Allied Warships

HMS Nigeria (60)

Light cruiser of the Fiji class


HMS Nigeria after being torpedoed by the Italian submarine Axum, 12 August 1942

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeLight cruiser
ClassFiji 
Pennant60 
Built byVickers Armstrong (Newcastle-on-Tyne, U.K.) : Parsons 
Ordered 
Laid down8 Feb 1938 
Launched18 Jul 1939 
Commissioned23 Sep 1940 
End service 
Loss position
 
History

Sold to the Indian Navy on 29 August 1957 and renamed Mysore.
Decommissioned by the Indian Navy on 20 August 1985.

Commanding Officers:
Capt. John George Lawrence Dundas, RN
18 June 1940 - 8 June 1942

Capt. Stuart Henry Paton, RN
28 June 1942 – 1 May 1944

Capt. Henry Alexander King, DSO, RN
1 May 1944 - still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List

 

Commands listed for HMS Nigeria (60)

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CommanderFromTo
1Capt. John George Lawrence Dundas, RN18 Jun 19408 Jun 1942
2Capt. Stuart Henry Paton, RN28 Jun 19421 May 1944
3Capt. Henry Alexander King, DSO, RN1 May 194412 Apr 1946

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Noteable events involving Nigeria include:


28 Jun 1941
The British light cruiser HMS Nigeria (Capt. J.G.L. Dundas, RN) and the British destroyers HMS Bedouin (Cdr. J.A. McCoy, DSO, RN), HMS Tartar (Cdr. L.P. Skipwith, RN) and HMS Jupiter (Lt.Cdr. N.V.J.P. Thew, RN), in thick fog, intercept the German weathership Lauenburg north-east of Jan Mayen Island in position 73º02'N, 03º13'W. The German ship was detected due to HF/DF. Her crew abandoned ship after they were fired upon. Valuable codebooks and the Enigma machine were found aboard the German weathership. (see map)

12 Aug 1942
During Operation Pedestal, escorting a convoy bound for Malta, HMS Nigeria was torpedoed (one hit) by the italian submarine Axum, in position 37º26'N 10º22'E. She made back to Gibraltar escorted by three destroyers. She was sent from there to the United States for repairs, which took nine months to complete. (see map)

12 Mar 1943
HMS Nigeria picks up 30 survivors from the American merchant James B. Stephens that was torpedoed and sunk on 8 March 1943 by the German submarine U-160 about 150 nautical miles north-east of Durban, South-Africa in position 28º53'S, 33º18'E.

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