HMS Bonaventure (31)
 Bonaventure at her mooring in 1940 | |
| Career (United Kingdom) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Bonaventure |
| Builder: | Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company (Greenock, Scotland) |
| Laid down: | 30 August 1937 |
| Launched: | 19 April 1939 |
| Commissioned: | 24 May 1940 |
| Fate: | Torpedoed by the Italian submarine Ambra south of Crete, 31 March 1941 (139 lost) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Dido-class light cruiser |
| Displacement: | 5,600 long tons (5,700 t) (standard) 6,850 long tons (6,960 t) (full load) |
| Length: | 485 ft (148 m) p.p. 512 ft (156 m) o/a |
| Beam: | 50 ft 6 in (15.39 m) |
| Draught: | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Installed power: | 62,000 shp (46,000 kW) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × Parsons geared steam turbines 4 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers 4 × shafts |
| Speed: | 32.25 kn (37.11 mph; 59.73 km/h) |
| Range: | 1,500 mi (1,300 nmi; 2,400 km) at 30 kn (35 mph; 56 km/h) 4,240 mi (3,680 nmi; 6,820 km) at 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 1,100 short tons (1,000 t) fuel oil |
| Complement: | 480 |
| Armament: | As built : 8 × 5.25 in (133 mm) dual purpose guns (4×2) |
| Armour: | Original Configuration: |
| Notes: | Pennant number 31 |
HMS Bonaventure was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. The Bonaventure participated as an escort vessel in Operation Fish, the World War II evacuation of British wealth from the UK to Canada. It was the biggest movement of wealth in history.[1]
On 10 January 1941 she, along with HMS Southampton and/or HMS Hereward, shelled and sank Italian Torpedo Boat Vaga off Cape Bon, Tunisia..[2]
On 31 March, 1941 she was torpedoed and sunk south of Crete (33°20′N 26°35′E / 33.333°N 26.583°E) by Ambra (_crowned.svg.png){kind=small}
Regia Marina) with the loss of 139 of her 480 crew. 310 survivors rescued by HMS Hereward ( Royal Navy) and HMAS Stuart (
Royal Australian Navy).
References
- ↑ Breuer 2008, p. 62
- ↑ "NAVAL EVENTS, JANUARY 1941, Part 1 of 2, Wednesday 1st – Tuesday 14th". Naval History.
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
- World War II cruisers
- HMS Bonaventure at Uboat.net
Coordinates: 33°20′0″N 26°35′0″E / 33.33333°N 26.58333°E
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