www.tinyurl.com/hmsfiji www.tinyurl.com/hmsfijiassociation _____________________________________________________________________________ \\\\\___H.M.S. FIJI ASSOCIATION___\"-._ /////~~~ we will remember them ~~~/.-' _____________________________________________________________________________ HMS Fiji - OPERATIONAL HISTORY _____________________________________________________________________________ Please copy and paste the following URL into your browser's location box to read combined information supplied to Philip Paton by the Imperial War Museum London and Naval Historical Branch which outlines chronologically the events in the life of the Light Cruiser, HMS Fiji: http://www.angelfire.com/ri/georgev/philippaton.gif _____________________________________________________________________________ Please Scroll down for: Order of Battle - The Battles for Crete _____________________________________________________________________________ ==== N O T E S ==== HMS FIJI was the first of eight ships of the "Fiji" class authorised in the 1937 and 1938 programmes. She was built by John Brown and Co, Clydebank and was laid down on 30 March 1938, launched on 31 May 1939, completed on 17 May 1940. The main armament included twelve 6-in guns. The FIJI was ordered from the Clyde to work up at Bermuda and left on 4th June 1940, arriving on the 10th. She was at once needed for patrol in the Western Atlantic, as France had just collapsed, and a patrol was formed off Martinique to intercept any of her warships there seeking to return home, where they might have fallen into German hands. This patrol was withdrawn on 12th July, and the FIJI was ordered to Scapa Flow to complete working up, and to join the 18th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet. She first went to the Clyde however, arriving at Greenock on 23rd July for repairs to her machinery, and left for Scapa on 10th August. On the 20th she arrived at Rosyth, and was at first ordered to relieve HMS BIRMINGHAM at Sheerness as part of the anti-invasion plans. On 23rd August, however, she was allocated for the expedition to Dakar (Operation "Menace"). FIJI left Scapa on 31st August with the transports SOBIESKI, KENYA and ETTRICK, escorted by four destroyers. On the evening of the next day, 1st September, the FIJI was torpedoed by a U-boat in 58'10N; 12'55W, about 40 miles NNE of Rockall, and damaged. She was obliged to return to the Clyde, and HMAS AUSTRALIA took her place in the Dakar expedition. The FIJI was reduced to care and maintenance for repairs at Greenock, and was out of service for six months. When ready for sea in March 1941, she went to Scapa Flow, joining the 10th Cruiser Squadron, and left there on 27th March for the Iceland-Faroes Patrol. Next day, however, she was ordered with other ships to take over the Bay of Biscay Patrol from Force H, keeping a watch for the SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU. On 2nd April, she was ordered to Gibraltar to join Force H temporarily, being detached from time to time for escort duties. In mid-April, she went to Freetown, Sierra Leone, and left there on the 18th to overtake and escort Convoy SL72 until the end of the month. On 5th May, FIJI left Gibraltar with Force H escorting the "Operation Tiger" convoy to Malta and Alexandria. The Mediterranean Fleet was met south of Malta on the 9th and the FIJI, with the battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH and cruiser NAIAD, joined that Fleet as reinforcements, the whole arriving at Alexandria on 12th May. FIJI joined the 15th Cruiser Squadron. On the night of 15th-16th May, she and the GLOUCESTER landed troops in Crete. On 20th May, the German attack on Crete began. HMS FIJI had already joined Force B (two cruisers, two destroyers), which was ordered to sweep the west coast of Greece from Cape Matapan to Sapienza to intercept any seaborne enemy forces making for Crete. Throughout 21st May the naval forces were subjected to heavy air attacks, at least 26 being recorded, and suffered damage and loss. On the 22nd, the attacks were even more intensive, at least 67 bring recorded. Force B suffered in common with the other forces. The GLOUCESTER was bombed and sunk about 1600, and the FIJI about 1900. The FIJI, after having survived some 20 bombing attacks in four hours, was hit by a bomb from a single Me 109 aircraft which flew out of the clouds in a shallow dive and scored a hit very close to the port side amidships. The ship took up a heavy list, but was able to steam at reduced speed until half an hour later, when another single machine dropped three bombs which proved fatal. Destroyers which returned after dark rescued over 500 of her crew, but 16 officers and 228 ratings were lost. Commanding Officers of the FIJI were: Captain W G Benn appointed 28.12.1939 Captain P B R W William-Powlett appointed 16.12.1940 Battle Honours: Crete 1941 Compiled from information supplied by Naval Historical Branch. _____________________________________________________________________________ ADDENDA: British warships do not have a number painted on the hull, nevertheless each warship will fly a numbered flag as a means of identification. Fiji was number 58 In other words, US Navy ships have hull numbers and Allied ships have pendant numbers. _____________________________________________________________________________ Please copy and paste the following URL into your browser's location box to read combined information supplied to Philip Paton by the Imperial War Museum London and Naval Historical Branch which outlines chronologically the events in the life of the Light Cruiser, HMS Fiji: http://www.angelfire.com/ri/georgev/philippaton.gif _____________________________________________________________________________ Order of Battle - The Battles for Crete From: http://www.warships1.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Mediterranean/OOB_WWII_Crete.htm _____________________________________________________________________________ 14 May - 1 June 1941 Contributed by Dan Muir Royal Navy Admiral Sir Andrew B. Cunningham (C in C Mediterranean) The following is a listing of the ships used by the Royal Navy to defend Crete from invasion and during the eventual evacation of the island. BB Queen Elizabeth Captain C. B. Berry BB Warspite - Captain D. B. Fisher BB Barham - Captain G. C. Cooke BB Valiant - Captain C. E. Morgan CV Formidable Rear Admiral (Air) D. W. Boyd Captain A. W. LaT. Bisset No. 803 Squadron - 6 Fulmars Lt. K. M. Bruen No. 806 Squadron - 6 Fulmars Lt. Commander C. L. G. Evans No. 826 Squadron - 6 Albacores Lt. Commander W. H. G. Saunt No. 829 Squadron - 4 Albacores Lt. W. B. Whitworth CL Gloucester* Captain H. A. Rowley CL Fiji* Captain P. B. R. W. William-Powlett CL Orion - Captain G. R. B. Back CL Ajax - Captain E. D. B. McCarthy CL Perth, RAN - Captain Sir P. W. Bowyer-Smith CL Dido - Captain H. W. V. McCall CL Naiad - Captain M. H. A. Kelsey CL Phoebe Captain G. Grantham CL Calcutta* Captain D. M. Lees CL Carlisle - Captain T. C. Hampton CL Coventry Captain W. P. Carne CM Abdiel Captain Hon. E. Pleydell-Bouverie 10th Destroyer Flotilla DD Vampire, RAN Commander J. A. Walsh DD Vendetta, RAN Lt. Commander R. Rhoades DD Voyager, RAN Commander J. C. Morrow DD Waterhen, RAN Lt. Commander J. H. Swain DD Stuart, RAN (F) Captain H. M. L. Waller DD Decoy Commander E. G. McGregor DD Defender Lt. Commander G. L. Farnfield 14th Destroyer Flotilla DD Greyhound* Commander W. R. Marshall-A’Deane DD Griffin Lt. Commander J. Lee-Barber (see Note #1) 2nd Destroyer Flotilla DD Hasty Lt. Commander L. R. K. Tyrwhitt DD Hereward* Lt. W. J. Munn DD Havock - Lt. G. R. G. Watkins DD Hotspur Lt. Commander P. F. Brown DD Hero Commander H. W. Biggs DD Ilex* (F) Captain H. ST. L. Nicholson DD Isis Commander C. S. B. Swinley DD Imperial* Lt. Commander C. A. De W. Kitcat 14th Destroyer Flotilla DD Nubian - Commander R. W. Ravenhill DD Jervis (F) Captain P. J. Mack DD Janus Commander J. A. W. Tothill DD Jaguar Lt. Commander J. F. W. Hine DD Juno* Comander ST. J. R. J. Tyrwhitt DD Kandahar Commander W. G. A. Robson DD Kimberley Lt. Commander J. S. M. Richardson DD Kingston - Lt. Commander P. Sommerville 5th Destroyer Flotilla DD Kelly* (F) Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten DD Jackal Lt. Commander M. P. Jonas DD Kelvin - Commander J. H. Alison DD Kashmir Commander H. A. King DD Kipling Commander A. StClair-Ford 7th Destroyer Flotilla DD Napier - (F) Captain S. H. T. Arliss DD Nizam - Lt. Commander M. J. Clark SS Rorqual Commander R. H. Dewhurst Sloop Grimsby Commander K. J. D’Arcy Sloop Auckland Commander J. G. Hewitt Sloop Flamingo Commander J. H. Huntley Corv. Salvia Lt. Commander J. I. Miller LSL Glenroy Captain Sir James Paget, Bart LSL Glengyle Captain C. H. Petrie MS Widnes* Lt. Commander R. B. Chandler MS Derby Lt. F. C. V. Brightham PC KOS 21 Lt. Commander I. H. Wilson PC KOS 22* Lt. H. D. Foxon PC KOS 23* Lt. Commander J. J. Reid PC Syvern Lt. Commander R. E. Clarke PC Moonstone Lt. Commander P. G. Britten PC Lanner Skipper W. Stewart M ML1011* Lt. A. H. Blake M ML1030* Lt. W. M. O. Cooksey M ML1032 Lt. E. N. Rose 10th MTB Flotilla MTB 67* MTB 213* Lt. G. L. Cotten MTB 314* MTB 216* Lt. C. L. Coles MTB 217* Royal Air Force Fighters based on Crete - Air Marshall Sir Arthur Longmore 24 Hurricanes, Gladiators, Fulmars Italian Navy Warships used for the invasion of Crete TB Lupo - Commander Francesco Minabelli TB Saggitario Lt. Guiseppe Cigala Fulgosi SS Tricheco SS Uarsciek SS Fisalia SS Topazio SS Adua SS Dessie SS Malachite SS Squalo SS Smeraldo SS Sirens SS Nereide Italian Air Force 50th Italian Bomb Group ? Cant Z.1007bis Several other Italian air units were involved but listed references do not denote units or numbers of particular aircraft types used. German Air Force General Alexander Lohr (commander of German air assault) Fliegerkorps X ? He-111 Bombers 40-50 Ju-87 Dive Bombers Fliegerkorps XI ? Ju-52 Transports - General Kurt Student (Airborne troop commander) Fliegerkorps VIII 280 Ju-88 (LG-1), He-111(KG-26), Do-17 (KG-2) Bombers I/LG1 commander Captain Cuno Hoffmann II/LG1 commander Captain Kollewe KG2 commander Colonel Rieckhoff 90 Me-110 (ZG-26), Me-109 (JG-77) Fighters (note: Me-109’s fitted w/bomb racks) III/JG77 commander Major v Winterfeldt 150 Ju-87 (StG2) Dive Bombers I/StG2 commander Captain Hitschhold II/StG2 commander Major Ennerccerus III/StG2 commander Captain Heinrich Brucker StG2 commander Lt.-Colonel Dinort ____________________________________________________________________________ The following is a listing ships used during the surface battles fought between the Royal Navy & Italian Navy during the Battle for Crete. Destruction of the Lupo Convoy 21-22 May 1941 Italian Naval Forces TB Lupo 1st Caique Squadron - Lt. Oesterlin (German) 20 small coastal vessels carrying 2,331 troops - reportedly at least half (10) were sunk Royal Naval Forces Force D Rear Admiral I. G. Glennie CL Dido (F) CL Orion CL Ajax DD Janus DD Kimberley DD Hasty DD Hereward Attack on the Sagittario Convoy 22 May 1941 Italian Naval Forces TB Sagittario 2nd Caique Squadron at least (30) small coastal vessels w/4000 troops - only 2 vessels are lost Royal Naval Forces Force C - Rear Admiral E. L. S. King CL Naiad (F) CL Perth CL Calcutta CL Carlisle DD Kandahar DD Kingston DD Nubian * Sunk - Damaged (F) Denotes a Flagship ____________________________________________________________________________ Sources: 1. The Battles for Crete by S. W. C. Pack 2. Sea Battles in Close-Up, World War 2; Vol. 2 by E. Grove 3. The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940-1943 by J. Greene & A. Massignani 4. The Italian Navy in World War II by M. A. Bragadin 5. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945 by J. Rohwer & G. Hummelchen ____________________________________________________________________________ Note #1 - Name of H.M.S. Griffin commanding officer supplied by J.A.J. Dennis (ex-First Lieutenant H.M.S. Griffin). The CO's name is incorrectly shown as Lt. Kenneth R. C. Letts in several reference books. According to Mr. Dennis, Lt. Letts was never CO and was invalided off the Griffin in January 1940. ____________________________________________________________________________ Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html Doctrine of International Copyright Law ____________________________________________________________________________