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Allied Warships

HMS Cheshire (F 18)

Armed Merchant Cruiser

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeArmed Merchant Cruiser
Class 
PennantF 18 
Built byFairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Govan, Scotland) 
Ordered 
Laid down 
Launched20 Apr, 1927 
Commissioned30 Oct, 1939 
End service9 Jun, 1943 
Loss position
 
HistoryOn 29 August 1939 the passenger ship Cheshire of the Bibby Brothers & Co, Liverpool was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to an armed merchant cruiser. Conversion was completed on 30 October 1939.

Displacement: 10552 BRT
Armament: 6x 152mm, 2x 76mm
Speed: 15.5 knots

Career:
November 39 - April 40: South Atlantic Station
May 40: North Atlantic Escort Force
June 40 - October 40: Northern and Western Patrol
November 40 - April 41: Northern and Western Patrol
May 41 - November 41: Freetown Escort Force
December 41 - April 43: South Atlantic Station
May 43 - June 43: Nore Command

On 9 June 1943 returned and used as troopship by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), later as repatriation ship. On 5 October 1948 returned to owner. 

Hit by U-boat
Damaged on 14 Oct, 1940 by U-137 (Wohlfarth).
Damaged on 18 Aug, 1942 by U-214 (Reeder).


Noteable events involving Cheshire include:

14 Oct, 1940
At 21.28 hours on 14 October 1940 HMS Cheshire (Capt. M.R. Bernard (retired), RN) was struck by one torpedo from the German submarine U-137 northwest of Ireland. She reached Liverpool but had to be laid up for repairs for six months.

18 Aug, 1942
At 18.52 hours on 18 August 1942 the German submarine U-214 fired four aimed single torpedoes at convoy SL-118 from between the columns, heard detonations after 2 minutes 27 seconds, 3 minutes 10 seconds, 4 minutes 31 seconds and 4 minutes 37 seconds and heard three ships breaking up. Reeder claimed the sinking of four ships totalling 20.000 tons. In fact, one torpedo damaged HMS Cheshire another sank the Hatarana and two torpedoes sank the Balingkar.


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