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HMS Aurora - World Naval Ships Directory

HMS Aurora

Name : HMS Aurora
Laid Down : 27th July 1935
Launched : 20th August 1936
Completed : 12th November 1937
Type : Cruiser
Class : Arethusa
Builder : Portsmouth
Country : UK
Sequence : This is the 8th ship with this name.
Pennants : 12
Fate : Sold to China (Chung King) 19th May 1948.
Later became : Chung King

His Majesty’s Dockyard Portsmouth launched this Arethusa class light cruiser on 20 August 1936 and she entered service in the Royal Navy on 12 November 1937. Aurora served with the Home Fleet from completion as flagship for Rear Admiral (Destroyers). In September 1939 she was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, escorting convoys to Scandinavia and hunting for the German battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU. She also participated in the hunt for the BISMARCK and, with HMS KENYA, intercepted one of BISMARCK’s supply ships, BELCHEN, on 3 June 1941.

Between July and August 1941, as part of Force "K" with the Home Fleet, she was involved in operations in the Norwegian Sea. After one of these sorties, in company with HMS NIGERIA, she intercepted a German troop convoy off North Norway, and the German minelayer BREMSE was sunk. In the autumn she transferred to the Mediterranean and arrived in Malta on 21 October 1941 to join a new Force "K".

On 9 November 1941, Force "K", made up of AURORA and PENELOPE and destroyers LANCE and LIVELY, intercepted an Italian convoy some 130 south-west off Calabria in approximate position 37.08° N 18.09° E. The Italian convoy was bound from Naples to Tripoli. In the resulting battle the Italian destroyer FULMINE was sunk as well as the German transports DUISBURG and SAN MARCO, the Italian transports MARIA, SAGITTA and RINA CORRADO, and the Italian CONTE DI MISURATA and MINATITLAN. The Italian destroyers GRECALE and EURO were damaged.

On 19 December 1941, while on their way to intercept an Italian convoy Force "K" ran into a minefield. NEPTUNE and KANDAHAR sank while AURORA was badly damaged, and PENELOPE suffered slight damage. Malta Dockyard patched up AURORA before she sailed home on 29 March 1942 for repair at Liverpool, which lasted until June 1942. She then returned to the Mediterranean, and in November was part of Operation Torch, the Landings in North Africa. On 8 November 1942 off Oran, she engaged the Vichy French destroyers TRAMONTANE and TORNADE, sinking one and damaging the other. The next day she damaged the large French destroyer EPERVIER and drove her ashore. She then operated as part of Force "Q" at BĂ´ne against enemy evacuation and supply convoys.

Then, as a unit of the 15th Cruiser Squadron, she participated in the landings in Sicily and Salerno before moving into the Aegean in October 1943 where bombs damaged her off Castelorizo on 30 October. She withdrew to Taranto for repairs which lasted until April 1944. In August 1944 she took part in the landings in the south of France, then returned to the Aegean, where she assisted in the liberation of Athens.

After the war the Chinese Navy bought AURORA on 19 May 1948 and renamed her CHUNG KING. Later she defected to the Communists who renamed her TCHOUNG KING. Nationalist aircraft sank her in Taku harbour in March 1949. She was later salvaged, but is not believed to have become operational again, although she was subsequently renamed HSUANG HO (1951), PEI CHING (1951) and KUANG CHOU

HMS Aurora Photos for Sale
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HMS Aurora, 1939.


HMS Aurora, 1938.


HMS Aurora, 1939.


HMS Aurora, 1937.


HMS Aurora.


HMS Aurora.


HMS Aurora

Articles about this ship... :

HMS Aurora - WW2 Crew Losses

Abstract : An article containing the list of crew lost aboard HMS Aurora in WW2.

Get this article

HMS Aurora - WW2 Honours List

Abstract : An article containing the list of honours awarded to the crew of HMS Aurora.

Get this article

Timeline Entries :


23rd July 1933 - Laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard
20th August 1936 - Launched
20th August 1936 - Pennant Number 12
8th November 1937 - Commissioned at Portsmouth
January 1938 - Flagship, Destroyer Flotillas
29th March 1938 - Arrived Portsmouth
5th July 1938 - Commenced Combined exercises
10th July 1938 - Completed Combined exercises
17th January 1939 - Sailed Portsmouth
23rd January 1939 - Arrived Gibraltar
24th January 1939 - Arrived Gibraltar
4th February 1939 - Sailed Gibraltar
8th February 1939 - Arrived Malta
15th February 1939 - Sailed Malta
18th February 1939 - Arrived Gibraltar
18th February 1939 - Arrived Gibraltar
27th February 1939 - Sailed Gibraltar
27th February 1939 - Combined Exercise
1st March 1939 - Arrived Rosyth
3rd March 1939 - Arrived Gibraltar
6th March 1939 - Combined Exercise
6th March 1939 - Sailed Gibraltar
6th March 1939 - Sailed Gibraltar
10th March 1939 - Arrived Gibraltar
18th March 1939 - Sailed Gibraltar
23rd March 1939 - Arrived Portsmouth
28th April 1939 - Arrived Portland
27th July 1939 - Sailed Portsmouth
29th July 1939 - Sailed Portsmouth for Rosyth
August 1939 - Flagship Destroyer Flotillas
15th August 1939 - Sailed Scapa Flow for exercises
25th August 1939 - Arrived Scapa Flow
31st August 1939 - Sailed Scapa Flow. Deployed in the North Sea between the Orkneys and Norway.
3rd September 1939 - 18th Cruiser Squadron Home Fleet, Scapa Flow
6th September 1939 - Arrived Scapa Flow
7th September 1939 - Sailed Scapa Flow for Norway
8th October 1939 - Sailed Scapa Flow
11th October 1939 - Arrived Scapa Flow
14th October 1939 - Sailed Scapa Flow for Loch Ewe. Arrived Same Day
15th October 1939 - Sailed Loch Ewe
23rd October 1939 - Sailed Loch Ewe
23rd October 1939 - Sailed Loch Ewe
9th November 1939 - Formed part of a Striking Force at Rosyth
11th November 1939 - Sailed Rosyth to join the Humber Force at Immingham
17th November 1939 - Arrived Rosyth
23rd November 1939 - Sailed Rosyth for Fair Island Channel.
24th November 1939 - Stationed as a strike force off Utvaer, Norway
25th November 1939 - Attacked by German bombers off southwest Norway, 100 miles east of Scapa Flow
29th November 1939 - Were 100 miles to the SW of the western end of the cruiser line off Norway
1st December 1939 - Arrived Rosyth
1st December 1939 - Returning to Rosyth
6th December 1939 - Sailed Rosyth
7th December 1939 - Arrived the Clyde for refit
31st December 1939 - Completed refir at the Clyde
4th January 1940 - Sailed the Clyde after refitting
5th January 1940 - Arrived Scapa Flow
14th January 1940 - Scapa Flow to intercept German steamer Trautenfels which was reported six miles off the Norwegian coast
29th January 1940 - Arrived at Scapa Flow.
3rd February 1940 - Arrived at Scapa Flow
6th February 1940 - Sailed Scapa Flow to cover Convoy ON.10
7th February 1940 - Arrived at Rosyth from Scapa Flow for repairs to her propellers
24th February 1940 - Sailed Rosyth for close suport for Convoy ON.15
27th February 1940 - Arrived Bergen with Convoy ON.15
4th March 1940 - Arrived Rosyth after covering convoys ON.15 and HN.15.
12th March 1940 - Sailed the Clyde for Scapa Flow
13th March 1940 - Sailed Rosyth for the Clyde
14th March 1940 - Arrived in The Clyde
15th March 1940 - Sailed the Clyde for Scapa Flow
16th March 1940 - Arrived Scapa Flow
20th March 1940 - 2nd Cruiser Squadron
20th March 1940 - Sailed Scapa Flow on Operation DU
23rd March 1940 - Arrived off Scapa Flow
24th March 1940 - Entered Scapa Flow
September 1941 - Captain Sir William Gladstone Agnew in Command
18th December 1941 - Sailed Malta
1st December 1942 - 12th Cruiser Squadron
1st December 1942 - Joined Force Q
3rd December 1942 - Capt. W.G. Agnew in Command
3rd December 1942 - Engaged enemy convoy bound for Tunisia
13th December 1942 - Sailed Bone to intercept Axis convoy
13th June 1943 - Bombardment of Linosa Island
16th October 1944 - Flagship of Rear Admiral J.M. Mansfield
October 1948 - Sold to China

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Database Currently Holds : 6284 ships and 6289 crew!

Last edited : 11:51, July 25, 2011
By : tjstoneman


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