HMS Durban (D99)

HMS "Durban" was a "Danae"-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was launched from the yards of Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company on 29 May, 1919 and commissioned on 1 November, 1921.

Early career

"Durban" was initially assigned to the China Station as part of the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron in January 1922, and in 1928 she was transferred to the America and West Indies Station. In 1930 "Durban" returned to Britain, and in 1931 joined the South Atlantic Division. By December 1933, she was relieved by the heavy cruiser HMS "York" and again returned to home waters. In March 1934, "Durban" left for Gibraltar to join the Mediterranean Fleet. She spent two years on this station, returning to Britain in September 1936 to be placed into reserve.

Wartime service

On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, "Durban" was recommissioned and assigned to the 9th Cruiser Squadron in the South Atlantic Command. In March 1940 she was operating in the Indian Ocean and was then transferred to the Eastern Fleet based at Singapore. Here she became a unit of the British Malaysian Force with her two sister ships, HMS "Danae" and HMS "Dauntless". The unit kept watch on German merchant ships in the Dutch East Indies harbours, with "Durban's" patrol area being off Padang. On 10 November 1940 the Norwegian tanker "Ole Jacob" reported being attacked by the German raider "Atlantis" between Ceylon, and the north end of Sumatra. A force was hastily assembled, comprising "Durban" and the cruisers HMS "Capetown", HMAS "Canberra" and the armed merchant cruiser HMAS "Westralia" to hunt for the "Atlantis". The task force was however unable to locate the raider.

In 1941 "Durban", with her sister HMS "Dragon", was escorting convoys between Singapore and the Sunda Straits. In February, she escorted the RMS "Queen Mary", then carrying the first Australian Imperial Force troops for Malaya, into Singapore, arriving on the 18th. In November, she escorted the troopship "Zealandia" into Singapore, after relieving HMAS "Sydney" which had escorted the "Zealandia" from Fremantle.

In February 1942 "Durban" moved with the rest of the Eastern Fleet to Java, after the Japanese started their attack on Singapore. "Durban" was damaged by bombing before she could leave, but in company with HMS "Dragon" was able to make it to Tandjong Priok, the port of Batavia. She then put in to Colombo for temporary repairs. She then travelled to New York, arriving in April, where full repairs were completed. "Durban" then returned to Britain, where further modifications were made in Portsmouth between June and August. She then escorted convoys from Britain to South Africa.In February 1943 "Durban" was again in New York for repairs, and by June had returned to South Africa, docking at Simonstown, before rejoining the Eastern Fleet. In November, she once again returned to Britain to be paid off into the reserve. She was then one of the ships selected to be scuttled to form a breakwater for the Mulberry harbours that would be used to support the Battle of Normandy.

Subsequently, on 9 June 1944 "Durban" was scuttled to form part of the Gooseberry 5 breakwater for protecting the artificial harbour off Ouistreham in the Seine Bay. The wreck currently lies in 11 meters of water.

References

*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1207.html HMS Durban at U-boat.net]
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Danae.html Ships of the Danae class]