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HMS Kent - World Naval Ships Directory

HMS Kent

Name : HMS Kent
Laid Down : 15th November 1924
Launched : 16th March 1926
Completed : 22nd June 1928
Type : Cruiser
Class : Kent
Builder : Chatham
Country : UK
Pennants : 54
Fate : Scrapped January 1948

His Majesty’s Dockyard Chatham launched this County class heavy cruiser on 16 March 1926 and she entered service in the Royal Navy on 25 June 1928 as flagship of the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China Station. In 1937, she returned to Chatham and underwent a major refit, which included increasing her armour. After the refit she returned to the Far East in 1938. In December 1939 she transferred to the 4th Cruiser Squadron, to perform anti-raider patrols in the East Indies and then moved to escort troop convoys in the Indian Ocean early in 1940, and then joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet. On 17 September a torpedo from Italian torpedo bombers hit KENT in the stern. Extensive repairs at Devonport Dockyard followed, before she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron, part of the Home Fleet, to escort convoys to North Russia, where she remained until late in 1944.

His Majesty’s Dockyard Chatham launched this County class heavy cruiser on 16 March 1926 and she entered service in the Royal Navy on 25 June 1928 as flagship of the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China Station. In 1937, she returned to Chatham and underwent a major refit, which included increasing her armour. After the refit she returned to the Far East in 1938. In December 1939 she transferred to the 4th Cruiser Squadron, to perform anti-raider patrols in the East Indies and then moved to escort troop convoys in the Indian Ocean early in 1940.

Following the declaration of war by Italy, she joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet. On 17 August 1940 KENT and twelve destroyers carried out a bombardment of Italian positions around the fortress of Bardia. In September 1940 KENT and several other ships attacked the harbour of Benghazi; while returning to base from this attack KENT and two destroyers were detached to bombard Bardia. During the night of 17 September a torpedo from Italian torpedo bombers hit KENT in the stern. The destroyers towed her back to base at Alexandria with great difficulty, where she underwent temporary repairs at Alexandria to allow her to return to the United Kingdom.

Extensive repairs at Devonport Dockyard followed, completed in time for her to recommission in September 1941 when she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron, part of the Home Fleet, to escort convoys to North Russia, where she remained until late in 1944. On 12 November 1944, with the light cruiser BELLONA and four destroyers she intercepted a German convoy south east of Egersund, Norway. The cruisers and destroyers sank two of the freighters and all but one of the escorts.

At the end of 1944 KENT was collided with a tanker. After repairs on Clydeside, she remained at Gareloch as Reserve Fleet flagship. In October 1946 she moved to Chatham to act as flagship of the reserve fleet there. During the summer, 1947, she took part in target trials. Finally she arrived at Troon on 31 January 1948 for scrapping by West of Scotland Shipbreakers.

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HMS Kent


HMS Kent, 1942.


HMS Kent photographed at Wei Hai Wei in 1928

Timeline Entries :


15th November 1924 - Laid down at Chatham Dockyard (Chatham, U.K.): Hawthorn Leslie & Co. (Hebburn-on-Tyne, U.K.)
15th November 1924 - Laid down at Chatham Dockyard (Chatham, UK)
16th March 1926 - Pennant 54
16th March 1926 - Pennant 54
16th March 1926 - Launched
16th March 1926 - Launched
25th June 1928 - Commissioned
25th June 1928 - Flagship of the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China Station
25th June 1928 - Commissioned
5th February 1932 - Arrived Shanghai from Manila
18th April 1932 - Sailed Shanghai for Hong Kong
20th April 1932 - Arrived Hong Kong
27th February 1933 - Arrived Hong Kong
13th April 1933 - Arrived Amoy
19th April 1933 - Arrived Min River
20th April 1933 - Sailed Pagoda Anchorage for Wusung
21st April 1933 - Arrived Chinkiang
24th April 1933 - Arrived Nanking
28th July 1933 - Arrived Chefoo
31st July 1933 - Sailed Chefoo for Chinwanghtao
4th November 1933 - Arrived Shanghai
9th January 1934 - Sailed Hong Kong for Singapore
14th January 1934 - Arrived Singapore
15th January 1934 - Arrived Singapore
31st January 1934 - Relinquished Flagship of Admiral Dreyer
9th February 1934 - Sailed Singapore for Penang
10th February 1934 - Arrived Penang
15th February 1934 - Capt. A.U. Willis in Command
15th February 1934 - Sailed Penang for Colombo
15th February 1934 - Sailed Penang
19th February 1934 - Arrived Colombo
20th February 1934 - Arived Colombo
21st February 1934 - Sailed Colombo for Aden
22nd February 1934 - Sailed Colombo
1st March 1934 - Arrived Aden
2nd March 1934 - Sailed Aden
7th March 1934 - Transit Suez
7th March 1934 - Arrived Port Said
8th March 1934 - Sailed Port Said
11th March 1934 - Arrived Malta
13th March 1934 - Sailed Malta
14th March 1934 - Arrived Gibraltar and sailed for Sheerness
17th March 1934 - Arrived Gibraltar and sailed for Sheerness
22nd March 1934 - Arrived Sheerness
23rd March 1934 - Arrived Chatham
26th March 1934 - Arrived Bale d'Along and sailed for Hong Kong
20th May 1934 - Capt. Ion Beauchamp Butler Tower Assumed Command
20th May 1934 - Capt. Ion Beauchamp Butler Tower Assumed Command
25th May 1934 - Recommissioned at Chatham as Flagship of the China Station
25th May 1934 - Paid off and recommissioned at Chatham
4th June 1934 - Capt. I.B.B. Tower in Command
4th June 1934 - Sailed Chatham for the China Station
4th June 1934 - Arrived Sheerness
6th June 1934 - Sailed Chatham for the China Station
6th June 1934 - Arrived Portsmouth
6th June 1934 - Sailed Sheerness
6th June 1934 - Anchored off Portsmouth
8th June 1934 - Sailed Portsmouth
12th June 1934 - Arrived Gibraltar
12th June 1934 - Arrived Gibraltar
14th June 1934 - Sailed Gibraltar
16th June 1934 - Arrived Malta
18th June 1934 - Arrived Malta
20th June 1934 - Sailed Malta
24th June 1934 - Traversed Suez
29th June 1934 - Arrived Aden
30th June 1934 - Sailed Aden
7th July 1934 - Arrived Colombo
9th July 1934 - Sailed Colombo for Singapore
9th July 1934 - Sailed Colombo
15th July 1934 - Arrived Singapore
1st September 1934 - Assumed Flagship of Sir Frederic Dreyer
19th October 1934 - 5th Cruiser Squadron
20th October 1934 - Sailed Wei Hai Wei for Woosung
21st October 1934 - Sailed Wei Hai Wei for Tsingtao
21st October 1934 - Flagship of Admiral Sir Frederick Dreyer
3rd November 1934 - Arrived kobe
23rd November 1934 - Arrived Takao
25th November 1934 - Sailed Takao
4th December 1934 - At Hong Kong
15th March 1935 - Arrived Saigon
23rd March 1935 - Sailed Saigon for Bai D'Halong
9th April 1935 - Sailed Hong Kong for Yokohama
15th April 1935 - Sailed Yokohama for Matsushima
22nd April 1935 - Arrived Yokohama
27th April 1935 - Sailed Yokohama
24th May 1935 - Sailed Hankow
31st July 1935 - Arrived Chefoo
11th February 1936 - Arrived Sandakan
22nd April 1936 - Arrived Amoy
12th May 1936 - Arrived Shanghai
27th May 1936 - Capt. J.B.B. Tower in Command
27th May 1936 - Arrived Wei Hai Wei
27th May 1936 - Flagship of Admiral Sir Frederick Dreyer
27th May 1936 - Arrived Wei Hai Wei
27th July 1936 - Sailed Chefoo for Dairon
24th October 1936 - Arrived Hong KOng
December 1936 - Capt. Ion Beauchamp Butler Tower Relinquished Command
December 1936 - Capt. Ion Beauchamp Butler Tower Relinquished Command
7th April 1938 - Capt. Leslie Haliburton Ashmore, RN Assumed Command
12th September 1939 - Capt. Douglas Young-Jamieson, RN Assumed Command
12th September 1939 - Capt. Leslie Haliburton Ashmore, RN Relinquished Command
22nd March 1940 - Completed refit at Colombo
15th September 1940 - Sailed Alexandria
16th September 1940 - Arrived off Crete
24th February 1941 - Cdr. (retired) John Henry Venville, RN Assumed Command
24th February 1941 - Capt. Douglas Young-Jamieson, RN Relinquished Command
15th May 1941 - Capt. Angus Edward Malise Bontine Cunninghame-Graham, RN Assumed Command
15th May 1941 - Cdr. (retired) John Henry Venville, RN Relinquished Command
7th July 1943 - Capt. Angus Edward Malise Bontine Cunninghame-Graham, RN Relinquished Command
7th July 1943 - Capt. Geoffrey Alan Brooke Hawkins, DSC, RN Assumed Command
January 1945 - Capt. (retired) Walter Herman Gordon Fallowfield, RN Assumed Command
January 1945 - Capt. Geoffrey Alan Brooke Hawkins, DSC, RN Relinquished Command
8th September 1945 - Capt. (retired) Philip Hugh Calderon, RN Assumed Command
8th September 1945 - Capt. (retired) Walter Herman Gordon Fallowfield, RN Relinquished Command
October 1945 - Capt. (retired) Philip Hugh Calderon, RN Relinquished Command
1946 - Placed into reserve
22nd January 1948 - Decommissioned
22nd January 1948 - Sold to BISCO
31st January 1948 - Arrived Troon

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Database Currently Holds : 6284 ships and 6289 crew!

Last edited : 13:27, July 18, 2011
By : tjstoneman


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