Coventry was initially going to be called HMS Corsair. She was laid down on 4 August 1916, launched 6 July 1917 and completed for naval service in February 1918. HMS Coventry was in the 5th Light Cruiser squadron from February 1918 till May 1919, and served in the Baltic in this time. Commissioned with the pennant (D43) in May 1919 she was accepted into the Atlantic fleet, until in 1920 when HMS Coventry became the HQ ship for naval Inter allied Disarmament Commission. She went into refit in late 1920 and once the refit was completed she joined the 2nd Light cruiser squadron and she became flagship to the Rear-Admiral [D], Mediterranean Fleet Andrew Cunningham. A torpedoexplosion while in Gibraltar in March 1923 caused the death of two of her crew, Chief Stoker Burt and ERA Jackson.
In 1935, Coventry went into Portsmouth Dockyard to be refitted as an anti-aircraft cruiser. This refit involved the removal of her 6-inch guns and torpedo tubes, and the fitting of 10 QF 4-inch Mk V guns on single high-angle mountings and 2 octuple-mounted 2-pounder 'pom-pom' guns. The after one of these was replaced in 1936/7 by two quadruple Mark I mounts for the 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) Vickers Mark IIImachine gun.[1] At the outbreak of World War II HMS Coventry was serving with the Home Fleet between 1939 and 1940, and was damaged on 1 January 1940 in a German air attack on the Shetland Islands, north of Scotland. She was assigned to the Mediterranean fleet in 1940, and was torpedoed and damaged by the Italian submarine Neghelli in the eastern Mediterranean. Coventry also participated in the Battle of Cape Spartivento.[2]
The Victoria Crossedit
On 18 May 1941 the first Victoria Cross of the Mediterranean campaign was awarded posthumously to Petty Officer Alfred Edward Sephton for "great courage and endurance" while on HMS Coventry as she was being attacked on 17 May 1941 by German Stuka dive bombers while off Crete. The Coventry had gone to the assistance of hospital ship Aba,[3] which was being attacked by German dive-bombers. When the enemy engaged Coventry, raking her with machine-gun fire, Petty Officer Sephton was mortally wounded, a bullet actually passing through his body and injuring an able seaman beside him. Although in great pain and partially blinded, he stuck to his instruments and carried out his duties until the attack was over. He died of his injuries next day. Petty Officer Sephton was buried at sea. His VC was on display at Coventry Cathedral but was stolen on 25 September 1990.
Dunn, Steve R. (2022). The Harwich Striking Force: The Royal Navy's Front Line in the North Sea, 1914-1918. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-3990-1596-7.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-048-7.
Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 1–104. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1980). British Cruisers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-922-7.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
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For other ships with the same name see HMS Coventry HMS Coventry was a C class light cruiser of the Royal Navy named after the English city of Coventry She was part of the Ceres group of the C class of cruisers History United Kingdom NameHMS Coventry BuilderSwan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Wallsend on Tyne Laid down4 August 1916 Launched6 July 1917 Commissioned21 February 1918 ReclassifiedConverted to anti aircraft cruiser before the Second World War FateDamaged and scuttled 14 September 1942 Badge General characteristics Class and typeC class light cruiser Displacement4 190 tons Length450 ft 140 m Beam43 6 ft 13 3 m Draught14 ft 4 3 m PropulsionTwo Brown Curtis geared turbines Six Yarrow boilers Two propellers 40 000 shp Speed29 knots 54 km h Rangecarried 300 tons 950 tons maximum of fuel oil Complement327 Armament as built 5 6 inch 152 mm 152 mm guns 2 3 inch 76 mm 76 mm guns 2 2 pounder 40 mm guns 8 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubes At outbreak of World War 2 10 4 inch 102 mm 102 mm guns on high angle mounts 1 octuple QF 2 pdr 1 6 in 40 mm AA guns 8 12 7mm machine guns on two quad mounts Armour3 inch side amidships 2 1 inch side bows 2 inch side stern 1 inch upper decks amidships 1 inch deck over rudder Contents 1 Early career and wartime service 2 The Victoria Cross 3 Loss 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External linksEarly career and wartime service editCoventry was initially going to be called HMS Corsair She was laid down on 4 August 1916 launched 6 July 1917 and completed for naval service in February 1918 HMS Coventry was in the 5th Light Cruiser squadron from February 1918 till May 1919 and served in the Baltic in this time Commissioned with the pennant D43 in May 1919 she was accepted into the Atlantic fleet until in 1920 when HMS Coventry became the HQ ship for naval Inter allied Disarmament Commission She went into refit in late 1920 and once the refit was completed she joined the 2nd Light cruiser squadron and she became flagship to the Rear Admiral D Mediterranean Fleet Andrew Cunningham A torpedo explosion while in Gibraltar in March 1923 caused the death of two of her crew Chief Stoker Burt and ERA Jackson In 1935 Coventry went into Portsmouth Dockyard to be refitted as an anti aircraft cruiser This refit involved the removal of her 6 inch guns and torpedo tubes and the fitting of 10 QF 4 inch Mk V guns on single high angle mountings and 2 octuple mounted 2 pounder pom pom guns The after one of these was replaced in 1936 7 by two quadruple Mark I mounts for the 0 5 inch 12 7 mm Vickers Mark III machine gun 1 At the outbreak of World War II HMS Coventry was serving with the Home Fleet between 1939 and 1940 and was damaged on 1 January 1940 in a German air attack on the Shetland Islands north of Scotland She was assigned to the Mediterranean fleet in 1940 and was torpedoed and damaged by the Italian submarine Neghelli in the eastern Mediterranean Coventry also participated in the Battle of Cape Spartivento 2 The Victoria Cross editOn 18 May 1941 the first Victoria Cross of the Mediterranean campaign was awarded posthumously to Petty Officer Alfred Edward Sephton for great courage and endurance while on HMS Coventry as she was being attacked on 17 May 1941 by German Stuka dive bombers while off Crete The Coventry had gone to the assistance of hospital ship Aba 3 which was being attacked by German dive bombers When the enemy engaged Coventry raking her with machine gun fire Petty Officer Sephton was mortally wounded a bullet actually passing through his body and injuring an able seaman beside him Although in great pain and partially blinded he stuck to his instruments and carried out his duties until the attack was over He died of his injuries next day Petty Officer Sephton was buried at sea His VC was on display at Coventry Cathedral but was stolen on 25 September 1990 Loss editHMS Coventry was heavily damaged in the Eastern Mediterranean northwest of Alexandria Egypt by 16 German Junkers Ju 88s of I Lehrgeschwader 1 under the command of Joachim Helbig whilst participating in Operation Agreement 8 StG 3 also took part in the attack The ship was on fire and had to be scuttled by HMS Zulu References edit Whitley M J Cruisers of World War Two Arms and Armour Press p 68 ISBN 1 86019 8740 A Sailor s Odyssey the Autobiography of R A Cunningham Aba 1918 HMHS Hospital Ship clydemaritime co u Retrieved 13 April 2019 Bibliography edit nbsp Rescue of the Hospital Ship Aba by the Coventry painting by Charles PearsChadwick Frank 1999 Gash Boat HMS Coventry 1939 1942 Western Isles Publishing Company Ltd Stornoway ISBN 0 906437 16 4 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 Dunn Steve R 2022 The Harwich Striking Force The Royal Navy s Front Line in the North Sea 1914 1918 Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 3990 1596 7 Friedman Norman 2010 British Cruisers Two World Wars and After Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 59114 078 8 Lenton H T 1998 British amp Empire Warships of the Second World War Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 048 7 Preston Antony 1985 Great Britain and Empire Forces In Gray Randal ed Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1906 1921 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press pp 1 104 ISBN 0 85177 245 5 Raven Alan amp Roberts John 1980 British Cruisers of World War Two Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 922 7 Rohwer Jurgen 2005 Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 1945 The Naval History of World War Two Third Revised ed Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 59114 119 2 Whitley M J 1995 Cruisers of World War Two An International Encyclopedia London Cassell ISBN 1 86019 874 0 External links editA naval art history website Information on the wreck List of cruisers of wwi IWM Interview with survivor George Woodley 32 48 N 28 17 E 32 800 N 28 283 E 32 800 28 283 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Coventry D43 amp oldid 1221853121, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
