HMS Bonaventure (31)

HMS Bonaventure was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. Bonaventure participated as an escort vessel in Operation Fish, the World War II evacuation of British wealth from the UK to Canada. It was the largest movement of wealth in history.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Bonaventure.

Bonaventure at her mooring, 1940
History
United Kingdom
NameBonaventure
BuilderScotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company (Greenock, Scotland)
Laid down30 August 1937
Launched19 April 1939
Commissioned24 May 1940
IdentificationPennant number 31
FateTorpedoed by the Italian submarine Ambra, 31 March 1941
General characteristics
Class and typeDido-class light cruiser
Displacement5,600 long tons (5,700 t) (standard)
Length512 ft (156 m) (o/a)
Beam50 ft 6 in (15.39 m)
Draught14 ft (4.3 m)
Installed power
Propulsion4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines
Speed32.25 knots (59.73 km/h; 37.11 mph)
Range4,240 nautical miles (7,850 km; 4,880 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement480
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Armour

On 10 January 1941 Bonaventure, along with HMS Southampton and/or HMS Hereward, shelled and sank the Italian torpedo boat Vega off Cape Bon, Tunisia, during Operation Excess. Two members of her crew were killed by return fire.[2]

On 31 March 1941 Bonaventure was hit amidships by two torpedoes launched by the Italian submarine Ambra and sank south of Crete (33°20′N 26°35′E) with the loss of 139 of her 480 crew. 310 survivors were rescued by HMS Hereward and HMAS Stuart. She was the largest warship sunk by an Italian submarine in World War II.[3]

References

Citations
  1. Breuer 2008, p. 62
  2. "Naval Events, January 1941, Part 1 of 2, Wednesday 1st – Tuesday 14th". Naval History.
  3. Brescia, Maurizio (30 September 2012). Mussolini´s Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina 1930-1945. Seaforth Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-84832-115-1.

Sources

Further reading
  • Campbell, N.J.M. (1980). "Great Britain". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. New York: Mayflower Books. pp. 2–85. ISBN 0-8317-0303-2.
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben & Bush, Steve (2020). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (5th revised and updated ed.). Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-9327-0.
  • Crabb, Brian James (2021). Operation Demon: The Story of the Evacuation of British Commonwealth Troops from Mainland Greece and the Tragic Loss of the Dutch Troopship Slamat and HM Destroyers Diamond and Wryneck in April 1941. Portishead, UK: Angela Young. ISBN 978-1-527271-01-2.
  • Friedman, Norman (2010). British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-59114-078-8.
  • Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1980). British Cruisers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-922-7.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
  • Whitley, M. J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell. ISBN 1-86019-874-0.


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