HMS Kenya (14)
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| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Class and type: | Crown Colony-class light cruiser |
| Name: | HMS Kenya |
| Builder: | Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Laid down: | 18 June 1938 |
| Launched: | 18 August 1939 |
| Commissioned: | 27 September 1940 |
| Out of service: | In reserve September 1958 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrapping on 29 October 1962 and was broken up at the Faslane yards of Ship-breaking Industries. |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 8,530 tonnes standard 10450 tons full load |
| Length: | 169.3 m (555.5 feet) |
| Beam: | 18.9 m (62 feet) |
| Draught: | 5.0 m (16.5 feet) |
| Propulsion: | Four oil fired three-drum Admiralty-type boilers four-shaft geared turbines four screws 54.1 megawatts (72,500 shp) |
| Speed: | 33 knots (61 km/h) |
| Range: | 6520 nm at 13 knots |
| Complement: | 730 |
| Armament: | Twelve 6 inch guns (4 × 3), eight 4 inch guns (4 × 2), eight 40 mm Bofors AA (4 × 2) guns, 3 quadruple QF 2 pounder ("pom-pom") AA mounts, 12 20 mm AA (6 × 2) guns. Six 21 inch (2 × 3) torpedo tubes |
| Armour: | 83 mm, deck: 51 mm, turrets: 51 mm, Director control tower: 102 mm. |
| Aircraft carried: | Two Supermarine Walrus aircraft (Later removed) |
| Notes: | Pennant number 14 |
HMS Kenya (C14) was a Crown Colony-class cruiser of the British Royal Navy. The ship was named after Kenya, a British possession at the time of the ship's construction.
Contents |
[edit] Early career
[edit] Convoy escort
Kenya was launched on 18 August 1939 from the yards of Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow, Scotland, and after a work up period, was commissioned on 27 September 1940. In December of that year, she was deployed as a unit of the Covering Forces to the North Atlantic convoys. She took part in the hunt for the Bismark in May 1941 whilst part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet, based at Scapa Flow. On 3 June Kenya and HMS Aurora surprised and sank the German supply tanker Belchen which was supplying U-93 in the Davis Straits.
[edit] Operation Stonewall
During September and October 1941, the Royal Navy devised a plan, titled Operation Stonewall, to intercept U-boats which were escorting outbound blockade runners through the Bay of Biscay, and into the Atlantic. On September 23, Kenya and HMS Sheffield made to intercept the blockade runner Rio Grande, destined for Japan and escorted by U-204. The Rio Grande escaped, but another blockade runner, the Kota Pinang was sunk west of Cape Finisterre.
[edit] Arctic operations
By November Kenya was in the Arctic patrolling off the Norwegian polar coast, against German merchant shipping, she was also involved in the shelling of German positions in Vardø. In December, still in the Arctic, Rear Admiral Burrough set out from Scapa Flow with Kenya, four destroyers and two landing ships to participate in Operation Anklet, the commando raid on the Lofoten Islands, as part of the larger Operation Archery. Kenya was hit several times by shells from the Rugsunday coastal battery. She also avoided damage in air attacks by the Germans on the 27th and the 28th. The force returned to Scapa Flow in early January 1942. Kenya returned to escorting Arctic convoys between March and May 1942. She had by now received the nickname "The Pink Lady", due to her Mountbatten Pink camouflage paint). During the commando raid against installations on Vågsøy Island off the Norwegian coast, the Germans fired on Kenya for several minutes with coastal guns but she sustained only minor damage from near misses. This was attributed to her Mountbatten Pink camouflage blending in with the pink marker dye the Germans were using in their shells, preventing German spotters from distinguishing between shell splashes and the ship.
[edit] Into the Mediterranean
In June she was transferred to the Mediterranean arena as a member of Covering Force W which was intended for the escorting of the double convoy operation code named “Harpoon” (Gibraltar to Malta) and “Vigorous” (Alexandria to Malta). In August she was involved in the escorting of the convoy from Gibraltar to Malta code named “Pedestal” under the command of Vice Admiral Syfret. Thirteen merchantmen made up the convoy, which was escorted by two battleships, three fleet carriers, four anti aircraft cruisers, three general cruisers and twenty four destroyers. On 12 June, Kenya was damaged by torpedoes from the Italian submarine Alagi. In December repairs to her damaged hull were completed and she returned to active service.
[edit] The Far East
Kenya remained with the Home Fleet throughout 1943. By January 1944 she was sent to the Indian Ocean to form part of the 4th Cruiser Squadron of the British Eastern Fleet, under the command of Rear Admiral Read. On February 15, she docked in the Selborne dry dock at Simonstown, South Africa, undocking on March 10. In June she participated in the carrier raid on Port Blair (Nicobars) code named “Pedal”. In July she was involved in the shelling of Sabang. In September the British Eastern Fleet, under Rear Admiral Moodey carried out carrier raids on Sigli in Northern Sumatra, (Operation “Light”) Kenya was part of the escort.
During January – February 1945 Kenya was operating in the Indian Ocean area as a unit of Task Force 65 under Rear Admiral Moodey, The task force landed 500 Royal Marines on the Cheduba Island, south of Ramree on January 26, (Operation “Sankey”). During February - March Kenya carrying the flag of Vice Admiral Walker, escorted the escort carriers HMS Empress and HMS Ameer so they could carry out air photo reconnaissance. Aircraft from the carriers also made raids on Japanese shipping in the Andaman Sea. In April she returned to the UK for refitting.
[edit] Post war
Kenya joined the American and West Indies Station with the 8th Cruiser Squadron in October 1946, but in December of the following year, she returned to the UK and was placed in the reserve. In May 1949 she was reactivated to replace HMS London on the Far East station. London was then paid off and scrapped.
[edit] The Korean War
Kenya participated in the blockade of the North Korean coast in July 1950. On August 5, Kenya and HMS Belfast, supported by HMS Cossack and HMS Charity, bombarded Inchon. Kenya expended some 163 rounds of 6 inch ammunition, whilst Belfast expended 252. In November Kenya returned to Hong Kong carrying Rear Admiral Andrewes's flag. The renewed communist offensive later that month led to Kenya’s return to Korea. In January 1951, Kenya, in company with HMS Ceylon and USS Rochester, covered the evacuation of Inchon. She then left Korea to undergo a refit at Singapore. By now she had steamed 63,000 miles in 12 months, this was reckoned to be four times her normal peace time steaming in a year. Since leaving Chatham in October 1949 she had steam on her main engines for 365 days by 16 July 1951. During operations in Korea she had expended 3,000 6 inch shells, 2,242 4 inch and 14,240 40mm bullets. She was credited with killing hundreds of enemy troops, and destroying strong points, shore batteries, barracks, arms dumps, munitions factories and vehicles.
[edit] Last years
In 1952 she was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. She completed her tour of duty in February 1953 and on returning to Portsmouth, was again reduced to the reserve.
In 1955 Kenya was refitted, and twin Bofors were installed in place of the pom-poms, the director aft was removed and two new small directors on either side of the bridge in place of the older type, immediately abaft the twin Bofors in “x” position, and a new type of director above “X” position. After completion of her refit , she was transferred to the American and West Indies Station where she joined the 8th Cruiser Squadron. In November 1956 Kenya returned to Portsmouth, where she served with the Home Fleet. In 1957 Kenya joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron Mediterranean Fleet as Flagship. In September 1958 Kenya returned to Portsmouth to be reduced to reserve, where she remained for the next four years. On 29 October 1962 Kenya was sold for scrap and was broken up at the Faslane yards of Ship-breaking Industries.
[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.
- WWII cruisers
- HMS Kenya at Uboat.net
- Images of the Fiji class
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