| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Armed Merchant Cruiser |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | F 57 |
| Built by | A. Stephen & Sons Ltd. (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 27 Jan 1925 |
| Commissioned | 4 Oct 1939 |
| End service | Dec 1943 |
| History | In August 1939 the passenger ship Chitral of the P. & O. Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to an armed merchant cruiser. Conversion was completed on 4 October 1939. Displacement: 15346 BRT Career: In December 1943 returned and used as troopship by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 1948 returned to owner. |
Commands listed for HMS Chitral (F 57)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Capt. (retired) Alfred Geoffrey Peace, DSO, RN | 18 Oct 1939 | 18 Jan 1940 (+) |
| 2 | Capt. (retired) Guy Hamilton, RN | 20 Jan 1940 | 22 Dec 1940 |
| 3 | A/Capt. Eric Vernon Lees, RN | 22 Dec 1940 | 12 Jan 1941 |
| 4 | Capt. (retired) Guy Hamilton, RN | 12 Jan 1941 | 2 Dec 1941 |
| 5 | A/Capt. (retired) Gerald William Hoare-Smith, RN | 2 Dec 1941 |
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Notable events involving Chitral include:
20 Nov 1939
The German merchant Bertha Fisser (4110 GRT) is intercepted of the south-east coast of Iceland in position 64°10N, 15°14W by the British armed merchant cruiser HMS Chitral (Capt. G. Hamilton, (retired), RN). However before the German ship can be captured she is scuttled by her own crew.
9 Apr 1941
Convoy SC 28.
This convoy departed Halifax on 9 April for Liverpool where it arrived on 28 April 1941.
Upon departure from Halifax the convoy was made up of the following merchant ships: Aeas (Greek, 4729 GRT, built 1915), Akabahra (Norwegian, 1524 GRT, built 1929), Aldington Court (British, 4891 GRT, built 1929), Almenara (British, 1851 GRT, built 1922), Anna Bulgaris (Greek, 4603 GRT, built 1912), Armathia (British, 4683 GRT, built 1919), Baron Inchcape (British, 7005 GRT, built 1917), Beckenham (British, 4636 GRT, built 1937), Bernhard (Norwegian, 3563 GRT, built 1924), Bosworth (British, 6672 GRT, built 1919), Bristol City (British, 2864 GRT, built 1920), Buccinum (British (tanker), 5237 GRT, built 1910), Cressdene (British, 4270 GRT, built 1936), Despina (Greek, 3016 GRT, built 1907), Embassage (British, 4954 GRT, built 1935), Euthalia (Greek, 3553 GRT, built 1918), Georgios P. (Greek, 4052 GRT, built 1903), Gezina (Norwegian, 1828 GRT, built 1917), Gullpool (British, 4868 GRT, built 1928), Katvaldis (British, 3163 GRT, built 1907), King Stephen (British, 5274 GRT, built 1928), Kisnop (British, 5874 GRT, built 1919), Manatee (British, 5948 GRT, built 1920), Matronna (Greek, 2846 GRT, built 1902), Navarino (British, 4841 GRT, built 1937), Niceto de Larrinaga (British, 5591 GRT, built 1916), Prins Willem van Oranje (Dutch, 1303 GRT, built 1918), Rossum (Dutch, 2118 GRT, built 1928), Runswick (British, 3970 GRT, built 1930), Sildra (Norwegian (tanker), 7313 GRT, built 1927), Trojan Star (British, 9037 GRT, built 1936), Wellfield (British (tanker), 6054 GRT, built 1924) and West Amargosa (British, 5462 GRT, built 1919).
On departure from Halifax the convoy was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Chitral (Capt.(Retd. G. Hamilton, RN). Submarine HMS Talisman (Lt. M. Willmott, RN) joined the escort on the 11th. Battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN) joined the convoy on the 13th and was detached on the 20th as was HMS Talisman. HMS Chitral was detached on the 21st.
On 24 April 1941 the destroyer HMS Scimitar (Lt. R.D. Franks, OBE, RN), corvettes HMS Dianthus (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, RNR), HMS Mallow (Lt.Cdr. W.B. Piggott, RNR), HMS Marigold (T/Lt. J. Renwick, RNR), HMS Nasturtium (Lt.Cdr. J.F.C. Bartley, DSC, RNR), HMS Periwinkle (Lt.Cdr. P.G. MacIver, RNR)), HMS Primrose (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A. Ayre, RNR) and the minesweepers HMS Bramble (Capt. M.H. Evelegh, RN), HMS Hazard (Lt.Cdr. J.R.A. Seymour, RN) and HMS Speedy (Lt. J.G. Brookes, RN) joined the convoy. The minesweepers departed later the same day. On the 26th, corvette HMS Mallow was detached. The destroyer HMS Wanderer (Cdr. A.F.St.G. Orpen, RN) joined on the 27th.
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.