HMS Dauntless (D45)

HMS "Dauntless" was a "Danae"-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was launched from the yards of Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company on 10 April, 1918 and commissioned on 22 November, 1918.

Design

The "Danae" class mounted an extra 6 inch gun and a heavier torpedo armament, compared to their predecessors, the C class cruiser. The class also had larger low revolution propellers for greater efficiency. "Dauntless" herself was completed with a large hanger under her bridge, which was eventually removed in 1920.

Interwar service

Completed too late to see action in the First World War, in 1919 she was assigned to operate in the Baltic Sea against the Bolshevik revolutionaries in Russia. She was then on detached service in the West Indies. Following this assignment she was attached to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet for the following five years. "Dauntless" was a member of the Cruise of the Special Service Squadron, also known as the 'Empire Cruise', of 1923/24. Following this tour, she went with the squadron to the Mediterranean for the next few years.

In May 1928 "Dauntless" was recommisioned and assigned to the America and West Indies Station. She ran aground in July off Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was badly damaged, suffering the breach of her engine room and of her one boiler rooms. Subsequently all of her guns, torpedo tubes and much of her other equipment had to be removed to lighten the ship. She was finally refloated and towed off by her sister, HMS "Despatch", and a number of tugs. She was repaired throughout 1929 and was reduced to the reserve.

In 1930 she was transferred back to the America and West Indies Station. During 1931-1933 she served with the South American Division, and in 1934 she relieved HMS "Curlew" in the Mediterranean and was reassigned to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron. In 1935 she returned to Britain to be paid off into the reserve.

Wartime career

On the outbreak of the Second World War, "Dauntless" was recommissioned and joined the 9th Cruiser Squadron with the South Atlantic Command. In December, the squadron, including HMS "Dauntless", was transferred to the China Station, and in March 1940 "Dauntless" operated as a unit of the British Malaya Force while in the Indian Ocean. She operated mainly off Batavia, keeping watch on German merchant ships in the Dutch East Indies harbours. On 15 June 1941 she collided with HMS "Emerald" off Malacca and had to put into Singapore for repairs, that were eventually completed on August 15.

In February 1942 "Dauntless" returned to Britain, and underwent a refit at Portsmouth. Following this, she was transferred to the Eastern Fleet, and in November was docked in the Selborne dry dock at Simonstown, South Africa, until January 1943. She was then used as a training ship, and in February 1945 was again reduced to the reserve.

She was sold to be broken up for scrap on 13 February 1946, and in April that year was broken up at the yards of T.W. Ward, of Inverkeithing.

References

*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1202.html HMS "Dauntless" at U-boat.net]
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Danae.html Ships of the "Danae"-class]
* [http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_dauntless.htm "HMS" Dauntless "1930 - 1932" at www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk]