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Naval History by Country :
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HMS Exeter |
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| Name :
HMS Exeter Laid Down : 1st August 1928 Launched : 18th July 1929 Completed : 27th July 1931 Type : Cruiser Class : York Builder : Devonport Country : UK Pennants : 68 Fate : Sunk 1st March 1942 |
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His Majesty’s Dockyard Devonport launched this heavy cruiser on 18 July 1929 and she entered service in the Royal Navy on 27 July 1931 as part of the Atlantic Fleet’s 2nd Cruiser Squadron. In 1934 she moved to the America and West Indies Squadron, remaining there until 1939, except for a temporary deployment to the Mediterranean Fleet during the Abyssinian Crisis of 1935-1936. | |
At the outbreak of the Second World War, she formed part of the South American Division. Together with the light cruisers AJAX and ACHILLES she engaged the German pocket battleship ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE in the Battle of the River Plate on 13 December 1939, which resulted in the scuttling of the ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE several days later. ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE hit EXETER with seven 11 inch shells; several near misses caused significant splinter damage. EXETER lost sixty one of her crew killed and a further twenty three wounded. All three 8 inch turrets were put out of action and her speed reduced to 18 knots, forcing her to withdraw from battle. | |
EXETER made for Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands for emergency repairs which took until January 1940, then returned to Devonport for full repairs which were completed in March 1941. That she survived such damage from direct hits with large calibre shells shows the strength of her design and construction, as well as the damage control capability of her crew. During these repairs, her anti-aircraft armament was increased and radar was fitted, requiring the pole masts to be replaced by tripods. On returning to the fleet in 1941, she escorted Atlantic convoys, including the escort of convoy WS-8B to the Middle East during the BISMARCK episode. After this, she went on to the Far East. | |
When Japan entered the war EXETER formed part of the Allied Striking Force intended to defend the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) from Japanese invasion. At the end of February 1942 she took part in the Battle of the Java Sea when she received a shell hit in the boiler room and was returned to Surabaya in Java. When she attempted to reach the Sunda Strait, the Japanese cruisers NACHI and HAGURO and destroyers intercepted her on the morning of 1 March 1942 and badly damaged her with gunfire and a torpedo. She took on water and began listing to starboard. By noon she sank with the loss of 62 lives; the remainder of her crew became prisoners of war, many of them subsequently died in captivity. | |
HMS Exeter Photos for Sale |
  HMS Exeter, 1931. |   HMS Exeter. |   HMS Exeter photograph taken at Liverpool June 1932 |   HMS Exeter |
Timeline Entries : | |||
1st August 1928 - Laid down at Devonport Dockyard (Plymouth, U.K.): Parsons 18th July 1929 - Launched 18th July 1929 - Pennant 68 18th July 1929 - Pennant Number 68 18th July 1929 - Launched 23rd July 1931 - Commissioned 5th January 1932 - Sailed for Spring Cruise 7th January 1932 - Sailed Plymouth for Fayal 12th January 1932 - Arrived Fayal 14th January 1932 - Sailed Fayal 16th February 1932 - Arrived Barbados 13th March 1932 - Arrived UK 1st October 1932 - 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet 1st October 1932 - Capt. H. G. C. Franklin in Command 28th January 1933 - Arrived Gibraltar 23rd February 1933 - Arrived Falkland Islands 10th March 1933 - Arrived Palma 15th March 1933 - Sailed Palma for Gibraltar 14th June 1933 - Arrived Bergen 14th June 1933 - Capt. H.G.C. Franklin in Command 19th June 1933 - Sailed Bergen 22nd June 1933 - Arrived Karlskrona 19th July 1933 - Sailed Antwerp for Plymouth 30th October 1933 - Com. A.E. Evans Assumed Command 13th November 1933 - Sailed Plymouth for the America and West Indies Station 21st November 1933 - Arrived Gibraltar 25th November 1933 - At Gibraltar for the turnover from HMS Durban 25th November 1933 - At Gibraltar 7th December 1933 - Sailed Gibraltar for South America 7th December 1933 - Sailed Gibraltar for South America 21st December 1933 - Sailed St. Vincent (C.V.I.) for Montevideo 2nd January 1934 - Arrived Montevideo 5th January 1934 - Arrived Punta del Este 29th January 1934 - Sailed Punta del Este for Montevideo 31st January 1934 - Arrived Montevideo 7th February 1934 - Sailed Montevideo for Buenos Aires 8th February 1934 - Arrived Buenos Aires 14th February 1934 - Sailed Buenos Aires 15th February 1934 - Arrived Mar del Plata 20th February 1934 - Sailed Mar del Plata for the Falkland Islands 23rd February 1934 - Arrived Port Stanley 3rd March 1934 - Sailed Falkland Islands for Megallenes 3rd March 1934 - Sailed Port Stanley 5th March 1934 - Arrived Punta Arenas 21st March 1934 - Arrived Valparaiso 5th April 1934 - Arrived Iquique 9th April 1934 - Sailed Iquique for Callao 11th April 1934 - Arrived Callao 19th April 1934 - Sailed Callao for Kingston, Jamaica 30th April 1934 - Sailed Kingston, Jamaica for Bermuda 4th May 1934 - Arrived Bermuda 25th July 1934 - Arrived Pernambuco 9th September 1934 - Sailed Rio de Janeiro 9th November 1934 - Arrived Mar del Plata 1st December 1934 - Arrived Port Stephen 2nd December 1934 - Sailed Port Stephen for Magallanes 5th December 1934 - Arrived Magellanes 7th December 1934 - Arrived Portsmouth 12th December 1934 - Arrived Puerto Montt 19th December 1934 - Sailed Puerto Montt for Valparaiso 21st December 1934 - Flagship of Comm. A.E. Evans 21st December 1934 - Arrived Valparaiso 9th January 1935 - Sailed Sna Jouan, Peru 11th January 1935 - Sailed Valparaiso 11th January 1935 - Sailed Valparaiso 11th January 1935 - Flagship of Commodore A.E. Evans 15th January 1935 - Arrived Callao 1st February 1935 - Sailed Callao 2nd February 1935 - Arrived San Juan, Peru 11th February 1935 - Arrived Antofagasta 18th February 1935 - Sailed Antafagasta 19th February 1935 - Arrived Iquique 25th February 1935 - Sailed Iquique 26th February 1935 - Arrived Mollendo 28th February 1935 - Sailed Mollendo for Panama Canal and Bermuda 14th March 1935 - Arrived Bermuda 30th July 1935 - Sailed Lobitos for Huacho 31st July 1935 - Arrived Huacho 6th August 1935 - Arrived Callao 8th August 1935 - Sailed Callao 15th August 1935 - Arrived Iquique 28th August 1935 - Sailed Falmland Islands 14th September 1935 - Arrived Falkland Islands 17th June 1936 - Arrived Alexandria 26th July 1936 - Arrived Plymouth 22nd October 1936 - At Plymouth 27th March 1937 - Sailed Tortola 9th May 1937 - Arrived Nassau 9th May 1937 - Com. H.H. Harwood in Command 13th May 1937 - Sailed Nassau 27th June 1937 - Arrived Trinidad 9th July 1937 - Arrived Balboa 20th July 1937 - Arrived San Diego 22nd July 1937 - Sailed San Diego for Esquimalt 21st October 1937 - Arrived Puerto Monu January 1938 - 8th Cruiser Squadron, America/West Indies Station 14th January 1938 - Arrived Punta del Este 29th January 1938 - Sailed Punta del Este 3rd March 1938 - Arrived Trinidad 9th March 1938 - Arrived St. Kitts 28th March 1938 - Arrived Bermuda 27th June 1938 - Flagship of Comm. H.H. Harwood 27th June 1938 - Sailed Bermuda 2nd July 1938 - Sailed Bermuda 7th July 1938 - Arrived Trinidad 8th July 1938 - Sailed Trinidad 14th July 1938 - Arrived Pernambuco 18th July 1938 - Sailed Pernambuco 22nd July 1938 - Arrived Rio de Janeiro 2nd August 1938 - Sailed Rio de Janeiro 5th August 1938 - Arrived Rio Grande oo Sul 11th August 1938 - Sailed Rio Grande oo Sul 12th August 1938 - Arrived Punta Del Este 16th August 1938 - Sailed Punta Del Este 17th August 1938 - Arrived Montevideo 30th August 1938 - Sailed Montevideo 1st September 1938 - Arrived Ingeneiro White 8th September 1938 - Sailed Ingeneiro White 11th September 1938 - Arrived Montevideo 16th September 1938 - Sailed Montevideo 17th September 1938 - Arrived Punta 21st September 1938 - Arrived Buenos Aires 25th September 1938 - Sailed Punta 5th October 1938 - Sailed Buenos Airies 10th October 1938 - Arrived Falkland Islands 6th November 1938 - Sailed Falkland Islands 8th November 1938 - Arrived Magallanes 8th December 1938 - Arrived Punta Arenas 12th December 1938 - Sailed Magallanes 17th December 1938 - Arrived Castro 19th December 1938 - Sailed Castro 19th December 1938 - Arrived Puerto Montt 29th December 1938 - Sailed Puerto Montt 30th December 1938 - Arrived Puerto Corral 30th December 1938 - Arrived Puerto Corral 2nd January 1939 - Sailed Puerto Corral 3rd January 1939 - Arrived Talcahuano 9th January 1939 - Sailed Talcahuano 9th January 1939 - Sailed Talcahuano for Antofagasta 12th January 1939 - Arrived Antofagasta 12th January 1939 - Arrived Antofagasta 18th January 1939 - Sailed Antofagasta 18th January 1939 - Sailed Antofagasta 18th January 1939 - Flagship of Commodore H.H. Harwood 19th January 1939 - Arrived Coquimbo 19th January 1939 - Arrived Coquimbo 19th January 1939 - Sailed Antofagasta for Coquimbo 19th January 1939 - Arrived Coquimbo 23rd January 1939 - Sailed Coquimbo 23rd January 1939 - Sailed Coquimbo for Valparaiso 23rd January 1939 - Sailed Coquimbo 24th January 1939 - Arrived Valparaiso 24th January 1939 - Arrived Valparaiso 24th January 1939 - Arrived Valparaiso 24th January 1939 - Arrived Valparaiso 25th January 1939 - Sailed Valparaiso 3rd February 1939 - Sailed Valparaiso 3rd February 1939 - Sailed Valparaiso 3rd February 1939 - Sailed Valparaiso 8th February 1939 - Arrived Huacho 9th February 1939 - Sailed Huacho 10th February 1939 - Arrived Chimbote 12th February 1939 - Sailed Chimbote 13th February 1939 - Arrived Talara 17th February 1939 - Sailed Talara 18th February 1939 - Arrived Salinas 21st February 1939 - Sailed Salinas 24th February 1939 - Arrived Balbao 26th February 1939 - Arrived Colon 26th February 1939 - Sailed Balbao 27th February 1939 - Arrived Colon 28th February 1939 - Sailed Colon 3rd March 1939 - Arrived Jamaica 7th March 1939 - Sailed Jamaica 11th March 1939 - Arrived Bermuda 7th June 1939 - Arrived Baltimore 8th August 1939 - Sailed Bermuda for Plymouth 8th August 1939 - Flagship of Commodore H.R.G. HARWOOD 17th August 1939 - Arrived Plymouth 17th August 1939 - Arrived Plymouth 25th August 1939 - Sailed Devonport for the South America Station 25th August 1939 - Sailed Devonport for South America via Freetown 25th August 1939 - Capt. Frederick Secker Bell, RN Assumed Command 26th August 1939 - Escorted British liner Dunera 28th August 1939 - Detached from escort to proceed to Rio de Janiero, via Cape Verde Islands 1st September 1939 - Sailed Freetown for Cape Verde Islands 1st September 1939 - Arrived Freetown from Plymouth 2nd September 1939 - South American Division, Port Stanley in the Falklands 2nd October 1939 - Operating as a Hunter Force 26th October 1939 - Rendezvoused with Achilles off Lobito Island 27th October 1939 - Left patrol on the South American east coast 30th October 1939 - Arrived in the Falkland Island after leaving her patrol on the South American east coast 10th November 1939 - Sailed Mar del Plata to repair at Capetown, but was recalled for patrol in the Rio area 12th November 1939 - Bumped and damaged while alongside a tanker near Montevide 22nd November 1939 - Sailed Rio de Janiero for the Rio de la Plata 23rd November 1939 - Force G. Along the east coast of South America 26th November 1939 - Left area for the Falklands 30th November 1939 - Arrived Falklands 1st December 1939 - In the South Atlantic 7th December 1939 - On patrol in the Falkland Island area 9th December 1939 - Arrived Falkland Islands. Left late that morning to Rio de la Plata 12th December 1939 - Took up patrol in the Plate estuary 12th December 1939 - Off the Uruguay coast near Rio de la Plata 13th December 1939 - Encountered German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee off Rio de la Plata 16th December 1939 - Arrived Falkland Islands. Badly damaged by Graf Spee 21st January 1940 - Sailed Port Stanley after emergency repairs 3rd February 1940 - Arrived Freetown 6th February 1940 - Sailed Freetown 10th February 1940 - En route from the South Atlantic to England 15th February 1940 - Arrived Plymouth for repairs May 1940 - Capt. Frederick Secker Bell, RN Relinquished Command 12th December 1940 - Capt. Walter Napier Thomason Beckett, DSC, RN Assumed Command 10th March 1941 - Capt. Walter Napier Thomason Beckett, DSC, RN Relinquished Command 10th March 1941 - Completed repairs at Plymouth 11th March 1941 - Capt. Oliver Loudon Gordon, RN Assumed Command 1st March 1942 - Capt. Oliver Loudon Gordon, RN Ceased Command 1st March 1942 - Sunk | |||
HMS Exeter Artwork Collection |
  The Battle of the River Plate by Randall Wilson. |
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Everything we obtain for this site is shown on the site, we do not have any more photos, crew lists or further information on any of the ships. COPYRIGHT NOTICE. ALL IMAGES DISPLAYED ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW, AND ARE OWNED BY CRANSTON FINE ARTS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. NO REPRODUCTION OR COPYING ALLOWED ON OTHER WEBSITES, BOOKS OR ARTICLES WITHOUT PRIOR AGREEMENT. |
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