HMS Phoebe (43)

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Career
HMS Phoebe Arriving at Valetta Harbour, Malta 1939
Built By:	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Govan, Scotland)
Laid down:	2 September 1937
Launched:	25 March 1939
Commissioned:	27 September 1940
End of Service	14 March 1951
Decommissioned:	14 March 1953
Fate:	Scrapped, Arrived at Blyth on 1 August 1956 to be scrapped by Hughes Bolkow.
Penant:	43
General Characteristics
Type:	Light (Anti-aircraft) cruiser
Displacement:	5,600 tons standard 6,850 tons full load
Dimensions:	485 pp, 512 oa x 50.5 × 14 feet (156 × 15.4 × 4.3 m)
Armament:	Original configuration: 8 x 5.25 in (133 mm) dual guns, 1 x 4 in (102 mm) starshell gun, 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns, 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes. Late 1942 - Mid 1943 configuration: 8 x 5.25 in (133 mm) dual guns, 11 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns, 3 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns, 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes. Mid 1943 - 1945 configuration: 8 x 5.25 in (133 mm) dual guns, 4 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns, 6 x 20 mm (0.8 in) twin power-operated guns, 3 x 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors Mk III quad guns, 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes.
Armour:	Original configuration: Belt: 3 inch, Deck: 1 inch, Magazines: 2 inch, Bulkheads: 1 inch.
Propulsion:	Parsons geared turbines, 4 shafts, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 62,000 shp (46 MW) = 32.25 knots maximum speed
Range:	2,414 km (1,500 miles) at 30 knots, 6,824 (4,240 miles) at 16 knots ; 1,100 tons fuel oil
Complement:	480

HMS Phoebe was a Dido class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Govan, Scotland), with the keel being laid down on 2 September 1937. She was launched on 25 March 1939, and commissioned 25 March 1939.

1 History

[edit] History

[edit] Mediterranean

Phoebe's first six months were spent in the Home Fleet, escorting troop convoys on the first stage of their long voyage via the Cape to the Middle East. In April 1941 she was transferred to the 7th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean. Enemy-held territory here was to keep the British Fleet busy for the next two and half years, and Phoebe was to have her fair share of the action. One of her first operations was the evacuation of troops from Greece and Crete, which was followed quickly by the Syrian landings and transporting troops to and from Tobruk. She was later hit by an aircraft while on her way to the USA for repair. The damage she sustained put her out of action for eight months.

Phoebe returned to the Mediterranean in the summer of 1942 to escort the last heavily opposed convoy to Malta.

[edit] Africa

On 23 October 1942, HMS Phoebe was torpedoed by U-161 off the Congo Estuary, while on passage to French Equatorial Africa. Her route was from Simonstown to Freetown, but the ship had to refuel at Pointe Noire. Two U-boats (U-161 and U-126) were patrolling that area at the time.

After the hit, a corvette coming up from the harbour prevented the U-boat from finishing off the cruiser. About 60 crew members were killed (and three more died from malaria in the following days). After provisional repairs, Phoebe made for New York for complete repairs. It was an incredible feat to sail 10,000 miles with a gaping hole (60 ft by 30 ft) in her hull. The repairs were not completed until June 1943. In October 1943 she returned to the Mediterranean to take part in the Aegean operations.

[edit] Far East

In May 1944, Phoebe was transferred to the Eastern Fleet and was involved in strike operations against the Andaman Islands, Sabang in Northern Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands. In January 1945, a busy month, she was switched to supporting amphibious operations in Burma and was engaged in actions against Akyab, Ramree Island off the Arakan Coast, and Cheduba Island. In May 1945, Phoebe was involved in the amphibious assault on Rangoon.

[edit] Post war

After VJ-Day, Phoebe returned home for refitting and spent five years in the peacetime Mediterranean Fleet. After a period in reserve she was sold for scrap in 1956. This brought to an end a relatively short but eventful career.

See HMS Phoebe for other ships of this name.

Royal Navy

Dido group