CERES-Class cruiser ordered in June 1916 in an Emergency War Programme and built by HM Dockyard Pembroke and laid down in July of that year. The ship was laid down on 13th July 1916 and launched on 5th May 1917 as the fourth RN ship to carry this name, introduced in 1809. After completion on 18th February 1918 she served with the Grand Fleet. HMS CURACOA was selected for conversion to an Anti-Aircraft Cruiser in 1939 and gave distinguished service with the Home Fleet during the Norwegian campaign in 1940. After a WARSHIP WEEK in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Wolverhampton. She was sunk on 2nd October 1942 under most tragic circumstances as recorded below.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
BLACK SEA 1851-55 - NEW ZEALAND 1864 - NORWAY 1940 - ATLANTIC 1940 - NORTH SEA 1940-42 - ARCTIC 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Black, a Stork's head White, in his beak a snake Green.
M o t t o
Certamine summo : 'In the midst of battle'
D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Under conversion in HM Dockyard Chatham for use as an AA cruiser.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Commissioned for service and carried out post refit trials.
26th Conversion completed.
First production aircraft warning radar Type 279 fitted.
(For details of the development and use of radar in the RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
30th Started work-up with ships of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
February On completion of work-up joined Home Fleet.
March Deployed with Humber Force in 1st AA Squadron for convoy defence in North Sea and NW
Approaches.
April
8th After German invasion of Norway nominated for landing on troops.
17th Embarked troops of 148th Infantry Brigade with HM Cruisers GALATEA, ARETHUSA and
CARLISLE and sailed from Rosyth for Molde. (Operation SICKLE)
22nd Deployed at Andalsnes for AA Guardship duties.
24th After repelling heavy and sustained air attacks on the area since arrival, hit by bomb below
Bridge structure and sustained major damage.
Withdrawn from Guardship duty and took passage to UK for repair under own steam, escorted by
HM Sloop FLAMINGO.
30 of ship’s company were killed and another 30 wounded
(For details see Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2001) )
May
2nd Arrived at HM Dockyard, Chatham.
June Repair delayed by accumulation of higher priority work..
July Under repair and refit.
August Post refit trials.
September Deployed in Nore Command for convoy defence and AA Guardship duties.
to
October
November
4th Transferred to Rosyth for convoy escort duty in North Sea and NW Approaches to supplement
AA defences against Focke-Wolfe KONDOR aircraft.
December Convoy defence duties in continuation
1 9 4 1
January Convoy defence duties in continuation
to
March
April Under repair in m Dockyard Rosyth.
to
June
July Resumed AA defence duty for convoys in NW Approaches and North Sea
August Joined HM Destroyers LIVELY and LIGHTNING to assist return of French submarine RUBIS
from Norway after being damaged during patrol. Escorted RUBIS to Dundee.
September Deployed with Rosyth AA Defence Force in continuation of convoys defence.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Convoy defence in continuation in North Sea and NW Approaches.
to
April
May Under refit at Rosyth.
Surface warning radar Type 271 and fire control radar Type 282 installed for close range AA
armament.
June On completion resumed AA defence duties in Rosyth Defence Force.
20th Detached for duty with Home Fleet in diversion operation.
Deployed with HM Cruiser SIRIUS, HM Destroyers CASTLETON and ST MARYS for
escort of 'dummy' convoy including HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMENON,
MENESTHEUS and SOUTHERN PRINCE during passage of Russian Convoy PQ17.
(Operation ES).
(Note: This was not successful as convoy was never sighted by enemy aircraft
July Home Fleet for AA defence in continuation..
to
August
September Transferred to Western Approaches Command and joined Irish Sea Escort Force for convoy
defence in Irish Sea and NW Approaches based at Belfast.
October
1st Deployed with HM Destroyers BULLDOG to join HM Destroyers BRAMHAM, COWDRAY
SKATE and Polish destroyer BLYSKAWICA as escort for rms QUEEN MARY during final
stage of passage with troops to Clyde NW Approaches.
2nd Rammed and sunk by rms QUEEN MARY in North Channel during passage to UK with
troops.
Only 101 of her complement of 439 survived this disaster caused largely by lack of judgement
of course changes by the liner to avoid submarine attack. (Casualty List - note on casualties)
(Note: HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair records that the liner was under threat of attack
by U407 but was sighted visually. This account suggests that in an attempt to prevent
approach by U407, HMS CURACOA crossed the zig-zag path of QUEEN MARY.
THE QUEEN MARY AND THE CRUISER by D Thomas and P Holmes gives a more
comprehensive account of the disaster and provides details of the subsequent Boards of
Inquiry.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CURACOA
by Don Kindell
Date convoy Joined convoy Convoy No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
26/09/40 26/09/40 OA 220 27/09/40 28/09/40
10/09/40 30/09/40 SL 047 01/10/40 28/09/40
30/09/40 01/10/40 OA 222 unknown 03/10/40
04/10/40 19/10/40 HX 078 20/10/40 20/10/40
03/10/40 25/10/40 SL 050 26/10/40 26/10/40
30/12/40 01/01/41 WN 062 01/01/41 02/01/41
01/01/41 04/01/41 WN 063 04/01/41 05/01/41
04/01/41 06/01/41 WN 064 07/01/41 07/01/41
05/01/41 08/01/41 WN 065 08/01/41 07/01/41
08/01/41 10/01/41 WN 066 10/01/41 11/01/41
13/01/41 16/01/41 WN 069 16/01/41 17/01/41
23/01/41 25/01/41 WN 073 25/01/41 26/01/41
24/01/41 26/01/41 WN 074 26/01/41 27/01/41
29/01/41 01/02/41 WN 077 01/02/41 03/02/41
31/01/41 02/02/41 WN 078 02/02/41 03/02/41
04/02/41 06/02/41 WN 080 06/02/41 07/02/41
28/12/40 09/02/41 WN 061 09/02/41 01/01/41
08/02/41 10/02/41 WN 082 10/02/41 11/02/41
11/02/41 12/02/41 EN 070/1 12/02/41 14/02/41
10/02/41 13/02/41 WN 083 13/02/41 14/02/41
13/02/41 13/02/41 EN 071/1 13/02/41 17/02/41
26/02/41 01/03/41 WN 091 01/03/41 02/03/41
01/03/41 01/03/41 EN 079/1 01/03/41 05/03/41
05/03/41 05/03/41 EN 081/1 05/03/41 09/03/41
06/03/41 09/03/41 WN 095 09/03/41 10/03/41
13/03/41 13/03/41 EN 085/1 14/03/41 17/03/41
14/03/41 17/03/41 WN 099 18/03/41 18/03/41
18/03/41 18/03/41 EN 087/1 18/03/41 22/03/41
18/03/41 21/03/41 WN 101 21/03/41 22/03/41
21/03/41 21/03/41 EN 089/1 22/03/41 25/03/41
20/03/41 22/03/41 WN 102 23/03/41 23/03/41
23/03/41 23/03/41 EN 090/1 24/03/41 27/03/41
22/03/41 25/03/41 WN 103 25/03/41 26/03/41
25/03/41 25/03/41 EN 091/1 26/03/41 29/03/41
24/03/41 26/03/41 WN 104 26/03/41 27/03/41
26/03/41 29/03/41 WN 105 29/03/41 30/03/41
29/03/41 29/03/41 EN 093/1 30/03/41 02/04/41
30/03/41 02/04/41 WN 107 02/04/41 04/04/41
03/04/41 05/04/41 WN 109 06/04/41 07/04/41
06/04/41 06/04/41 EN 095/1 07/04/41 10/04/41
07/04/41 09/04/41 WN 111 10/04/41 10/04/41
28/06/41 30/06/41 EC 039 01/07/41 04/07/41
05/07/41 08/07/41 EC 042 08/07/41 11/07/41
07/07/41 08/07/41 WN 150 10/07/41 10/07/41
08/07/41 10/07/41 EC 043 11/07/41 14/07/41
12/07/41 14/07/41 WN 152 15/07/41 15/07/41
13/07/41 15/07/41 EC 045 16/07/41 18/07/41
20/07/41 22/07/41 WN 155 22/07/41 23/07/41
20/07/41 22/07/41 EC 048 23/07/41 25/07/41
20/12/40 26/07/41 WN 057 26/07/41 24/12/40
25/07/41 26/07/41 EC 050 27/07/41 28/07/41
24/12/40 30/07/41 WN 059 31/07/41 28/12/40
29/07/41 31/07/41 EC 052 01/08/41 03/08/41
31/07/41 02/08/41 WN 160 02/08/41 03/08/41
31/07/41 02/08/41 EC 053 03/08/41 05/08/41
04/08/41 06/08/41 EC 055 07/08/41 09/08/41
06/08/41 08/08/41 WN 163 09/08/41 09/08/41
16/08/41 17/08/41 WN 168 18/08/41 19/08/41
16/08/41 18/08/41 EC 061 19/08/41 22/08/41
19/08/41 21/08/41 WN 170 22/08/41 22/08/41
13/09/41 unknown WN 180 unknown 16/09/41
29/09/41 unknown WN 187 unknown 02/10/41
02/12/41 02/12/41 EN 014 04/12/41 05/12/41
02/12/41 unknown WN 213 unknown 05/12/41
18/12/41 unknown WN 220 unknown 21/12/41
04/12/41 04/12/41 EN 015 05/12/41 07/12/41
09/03/42 11/03/42 WN 256 12/03/42 13/03/42
02/08/42 06/08/42 AT 019 07/08/42 07/08/42
10/08/42 10/08/42 TA 019 11/08/42 16/08/42
30/08/42 04/09/42 AT 021 05/09/42 05/09/42
08/09/42 08/09/42 TA 021 09/09/42 14/09/42
05/09/42 10/09/42 AT 022 11/09/42 11/09/42
14/09/42 14/09/42 TA 022 15/09/42 19/09/42
27/09/42 01/10/42 AT 024 02/10/42 02/10/42
(Note on Convoys)
