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Allied Warships

HMS Coventry (D 43)

Light cruiser of the Ceres class


HMS Coventry before the war

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeLight cruiser
ClassCeres 
PennantD 43 
Built bySwan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. (Wallsend-on-Tyne, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down4 Aug, 1916 
Launched6 Jul, 1917 
Commissioned21 Feb, 1918 
Lost14 Sep, 1942 
Loss position32.48N, 28.17E (See a map)
 
HistoryConverted to Anti-Aircraft cruiser before the war.

HMS Coventry (Capt. Ronald John Robert Dendy, RN) was taking part in Operation "Agreement", a Commando raid agains Tobruk harbor which ended in a complete disaster for the British due to the unexpectedly tenacious resistance of Italo-German troops and the prompt reaction of Axis' air units in the area.
At 1140 hrs, 14 September, Coventry was north of Marsa Matruh with her escort group (Force "D"), consisting of destroyers Belvoir, Dulverton, Hursley, Croome. The cruiser became the main target for a German group of 16 Ju-88s of I/LG.1 (X° Fliegerkorps)from Iraklion (Crete), under Capt Joachim Helbig. Each plane carried 1 x 500- and 3 x 250 kg bombs.
In a dive-bombing attack, Coventry sustained 4 direct hits, 3 of the bombs detonating in the engineering spaces, while the 4th wrecked the bows.
Coventry went dead in the water and badly on fire with 63 killed. At 1515 hrs, in position 32º48'N, 28º17'E. the ship was scuttled by HMS Zulu.
Sadly, herself was sunk barely 1 hour later by 19 Ju-87s (see her entry)

Commanding Officers:
Capt. Richard Francis John Onslow, OBE, DSC, RN
18 August 1938 – 22 April 1940

Capt. David Gilmour, RN
22 April 1940 – May 1941

Capt. William Power Carne, RN
May 1941 – 16 January 1942

Capt. Ronald John Robert Dendy, RN
16 January 1942 - 14 September 1942 


Noteable events involving Coventry include:

1 Jan, 1940
HMS Coventry (Capt. R.F.J. Onslow, OBE, DSC, RN) was damaged in a German air attack on the Shetland Islands, north of Scotland.

13 Dec, 1940
HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) was torpedoed and damaged by the Italian submarine Neghelli in the eastern Mediterranean about 80 nautical miles north-north-west of Mersa Matruh, Egypt in position 32º37'N, 26º44'E. Repairs were completed on 20 January 1941. (see map)

18 May, 1941
The First Victioria Cross of the Mediterranean battle was poshumously awarded to Petty Officer A.E. Sephton for "great courage and endurance" while on HMS Coventry as she was being attacked by Geman Stuka dive bombers while off Crete.

Petty officer Septhon was burried at sea. His VC was on display at Coventry Cathedral but was stolen on 25 September 1990.


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