The Dido-class were designed as small cruisers capable of being built quickly and in large numbers to allow a shortfall in numbers of cruisers against the numbers which were required to meet the Royal Navy's needs. Rather than the mixed armament of single-purpose 6-inch (152 mm) low-angle (anti-ship) and 4-inch (102 mm) high-angle (anti-aircraft) guns carried by previous light cruisers, it was decided to fit a dual-purpose main armament, capable of both anti-ship and anti-aircraft fire. This used the new 5.25-inch (133 mm) gun as used in the King George V-class battleships.[1][2]
Hermione was one of two Dido-class cruisers ordered under the 1937 construction programme for the Royal Navy,[a] following on from five ships ordered the previous year.[3]Hermione was laid down at Alexander Stephen and SonsLinthouse, Glasgow shipyard as Yard number 560 on 6 October 1937,[4][5] was launched on 18 May 1939 and completed on 25 March 1941.[4]
Hermione was 512 ft (156.06 m) long overall and 485 ft (147.83 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 50 feet 6 inches (15.4 m) and a mean draught of 16 feet 6 inches (5.0 m) (increasing to 17 feet 3 inches (5.3 m) at full load. Displacement was 5,600 long tons (5,700 t) standard and 6,850 long tons (6,960 t) full load.[4][6] The ship's machinery was arranged in a four-shaft layout, with four Admiralty 3-drum boilers supplying steam at 400 psi (2,800 kPa) to Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, rated at 62,000 shaft horsepower (46,000 kW), giving a speed of 32.25 knots (59.73 km/h; 37.11 mph).[4] 1,100 long tons (1,100 t) of fuel oil were carried, giving a range of 4,240 nautical miles (7,850 km; 4,880 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph), reducing to 3,480 nmi (6,440 km; 4,000 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) and 1,500 nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph).[6]
The ship's main armament consisted of ten 5.25-inch guns in five twin turrets on the ship's centreline, with three forward and two aft. Two quadruple 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom mounts were mounted on the ship's beams to provide close-in anti-aircraft protection, backed up by two quadruple .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns on the bridge wings.[7] Two triple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes provided additional anti-ship capability.[6] Fire control for this armament was provided by a single low angle director control tower (DCT) on the ship's bridge, together with two High Angle Control System (HACS) director towers, one on the ship's bridge and one aft.[3][7] A 3 in (76 mm) armour belt protected the ship's machinery and magazines with 1 in (25 mm) protecting the ship's shell rooms. Deck armour was also an inch thick, with 3 in (76 mm) plates over the magazines.[4] The 5.25 inch gun turrets had armour of 1+1⁄2–1 in (38–25 mm) thickness.[6]
Modifications
A 20 mm Oerlikon gun on board HMS Hermione, showing a naval gunner utilising the rubber shoulder rests for high-angle firing, with the Thornycroft depth charge thrower Mark II and depth charge launching rail in the background.
While several of the Dido-class were completed with reduced main armaments owing to production problems (the King George V-class battleships had priority for the new guns),[8][2]Hermione was completed with the full ten-gun outfit. In October–November 1941, the ship's .50 in machine guns were replaced by five single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon.[3]
History
Convoy, Hermione's ship's cat, sleeps in a hammock whilst members of the crew look on
After commissioning and workup, Hermione joined the 15th Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet.[9]Hermione took part in the pursuit of the German battleship Bismarck and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen when they sortied into the North Atlantic in May 1941. Hermione left Scapa Flow on 22 May as part of a force including the battleship King George V and the aircraft carrier Victorious.[10][11][b] On 24 May, Victorious, escorted by Hermione, Aurora and Kenya, was detached to launch an air attack against Bismarck. The attack by Victorious's Swordfishtorpedo bombers resulted in a single torpedo hit on Bismarck which did little damage to the German ship.[12] On 25 May, Hermione, short of fuel, was detached from the chase in order to refuel at Iceland.[13] Following the sinking of Bismarck, the British launched a major operation against German supply ships in the Atlantic which supported the operations of surface raiders, with Hermione taking part in searches for these supply ships and German blockade runners before joining Force H, based at Gibraltar on 22 June.[14]Hermione was then deployed to the Mediterranean. On 2 August 1941, whilst helping to protect a convoy, Hermione attacked by ramming the Italian submarine Tembien, sinking her;[15][16] an action commemorated in a propaganda painting by artist Marcus Stone.[17]
Fate
While under Captain G.N. Oliver, DSO, RN, Hermione was part of the Force A group which escorted supply convoy MW-11, under Rear Admiral Philip Vian, from Alexandria to Malta in Operation Vigorous. On the 14th and 15 June 1942, the Hermione expended most of her ammunition while defending the ships against heavy air attacks and had to return to Alexandria, escorted by HMS Aldenham, HMS Beaufort, and HMS Exmoor.[18]
At 23:20 hours on 15 June, U-205 (under Kapitänleutnant Franz-Georg Reschke) spotted a group of warships north of Sollum and attacked two destroyers with one G7e torpedo each at 23:38 and 23:40 hours, but missed both. Only then did U-205 recognize one of the shadows as a cruiser and fired a spread of three torpedoes at 00:19 hours, hitting Hermione on the starboard side. The ship immediately settled by the stern with a list of 22° before ultimately capsizing, remaining afloat for 21 minutes before sinking. Eight officers and 80 ratings were lost, including the ship's cat. The survivors were picked up by the escorting destroyers and were landed at Alexandria.[18]
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