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HMS Berwick - World Naval Ships Directory

HMS Berwick

Name : HMS Berwick
Laid Down : 15th September 1924
Launched : 30th March 1926
Completed : 15th February 1928
Type : Cruiser
Class : Kent
Builder : Fairfield
Country : UK
Pennants : 65
Fate : Scrapped 12th July 1948

Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Govan, Scotland) launched this County class heavy cruiser on 30 March 1926 and she entered service in the Royal Navy on 12 July 1927. When completed BERWICK went to the China Station, where she remained until a temporary detachment to the Mediterranean in 1936. After reconstruction at Chatham between 1937 and 1938, which added more armour and a catapult and hangar for Walrus aircraft, she served on the America and West Indies Station with the 8th Cruiser Squadron until 1939. When World War II started, she served on ocean convoy escort duties, then formed part of Force "F" (with YORK) when hunting groups were formed to find the German raiders. She did not make contact with any raider, but intercepted the mercantile blockade runners WOLFSBURG and URUGUAY in the Denmark Straits during March 1940.

On 9 April 1940 she participated in the Norwegian campaign. On completion of naval operations off Norway, she joined Force "H" at Gibraltar arriving on 7 November. On 11 November 1940, BERWICK escorted the carrier ILLUSTRIOUS in the successful raid against the Italian battle fleet in Taranto harbour. Later that month she also escorted convoys between Egypt and Greece. On 24 November 1940 BERWICK went to Freetown, before convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic. While on passage to Gibraltar with other British ships, an Italian Squadron including the battleships VITTORIO VENETO and ANDREA DORIA attempted to engage the British force, resulting in the Battle of Cape Spartivento. In the course of this battle the enemy hit BERWICK twice, killing 7 dead and wounding 9.

On 25 December 1940, BERWICK formed apart of the escort to convoy WS.5a, a troop convoy to the Middle East, which the German heavy cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER attacked off the Canaries. BERWICK engaged the attacker but got the worse of the encounter, sustaining a fair amount of damage. She had to return to Britain for repairs, which lasted until June 1941.

When repaired BERWICK joined the Home Fleet and for the remainder of her wartime career escorted convoys to North Russia and operated in the northern North Sea. In February 1942 she escorted the carriers which attacked the German battleship TIRPITZ in her anchorage at Altenfjord. She escorted two more carriers launching air attacks against the TIRPITZ in 1944 and 1945. BERWICK'S last role was to escort carriers that were raiding the Norwegian coast in 1945 After the war she arrived at Hughes Bolkow, Blyth, on 12 July 1948 for breaking up.

HMS Berwick Photos for Sale
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HMS Berwick, December 1938.


HMS Berwick, fitting out, 1927.


HMS Berwick, February 1928.


HMS Berwick, February 1928.


HMS Berwick, July 1945.


A view from HMS Berwick over the wing of the cruisers aircraft at an unknown port.


HMS Berwick photographed 1926 - 1927 off Gourock

Timeline Entries :


15th September 1924 - Laid down
30th March 1926 - Launched
30th March 1926 - Pennant Number 65
30th June 1927 - Arrived at Devonport
1st November 1927 - Commissioned for service with the 5th Cruiser Squadron
15th February 1928 - Completed
31st March 1928 - At Colombo
9th January 1932 - Sailed Shanghai for Hong Kong
9th January 1932 - Capt. C.N. Reyne in Command
3rd February 1932 - Arrived Shanghai
14th March 1932 - Arrived Singapore
16th March 1932 - Sailed Singapore
22nd March 1932 - Arrived Colombo
24th March 1932 - Sailed Colombo
31st March 1932 - Arrived Aden and sailed for Port Said
31st March 1932 - Arrived Aden
1st April 1932 - Sailed Aden
5th April 1932 - Arrived Suez
5th April 1932 - Arrived Suez
6th April 1932 - Arrived Port Said
6th April 1932 - Sailed Suez for Port Said
6th April 1932 - Sailed Suez
6th April 1932 - Arrived Port Said
8th April 1932 - Sailed Port Said for Malta
8th April 1932 - Sailed Port Said
11th April 1932 - Arrived Malta
11th April 1932 - Arrived Malta
15th April 1932 - Sailed Malta for Gibraltar
15th April 1932 - Sailed Malta
18th April 1932 - Arrived Gibraltar
21st April 1932 - Sailed Gibraltar
25th April 1932 - Arrived Plymouth for refit
25th April 1932 - Arrived Plymouth
25th April 1932 - Arrived Plymouth
1st October 1932 - 5th Cruiser Squadron, China Station
1st October 1932 - Capt. C. G. Sedgwick in Command
16th November 1932 - Sailed Devonport to join the China Sta
19th January 1933 - Arrived Singapore
28th January 1933 - Arrived Hong Kong
29th March 1933 - Sailed Shanghai for Hong Kong
1st April 1933 - Arrived Hong Kong
28th July 1933 - Arrived Dairen
8th August 1933 - Arrived Peitaiho
12th August 1933 - Arrived Wei Hai Wei
12th October 1933 - Recommissioned at Plymouth
14th January 1934 - Sailed Hong Kong for Min River
15th January 1934 - Arrived Min River
19th January 1934 - Arrived Hong Kong
15th March 1934 - Capt. C.G. Sedgwick in Command
15th March 1934 - Sailed Hong Kong for Amoy
16th March 1934 - Arrived Amoy
20th March 1934 - Sailed Amoy
22nd March 1934 - Arrived Shanghai
22nd March 1934 - Arrived Shanghai
10th April 1934 - Sailed Shanghai for Nagasaki
10th April 1934 - Sailed Shanghai
12th April 1934 - Arrived Nagasaki
17th April 1934 - Arrived Beppu from Nagasaki
21st April 1934 - Arrived Kobe
30th April 1934 - On the China Station
30th April 1934 - Capt. C.G. Sedgwick in Command
30th April 1934 - Sailed Kobe
6th May 1934 - Sailed Miyajima
7th May 1934 - Arrived Wei Hai Wei
7th May 1934 - Capt. C.G. Sedgwick in Command
7th May 1934 - Arrived Wei Hai Wei
10th May 1934 - At Wei Hai Wei
26th May 1934 - Capt. C.G. Sedgewick in Command
July 1934 - Jul 1934 At Wei Hai Wei
25th July 1934 - Sailed Colombo for Aden
15th August 1934 - Arrived Malta
20th August 1934 - Passed Gibraltar Westwards
24th November 1934 - Sailed Plymouth for Gibraltar
29th November 1934 - Sailed Gibraltar for Malta
3rd December 1934 - Arrived Malta
6th December 1934 - Sailed Malta
10th December 1934 - Arrived Port Said
11th December 1934 - Sailed Port Said
11th December 1934 - Arrived Suez and sailed for Aden
16th December 1934 - Arrived Aden
18th December 1934 - Sailed Aden for Colombo
3rd January 1935 - Arrived Singapore
8th April 1935 - Sailed Hong Kong
9th April 1935 - Arrived Amoy
30th July 1935 - Sailed Dairen for Chinwangtao
31st July 1935 - Arivied Chinwangtao
26th December 1935 - Arrived Colombo
28th December 1935 - Sailed Colombo for Singapore
22nd April 1936 - Arrived Malta
27th May 1936 - At Wei Hai Wei
19th July 1936 - Sailed Suez
24th July 1936 - Arrived Aden
26th August 1936 - Arrived Hong Kong
13th September 1936 - Arrived Wei Hai Wei
19th October 1936 - Sailed Hong Kong
24th October 1936 - Sailed Wusung
28th November 1936 - Arrived Hong Kong
23rd March 1937 - Sailed Hong Kong for UK
24th April 1937 - Sailed Hong Kong for Singapore
26th April 1937 - Arrived Singapore
26th April 1937 -
4th June 1937 - Arrived Colombo
28th June 1937 - Sailed Malta
13th July 1937 - Arrived Sheerness
January 1938 - 4th Cruiser Squadron, China Station
15th February 1938 - Commissioned
10th December 1938 - Arrived Portsmouth
6th January 1939 - Sailed Portsmouth for Bermuda
10th January 1939 - Arrived and Sailed Ponta del Gada
18th January 1939 - Arrived Bermuda
15th May 1939 - Sailed Bermuda
18th May 1939 - Arrived New York
25th May 1939 - Sailed New York
27th May 1939 - Arrived St. Andrews
3rd June 1939 - Sailed St. Andrews
5th June 1939 - Arrived Charlottetown
11th June 1939 - Sailed Charlottetown
12th June 1939 - Arrived Sydney
14th June 1939 - Sailed Sydney
15th June 1939 - Arrived Conception Bay
15th June 1939 - Sailed Conception Bay
20th June 1939 - Arrived Quebec
26th June 1939 - Sailed Quebec
26th June 1939 - Arrived Quebec
4th July 1939 - Sailed Quebec
7th July 1939 - Arrived St. Georges
16th July 1939 - Sailed St. Georges
16th July 1939 - Arrived Cornerbrook
24th July 1939 - Sailed Cornerbrook
25th July 1939 - Arrived Hawke Bay
28th July 1939 - Arrived Hare Bay
1st August 1939 - Arrived Botwood
3rd August 1939 - Sailed Hawke Bay
5th August 1939 - Arrived Botwood
6th August 1939 - Sailed Botwood
7th August 1939 - Arrived St. Johns
14th August 1939 - Sailed St. Johns
16th August 1939 - Arrived Halifax
21st August 1939 - Sailed Halifax
22nd August 1939 - Arrived Bar Harbour
25th August 1939 - Sailed Bar Harbour
30th August 1939 - Arrived Newport
30th August 1939 - Patrolled off the US east coast outside territorial limits.
2nd September 1939 - 8th Cruiser Squadron, West Indies Command, Bermuda and Kingston, Jamaica
4th September 1939 - Sailed Halifax
8th September 1939 - Sailed Newport
11th September 1939 - Arrived Bermuda
3rd October 1939 - Arrived at Halifax
7th October 1939 - Arrived Bermuda, departed again the same day
8th October 1939 - Joined Convoy KJ.3
15th October 1939 - Detached from Convoy KJ.3
18th October 1939 - Arrived Bermuda
23rd October 1939 - Sailed Bermuda
26th October 1939 - Arrived Bermuda for docking where she underwent repairs
3rd November 1939 - At Bermuda repairs completed
7th November 1939 - Force F. Detached and proceeded to Portsmouth
7th November 1939 - Sailed Bermuda
14th November 1939 - Arrived at Portsmouth for docking
14th November 1939 - Arrived at Portsmouth for docking prior to joining the Home Fleet
4th December 1939 - Sailed Portsmouth for duty with the Northern Patrol
9th December 1939 - At Portsmouth Docking complete. Joined the 1st Cruiser Squadro
9th December 1939 - Moved from the Denmark Strait to SE of Iceland
12th December 1939 - On Northern Patrol patrolled in 53.55N, 25.00W
12th December 1939 - Sailed Scapa Flow for patrol
15th December 1939 - Was 480 miles W by N of Malin Head
17th December 1939 - Heading for the Denmark Strait
18th December 1939 - In the Denmark Strait
19th December 1939 - In the Denmark Strait
25th December 1939 - Arrived in the Clyde for a period of rest and refit
29th December 1939 - Sailed the Clyde on Northern Patrol
9th January 1940 - Arrived Rosyth from Northern Patrol for de-magnetization
10th January 1940 - Arrived on the Clyde
18th January 1940 - After undergoing alterations, departed Rosyth for Northern Patrol
19th January 1940 - Arrived Scapa Flow
21st January 1940 - Sailed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol duties
1st February 1940 - Arrived at the Clyde after Northern Patrol duties.
7th February 1940 - Sailed the Clyde for Northern Patrol
23rd February 1940 - Sailed the Clyde for Scapa Flow.
25th February 1940 - Sailed Scapa Flow for Greenock.
2nd March 1940 - Intercepted German steamer Wolfsburg north of Iceland
8th March 1940 - Arrived Scapa Flow from northern patrol
11th March 1940 - Intercepted German steamer Uruguay
12th March 1940 - Carried out a full caliber shoot west of the Orkneys
13th March 1940 - Arrived Rosyth
27th November 1940 - Battle Of Cape Spartivento, Sardinia
27th November 1940 - Force D
1st March 1942 - Escort for Russian Convoy PQ 12 and return QP 08 to Iceland
15th March 1943 - Arrived Scapa Flow
15th March 1943 - Sailed Scapa Flow
17th January 1944 - Cover for Convoy JW.56A
3rd February 1944 - Sailed Akureyri
10th June 1944 - Sailed Scapa Flow
1946 - Paid off to Reserve
15th June 1948 - Sold for scrap
12th July 1948 - Arrived at Blyth to be broken up by Hughes Bolkow

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Database Currently Holds : 6284 ships and 6289 crew!

Last edited : 13:32, July 18, 2011
By : tjstoneman


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