Force K

Force K
Active	1939–1942
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Engagements	Battle of the Atlantic Battle of the River Plate Battle of the Mediterranean Battle of the Duisburg Convoy First Battle of Sirte Operation Stone Age
Commanders
Notable commanders	Captain William Gladstone Agnew Commodore Henry Harwood Vice Admiral Andrew Cunningham

Force K was the name of three British Royal Navy task forces during the Second World War. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939, to intercept commerce raiders. The second Force K was formed in October 1941 at Malta, to operate against convoys sailing from Italy to Libya. Axis air attacks on Malta led to Force K being reduced and on 8 April 1942, the last ship of the force was withdrawn. After convoy Stone Age was run to Malta from 16–20 November, Force K was re-established and began operations again against Axis convoys.

This task force was based in Freetown, Sierra Leone and consisted of battlecruiser Renown, aircraft carrier Ark Royal and destroyers Hardy, Hostile, Hereward and Hasty. Force K was to track and destroy German commerce raiders in the South Atlantic, such as the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee. After the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939, Force K was sent to the coast of Uruguay to prevent any sortie by Graf Spee, which was in Montevideo. After Graf Spee was scuttled, Force K was disbanded, with Ark Royal escorting the cruiser HMS Exeter, which had been damaged in the battle with Graf Spee, back to Britain.

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