HMS Carlisle (D67)
In wartime camouflage, 1942
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| History | |
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| Class and type: | C-class light cruiser |
| Name: | HMS Carlisle |
| Builder: | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company |
| Laid down: | 2 October 1917 |
| Launched: | 9 July 1918 |
| Commissioned: | 11 November 1918 |
| Out of service: | Sold 5 April |
| Reclassified: |
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| Fate: | Broken up at Alexandria in 1949 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 4,190 tons |
| Length: | 451.4 ft (137.6 m) |
| Beam: | 43.9 ft (13.4 m) |
| Draught: | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 29 knots (54 km/h) |
| Range: | carried 300 tons (950 tons maximum) of fuel oil |
| Complement: | 330-350 |
| Armament: |
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| Armour: |
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HMS Carlisle was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the English City of Carlisle. She was the name ship of the Carlisle group of the C-class of cruisers. Carlisle was credited with shooting down eleven Axis aircraft during the Second World War, and was the top scoring anti-aircraft ship in the Royal Navy.
She was laid down by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in 1917, and launched on 9 July 1918. She was completed with a hangar positioned under the bridge, and she was to carry aircraft. This was never carried out and the hangar was later removed. Carlisle was commissioned too late to see action in the First World War.
In 1919 Carlisle joined the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron at Harwich. During March 1919 she left Harwich in company with the squadron, and took up station in China.
On the evening of 3 March 1921, the Singaporean passenger ship SS Hong Moh ran aground on the White Rocks off Lamock Island, Swatow, China, and was wrecked with the loss of an estimated 900 to 1,000 lives. The steamer SS Shanti discovered the wreck on the morning of 4 March and rendered assistance, rescuing 45 survivors before steaming to Swatow to seek additional help for Hong Moh. Upon receiving word of the disaster, the British consul at Swatow informed the British Senior Naval Officer at Hong Kong, who in turn broadcast a wireless message requesting ships to come to Hong Moh′s aid. The Royal Navy sloop HMS Foxglove arrived on the scene late on 5 March but was unable to locate the wreck in the darkness. Carlisle joined Foxglove on the scene at dawn on 6 March, and the two ships located Hong Moh and began to rescue additional survivors, with Foxglove taking 28 or 48 (sources differ) survivors on board before having to depart late in the afternoon to refuel. Carlisle continued to work throughout the night of 6-7 March using searchlights and through the daylight hours of 7 March. Carlisle′s commanding officer, Edward Evans, swam over to the wreck at around 20:00 on 7 March to help the last few survivors get aboard the ship′s boats. Carlisle finally ceased rescue operations at 23:00 on 7 March. At dawn on 8 March, Carlisle′s boats approached the wreck of Hong Moh but found no further signs of life, so Carlisle departed for Hong Kong with 221 survivors aboard. Among the officers and ratings of Carlisle, Evans, along with Lieutenant-Commander Ion Tower and Gunner John G. Dewar, were awarded the Board of Trade Silver Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea, while Leading Seaman W. G. Eldrett and Able Seaman A. E. Whitehead received the award in Bronze.
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Wikipedia