For other ships with the same name, see HMS Donovan.
Empire Battleaxe was a British ship of the Second World War and as HMS Donovan in service with the Royal Navy just after the Second World War. Built as a Type C1-S-AY1Landing Ship, Infantry named Cape Berkeley she then saw merchant service as Empire Battleaxe before being commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Empire Battleaxe and then Donovan. After she was decommissioned she returned to merchant service as Empire Battleaxe and was returned to the USA where she was renamed Cape Berkeley once again. A proposed sale in 1948 to China and renaming to Hai C fell through and she was scrapped in 1966.
Cape Berkeley was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California as a Type C1-S-AY1 Landing Ship, Infantry.[1] She was launched on 12 July 1943 and completed in October 1943 as Empire Battleaxe.[2]Cape Berkeley was 6,711 GRT[3] but Empire Battleaxe was 7,177 GRT.[4]
Empire Battleaxe was transferred under the terms of lend lease shortly after being completed.[5] She was chartered by the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the management of Cunard White Star Line.[4] She came to the United Kingdom as part of Convoy HX267, which departed New York on 19 November 1943. Empire Battleaxe was carrying a cargo of fish[6] She took part in exercises in the Cromarty Firth and Moray Firth to train troops in preparation for the invasion of France. In May 1944, she took part in an exercise near Littlehampton.[7] She took part in the Normandy Landings carrying part of 537 LCA Flotilla, carrying troops to Sword Beach.[7] The flotilla that Empire Battleaxe was in consisted of four ships, the others being SS Empire Broadsword, SS Empire Cutlass and HMS Glenearn.[8]Empire Battleaxe was close to HNoMS Svenner when that ship was torpedoed and sunk by E-boats.[7] Among those she carried to Normandy was the actor David Niven.[9] After landing her troops, Empire Battleaxe returned to the United Kingdom to collect a second wave of troops. Empire Battleaxe was then commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Empire Battleaxe.[7]
In August 1944, HMS Empire Battleaxe was sent to the Pacific as part of Force X. She sailed in a convoy of seven ships comprising SS Clan Lamont, SS Empire Arquebus, HMS Empire Battleaxe, SS Empire Mace, SS Empire Spearhead, and HMS Glenearn. The convoy sailed from Greenock on 3 August via New York and the Panama Canal, arriving at Suva, Fiji, where the convoy dispersed, in late September. HMS Emipire Battleaxe then sailed to Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, arriving on 25 October. Australian troops aboard HMS Empire Battleaxe took part in the Bougainville Campaign. She departed Bougainville Island on 14 January 1945 and sailed to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, arriving on 2 February. HMS Empire Battleaxe then joined a convoy bound for the Philippines. She was towing a number of LCMs which reduced her speed to 5 knots (9.3 km/h). She arrived at Lingayen Gulf on 18 February where her Landing Craft were involved in the retaking of the Philippines from the Japanese. HMS Empire Battleaxe departed Lingayen Gulf with a consignment of Americanex-PoWs, arriving at Sydney, Australia on 19 March. HMS Empire Battleaxe departed Sydney on 11 April 1945, bound for Falmouth where she was to be refitted.[7]
In 1945 she was renamed HMS Donovan, under which name she served out the remainder of the war.[5] After the war ended she was returned to the Ministry of Transport in 1946, her name reverting to Empire Battleaxe.[10] During this time, Empire Battleaxe was employed on trooping duties in the Mediterranean. In July 1946, the crew were told that on arrival at Naples, Italy from Alexandria, Egypt, the ship would sail for Liverpool, United Kingdom. However, on arrival at Naples, orders were received to make another return trip to Alexandria. About three-quarters of her crew refused to sail. The British Consul in Naples visited the ship to warn the strikers of the consequences of their actions. After he had departed, new orders were issued to sail to Liverpool. The explanation given was that the original orders had been issued because it was thought that ships being sent to relieve Empire Battleaxe would not reach Naples in time. Once it was realised that the relief would arrive in time, the order was cancelled.[11]
She was returned to the United States Maritime Commission in 1947[10] and renamed Cape Berkeley in 1948. It was then proposed to sell her to China, where she was to be named Hai C. The sale was subsequently cancelled.[12] She was renamed Empire Battleaxe in 1950 and laid up in the James River, Virginia.[10]Empire Battleaxe was scrapped at Kearny, New Jersey in May 1966.[12]
Official Numbers and Code Lettersedit
Cape Berkeley used the Code Letters KYFJ in 1943[3]Empire Battleaxe had the UK Official Number 169703 and used the Code Letters MYMN.[4]
Notesedit
^"United States Maritime Commission C1 and C1-M Type Ships used in World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War". usmm.org. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
Fowler, Karin J (1995). David Niven: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN0-313-28044-4.
Mitchell, W H, and Sawyer, L A (1995). The Empire Ships. London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN1-85044-275-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External linksedit
Combined Ops
December 18, 2023
empire, battleaxe, other, ships, with, same, name, donovan, empire, battleaxe, british, ship, second, world, donovan, service, with, royal, navy, just, after, second, world, built, type, landing, ship, infantry, named, cape, berkeley, then, merchant, service, . For other ships with the same name see HMS Donovan Empire Battleaxe was a British ship of the Second World War and as HMS Donovan in service with the Royal Navy just after the Second World War Built as a Type C1 S AY1 Landing Ship Infantry named Cape Berkeley she then saw merchant service as Empire Battleaxe before being commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Empire Battleaxe and then Donovan After she was decommissioned she returned to merchant service as Empire Battleaxe and was returned to the USA where she was renamed Cape Berkeley once again A proposed sale in 1948 to China and renaming to Hai C fell through and she was scrapped in 1966 HistoryNameCape Berkeley 1943 Empire Battleaxe 1943 44 HMS Empire Battleaxe 1944 46 HMS Donovan 1946 Empire Battleaxe 1946 48 Cape Berkeley 1948 Hai C 1948 50 Empire Battleaxe 1950 66 OwnerWar Shipping Administration 1943 46 United States Maritime Commission 1946 66 OperatorCunard White Star Line 1943 46 Royal Navy 1946 Port of registryLos Angeles 1943 London 1943 44 Royal Navy 1944 46 London 1946 47 United States 1947 66 BuilderConsolidated Steel Corporation Wilmington CaliforniaLaunched12 July 1943CompletedOctober 1943IdentificationUK Official Number 169016 1943 44 Pennant Number F161 1946 UK Official Number 169016 1946 47 Code Letters KYFJ 1943 Code Letters MYMN 1943 44 FateScrapped May 1966General characteristicsTonnage6 711 GRT Cape Berkeley 1943 7 177 GRTLength396 ft 5 in 120 83 m Beam60 ft 1 in 18 31 m Depth25 ft 6 in 7 77 m Cape Berkeley 1943 35 ft 10 67 m PropulsionTwo steam turbines Westinghouse Electrical amp Manufacturing Co Essington California double reduction geared driving one propellor Speed14 knots 26 km h Boats amp landing craft carried18 x Landing Craft Assaults 1 x Landing Craft Mechanized Empire Battleaxe HMS Empire Battleaxe HMS Donovan Capacity1 000 troops Empire Battleaxe HMS Empire Battleaxe HMS Donovan Armament1 4 in gun 1 12 pdr gun 12 20 mm guns Empire Battleaxe HMS Empire Battleaxe HMS Donovan Contents 1 Career 2 Official Numbers and Code Letters 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksCareer editCape Berkeley was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation Wilmington California as a Type C1 S AY1 Landing Ship Infantry 1 She was launched on 12 July 1943 and completed in October 1943 as Empire Battleaxe 2 Cape Berkeley was 6 711 GRT 3 but Empire Battleaxe was 7 177 GRT 4 Empire Battleaxe was transferred under the terms of lend lease shortly after being completed 5 She was chartered by the Ministry of War Transport and operated under the management of Cunard White Star Line 4 She came to the United Kingdom as part of Convoy HX267 which departed New York on 19 November 1943 Empire Battleaxe was carrying a cargo of fish 6 She took part in exercises in the Cromarty Firth and Moray Firth to train troops in preparation for the invasion of France In May 1944 she took part in an exercise near Littlehampton 7 She took part in the Normandy Landings carrying part of 537 LCA Flotilla carrying troops to Sword Beach 7 The flotilla that Empire Battleaxe was in consisted of four ships the others being SS Empire Broadsword SS Empire Cutlass and HMS Glenearn 8 Empire Battleaxe was close to HNoMS Svenner when that ship was torpedoed and sunk by E boats 7 Among those she carried to Normandy was the actor David Niven 9 After landing her troops Empire Battleaxe returned to the United Kingdom to collect a second wave of troops Empire Battleaxe was then commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Empire Battleaxe 7 In August 1944 HMS Empire Battleaxe was sent to the Pacific as part of Force X She sailed in a convoy of seven ships comprising SS Clan Lamont SS Empire Arquebus HMS Empire Battleaxe SS Empire Mace SS Empire Spearhead and HMS Glenearn The convoy sailed from Greenock on 3 August via New York and the Panama Canal arriving at Suva Fiji where the convoy dispersed in late September HMS Emipire Battleaxe then sailed to Bougainville Island Papua New Guinea arriving on 25 October Australian troops aboard HMS Empire Battleaxe took part in the Bougainville Campaign She departed Bougainville Island on 14 January 1945 and sailed to Hollandia Dutch New Guinea arriving on 2 February HMS Empire Battleaxe then joined a convoy bound for the Philippines She was towing a number of LCMs which reduced her speed to 5 knots 9 3 km h She arrived at Lingayen Gulf on 18 February where her Landing Craft were involved in the retaking of the Philippines from the Japanese HMS Empire Battleaxe departed Lingayen Gulf with a consignment of American ex PoWs arriving at Sydney Australia on 19 March HMS Empire Battleaxe departed Sydney on 11 April 1945 bound for Falmouth where she was to be refitted 7 In 1945 she was renamed HMS Donovan under which name she served out the remainder of the war 5 After the war ended she was returned to the Ministry of Transport in 1946 her name reverting to Empire Battleaxe 10 During this time Empire Battleaxe was employed on trooping duties in the Mediterranean In July 1946 the crew were told that on arrival at Naples Italy from Alexandria Egypt the ship would sail for Liverpool United Kingdom However on arrival at Naples orders were received to make another return trip to Alexandria About three quarters of her crew refused to sail The British Consul in Naples visited the ship to warn the strikers of the consequences of their actions After he had departed new orders were issued to sail to Liverpool The explanation given was that the original orders had been issued because it was thought that ships being sent to relieve Empire Battleaxe would not reach Naples in time Once it was realised that the relief would arrive in time the order was cancelled 11 She was returned to the United States Maritime Commission in 1947 10 and renamed Cape Berkeley in 1948 It was then proposed to sell her to China where she was to be named Hai C The sale was subsequently cancelled 12 She was renamed Empire Battleaxe in 1950 and laid up in the James River Virginia 10 Empire Battleaxe was scrapped at Kearny New Jersey in May 1966 12 Official Numbers and Code Letters editCape Berkeley used the Code Letters KYFJ in 1943 3 Empire Battleaxe had the UK Official Number 169703 and used the Code Letters MYMN 4 Notes edit United States Maritime Commission C1 and C1 M Type Ships used in World War II Korean War and Vietnam War usmm org Retrieved 11 May 2009 169703 Miramar Ship Index Retrieved 11 May 2009 a b LLOYD S REGISTER STEAMERS amp MOTORSHIPS PDF Retrieved 11 May 2009 a b c LLOYD S REGISTER STEAMERS amp MOTORSHIPS PDF Retrieved 11 May 2009 a b Colledge Ships of the Royal Navy p 113 HX 251 through HX 300 Warsailors Retrieved 11 May 2009 a b c d e HMS EMPIRE BATTLEAXE 1943 to 1945 combinedops com Retrieved 12 May 2009 Arthur Henry Nions D Day Landings In Normandy June 6th 1944 PDF Government of Western Australia Archived from the original PDF on 19 May 2009 Retrieved 12 May 2009 Fowler David Niven p 16 a b c Finch Ted 2001 EMPIRE B THE EMPIRE SHIPS mariners l co uk Retrieved 24 November 2008 Refusal to Sail by Troopship Crew The Times No 50526 London 10 August 1946 col G p 4 a b Mitchell amp Sawyer The Empire Ships p 426 References editColledge 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 Fowler Karin J 1995 David Niven A Bio bibliography Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 0 313 28044 4 Mitchell W H and Sawyer L A 1995 The Empire Ships London New York Hamburg Hong Kong Lloyd s of London Press Ltd ISBN 1 85044 275 4 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link External links editCombined Ops Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Empire Battleaxe amp oldid 1143176294, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
