HMS Aurora (1913)
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| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Class and type: | Arethusa class light cruiser |
| Name: | HMS Aurora |
| Builder: | Devonport Dockyard |
| Laid down: | 24 October 1912 |
| Launched: | 30 September 1913 |
| Commissioned: | September 1914 |
| Decommissioned: | 1918 |
| Fate: | Sold to Canada |
| Career (Canada) |  |
| Name: | HMCS Aurora |
| Operator: | Royal Canadian Navy |
| Commissioned: | 1 November 1920 |
| Reclassified: | Paid off 1921 and disarmed 1922 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap August 1927 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3,500 tons |
| Length: | 436 ft (133 m) overall |
| Beam: | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Draught: | 13.5 ft (4.1 m) |
| Propulsion: | Parsons turbines Eight Yarrow boilers 40,000 hp |
| Speed: | 28.5 knots (53 km/h) |
| Range: | carried 482 tons (810 tons maximum) of fuel oil |
| Complement: | 318 |
| Armament: | 2 × 6 inch guns 6 × 4 inch guns 2 × 3 inch guns 8 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes |
| Armour: | 3 inch side (amidships) 2¼-1½ inch side (bows) 2½ - 2 inch side (stern) 1 inch upper decks (amidships) 1 inch deck over rudder 6 inch conning tower |
HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser launched on 30 September 1913 at Devonport Dockyard.
Construction started in 1912 and she was commissioned into the Royal Navy and saw service as part of the Grand Fleet from 1914 to 1915, as leader of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla. In 1915, Aurora was assigned as leader of the 10th Destroyer flotilla of the Harwich Force, guarding the eastern approaches to the English Channel.
Her experienced crew and durability made her a natural choice as a Flagship during many offensive operations throughout the course of the First World War. She was the first Royal Navy warship in action at Battle of Dogger Bank (1915). In August 1915 she took part in sinking of German raider Meteor. In 1918 she was again reassigned, to the 7th Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet and HMS Aurora was one of the ships present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet, in November 1918.
Between 1918 and 1920, HMS Aurora was decommissioned in order to relieve financial pressures of the Home Fleet by the Admiralty. Her manning was reduced to a custodian crew and the relieved personnel were sent to other units.
In 1920 she was re-activated in order to outfit her for transfer to the Royal Canadian Navy. The RCN took possession of her on November 1, 1920 and renamed her HMCS Aurora. She sailed shortly afterward from the United Kingdom for Halifax, arriving on December 21 with two ex-Royal Navy destroyers that had also been transferred to the RCN.
After a minimal time in port at HMC Dockyard, the three ships set out for a training cruise via the Caribbean to Esquimalt, British Columbia. HMCS Aurora returned to Halifax on July 30, 1921 via the same route.
In August 1921, drastic budget cuts resulted in the decommissioning of HMCS Aurora. She was immediately Paid Off, and in 1922 she was disarmed. Her weapons were placed ashore in training facilities, and on other active ships. Her crew was reduced to non-manned, and much of her up to date equipment was salvaged for use in other RCN warships. The Aurora's hulk was left alongside a jetty at the RCN base in Halifax until 1927 when her deterioration resulted in city officials demanding the RCN move her. The RCN immediately sold her for scrap, and she was broken up.
[edit] Commanding officers
[edit] References
- Colledge, J. J. and Warlow, Ben (2006). Ships of the Royal Navy: the complete record of all fighting ships of the Royal Navy, Rev. ed., London: Chatham. ISBN 9781861762818. OCLC 67375475.
- Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
- Ships of the Arethusa class
- Macpherson, Keneth R. and Burgess, John. (1982)(Second Printing) The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981. Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-216856-1
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