HMS Caledon

HMS Caledon  built by Cammell laird and laid down 17th march 1916 and launched 25th November 1916 completed March 1917. joined the 6th |light cruiser squadron of the grand Fleet in March 1917 and then Flagship, 1st Light Cruiser squadron under the command  of Commodore Cowan. on 17th November 1917 took part in the action Heligoland Bight against German outposts. she was hit by a 12-inch shell. Sent to the Baltic in February 1919 as flagship of the 2nd Light Cruiser squadron. and then joined the Atlantic fleet form April 1919 to August 1921, when she was relieved by HMS Curacoa.  In August 1921 at Chatham she was reccomissioned for the 2nd Light Cruiser squadron, in 1922 served in the Irish Patrols. but detached to the Mediterranean in September 1922, then to Memel in January 1923, during the rebellion in Lithuania. In February 1923 in Cuxhaven she collided with a German pilot boat. During World war two, served in the home fleet in 1939 moving to the Mediterranean fleet in 1940 (as did HMS Calypso who was sunk by the Italian submarine Bagnolini south of Crete in June 1940. ) HMS Caledon then served in the Red Sea from 1940-41 and the East Indies and Eastern fleet in 1942. Caledon was converted to an anti-aircraft vessel by 1943 and went on to serve in the Mediterranean fleet from 1944-45 eventually being scrapped in Dover in February 1948.

CREW PHOTOS OF HMS CALEDON

HMS Caledon, July 1935.

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HMS Caledon, April 1945.

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HMS Caledon.

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Damage to HMS Caledon after collision with Italian SS Antares, January 1920  (last digit of date illegible.  Could be any year of 1920's)

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HMS Caledon.  The photograph states this is HMS Caledon, but the photograph shows bow damage.  HMS Caledon was hit by a 12in shell in action at Heligoland Bight, 17th November 1917, which may have caused this damage, but HMS Caradoc and HMS Cassandra ran aground on Fair Isle, 15th August 1917, and it could be one of these ships in this photograph. 

In fact, we have now received another photo of the ship showing this damage, see above, which shows the damage was sustained in a collision with the Italian vessel SS Antares.

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HMS Caledon.

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Inspection of the crew of HMS Caledon 

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HMS Caledon.

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HMS Caledon in 1944 with the added shelter deck fore, a re-modelled bridge, twin mounting of 40mm AA guns amidships, twin 20mm AA guns by the funnels and two twin 20mm AA mountings at each side aft.

HMS Caledon at Grand Harbour in Malta.  

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