| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Light cruiser |
| Class | E |
| Pennant | D 52 |
| Built by | John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd. (Clydebank, Scotland) |
| Ordered | 7 Mar 1918 |
| Laid down | 28 Jun 1918 |
| Launched | 23 Dec 1919 |
| Commissioned | 7 Apr 1926 |
| End service | |
| Loss position | |
| History | Sold to be broken up for scrap on 11 April 1946. |
Commands listed for HMS Enterprise (D 52)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | ||
| 1 | Capt. Henry Jack Egerton, RN | 23 Aug 1939 | Mar 1940 | |
| 2 | Capt. John Campbell Annesley, DSO, RN | Mar 1940 | Feb 1942 | |
| 3 | Capt. George Eric Maxia O’ Donnell, DSO, RN | Feb 1942 | Jul 1943 | |
| 4 | Capt. Harold Taylor Wood Grant, RCN | Jul 1943 | 2 Oct 1944 | |
| 5 | Capt. (retired) Sydney Keith Smyth, OBE, RN | 2 Oct 1944 | 24 Oct 1944 | |
| 6 | Lt.Cdr. (retired) William Desmond Revell Bravington, RN | 24 Oct 1944 | 10 Apr 1945 | |
| 7 | A/Capt. (retired) Stephen Barry, RN | 10 Apr 1945 | ??? | |
| 8 | Cdr. George Alan Kenneth McCombe, RNVR | ??? | Oct 1945 ? | |
You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.
Noteable events involving Enterprise include:
1939-40: Convoy escorts with the Halifax Escort Force. carried £10 million in gold to Canada.
1 Jan 1940
Allocated to the Home Fleet for the Norwegian Campaign. In April-May supported Army operations in the Narvik area.
19 Apr 1940
HMS Enterprise (Capt. J.C. Annesley, DSO, RN) was fired upon by U 65 but the torpedoes missed.
1 Jun 1940
In June 1940 she was reassigned to Force "H", operating out of Gibraltar.
9 Jul 1940
This photograph show HMS Valiant (nearest to the camera) and HMS Resolution and is most likely taken during an Italian air attack (by SM 79 bombers) against Force H on 9 July 1940. The photograph is taken from HMS Enterprise.
Photograph with thanks to John Hancocks whose father Lt.(E) J.P. Hancocks served at HMS Enterprise during that time.
1 Dec 1940
By the end of 1940 was operating in the South Atlantic, unsuccesfully hunting for Thor, then transferred to the Indian Ocean when Admiral Scheer appeared there but, again, she had no success.
In 1942 she was in the East Indies & Australian waters, operating with sistership Emerald in the Eastern Fleet.
From the end of 1942 to 10/43 was under refit in the UK, being then allocated to the Home Fleet, mainly for the purpose of hunting down blockade runners in Biscay.
28 Dec 1943
HMS Enterprise (Capt. H.T.W. Grant, RCN) attempting the interception of the arriving German blockade runner Alsterufer in the Bay of Biscay with HMS Glasgow (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), ran into the freighter's covering group, consisting of the German destroyer Z 27 and the German torpedo boats T 22, T 25 and T 26.
In a spirited gun action, the heavier British artillery had the better of the Germans and only T 22 was able to return to port.
6 Jun 1944
Took part in the Normandy landings with Force "A", under the overall command of the Admiral embarked in US CA Tuscaloosa and deployed in support of the landings at Utah Beach. From 0716 hrs the CL fired on targets NE of Pouppeville, expending 145 rounds of 152 mm ammo in 6 separate shoots. Enterprise also took part in the bombardment of Cherbourg during June/July.
5 Jan 1945
Placed in reserve but later reactivated for trooping duties. Returned to the UK on 13 January 1946, handed over for scrapping on 11 April and arrived at Newport on 21 April.