HMS Capetown (D88)

HMS "Capetown" was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the South African city of Cape Town. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name. She was part of the "Carlisle" group of the C-class of cruisers.

She was laid down by Cammell Laird on February 23, 1918, and launched on June 28, 1918. She was sailed to Pembroke Dock for outfitting, a process finally completed in February 1922. "Capetown" was commissioned too late to see action in the First World War, but served in the Second World War. Like most of her sisters, she was originally assigned to the Mediterranean and later to the Red Sea, where she was torpedoed and severely damaged by the Italian Motor torpedo boat "MAS 213" off Massawa. Seven members of her crew lost their lives.

She spent a large part of her career with the Eastern Fleet, including a period between the wars from July 1934 until August 1938, when she returned to the UK for a refit. She rejoined the Eastern Fleet in August 1940, and served with it, with a short break, until November 1942. She then returned to the UK and joined the Home Fleet.

She survived the war and was sold on April 5, 1946. She arrived at the yards of Ward, of Preston for breaking up on June 2 1946.

References

*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company