HMS Mauritius (80)

HMS "Maurituis", pennant C80, was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was named after Mauritius, which was a British possession when she was built. Built by Swan Hunter, Newcastle upon Tyne, she entered service in 1941.

ervice

"Mauritius" operated on trade protection duties in the Atlantic on completion, and remained with the Home Fleet until going to the East Indies late in 1941. She joined the Eastern Fleet in 1942, but was withdrawn in April 1943 to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet. After repairs following grounding, she was operational in June 1943 and thereafter participated in the landings in Sicily, (Operation Husky), in July as a unit of Support Force East, when she carried out shore bombardment duties.

In September she was part of the covering force for the Salerno landings, but by the end of the year had been transferred to the Bay of Biscay to carry out anti-blockade-runner patrols, as part of Operation Stonewall. However, she soon returned to the Mediterranean, this time for the Anzio landings in January 1944. In June 1944 she covered the landings in Normandy as part of Force D off Sword Beach, then carried out offensive patrols of the Brittany coast in August to mop up the remnants of the German shipping in the area. Operating with destroyers, she sank Sperrbrecher "157" on 14/15 August and five Vorpostenboote on 22/23 August. After this she returned to the Home Fleet, covering the carrier raids along the Norwegian coast and making anti-shipping strikes herself. In January 1945, in company with HMS "Diadem", she fought an action with German destroyers in which "Z31" was badly damaged. Following this action she was refitted at Cammell-Laird's between February 1945 and March 1946. She then served in the Mediterranean, including passing through the Corfu Channel in 1946, with the 15th (later lst) Cruiser Squadron, returning to the UK in 1948. After a spell in reserve and in refit, she recommissioned in 1949 for the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean, sailing on 6 May 1949. However, the years 1949 to 1951 were spent on the East Indies Station with the 4th Cruiser Squadron until she returned to Chatham on 18 December 1951. She was placed in reserve in 1952 and remained there until 1965, when she was sold for scrapping, arriving at T. W. Ward Ltd, Inverkeithing, on 27 March 1965.

References

*Colledge
* [http://www.world-war.co.uk/index.php3 WWII cruisers]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4028.html HMS Mauritius at Uboat.net]