. Alone the destroyer fought off attack after attack of German dive bombers, until at last "Hermione" arrived on the scene to assist the destroyer, which was by now dangerously low on ammunition. The cruiser shot down two aircraft. Hours later, the three ships steamed into Malta.

On 2 August 1941, whilst en route to the operational area, the Italian submarine "Tembien" was spotted by one of "Ark Royal’s" aircraft, and "Hermione" rammed and sunk the submarine. In September, she again escorted the "Ark Royal", enabling aircraft to be flown off for the defence of Malta. The remainder of the month was spent escorting a supply convoy from Gibraltar to Malta. In November she was involved in the escorting of the battleship HMS "Malaya" and the carriers HMS "Argus" and once again HMS "Ark Royal" so that aircraft could be flown off to Malta, but the plan was disrupted when the German submarine "U-205" attacked the force with a salvo of three torpedoes which missed. Unfortunately, at midday, another boat, the "U-81" hit the "Ark Royal" with one torpedo from a salvo of four. The carrier sank the following day, whilst under tow only some 25 miles (45 km) from Gibraltar.

In March 1942, another attempt was made to fly off aircraft to Malta, this time using the carriers HMS "Argus" and HMS "Eagle", but was called off due to adverse weather conditions. Later again that month, the operation was repeated, and 16 Spitfires reached Malta under the watchful eye of "Hermione". Later that month, the cruiser escorted the invasion convoy for Operation Ironclad from Gibraltar to Durban.April 1942 found the cruiser based at Freetown, and on the 19th, she arrived at Simonstown, South Africa for dry docking, enabling work on hull damage in the fore peak area to be carried out. After three days, she was once again on her way, this time to an area northwest of Madagascar to rendezvous with an invasion fleet. In June, she was once again operating in the Mediterranean and joined the 15th Cruiser Squadron in the east, where she found herself operating with her sister ships HMS "Cleopatra", HMS "Dido" and HMS "Euryalus". They were tasked to cover the convoys bound for Malta from Alexandria. On 16 June 1942, whilst returning to Alexandria, HMS "Hermione" (Captain G.N. Oliver, DSO, RN) was torpedoed by the German submarine "U-205", north of Sollum and sank. 87 crew members went down with the ship.

References

*Colledge
* [http://www.world-war.co.uk/index.php3 WWII cruisers]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4016.html HMS Hermione at Uboat.net]