Allied Warships

HMS Esperance Bay (F 67)

Armed Merchant Cruiser

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeArmed Merchant Cruiser
Class[No specific class] 
PennantF 67 
Built byVickers Ltd. (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down 
Launched4 Oct 1921 
Commissioned5 Dec 1939 
End service12 Nov 1941 
History

built as Hobsonīs Bay, 1936 renamed Esperance Bay.
On 13 September 1939 the passenger ship Esperance Bay of the Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line Ltd, London was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to an armed merchant cruiser. Conversion was completed on 5 December 1939.

Displacement: 14204 BRT
Armament: 7x 152mm, 2x 76mm
Speed: 15 knots

Career:
December 39 - April 40: South Atlantic Station
May 40: Halifax Escort Force
June 40 - October 40: Bermuda and Halifax Escort Force
November 40 - August 41: Freetown Escort Force

On 12 November 1941 returned and used as troopship by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 1945 returned to owner. 1955 scrapped.

 

Commands listed for HMS Esperance Bay (F 67)

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CommanderFromTo
1Capt. (retired) Geoffrey Shuttleworth Holden, RN14 Sep 1939

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Noteable events involving Esperance Bay include:


29 Jun 1941
The British merchant Rio Azul is torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-123 about 200 nautical miles south-east of the Azores in position 29?00'N, 25?00'W. HMS Esperance Bay (Capt. G.S. Holden (retired), RN) later picks up 9 survivors.

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