View source for HMS Cleopatra (33)

{{short description|Cruiser of the Royal Navy}}

{{other ships|HMS Cleopatra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Cleopatra 1945 IWM FL 5210.jpg
|Ship caption=''Cleopatra'' at anchor in the [[River Clyde|Clyde]], April 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=''Cleopatra''
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Hawthorn Leslie and Company]], ([[Hebburn|Hebburn-on-Tyne]], [[United Kingdom|UK]])
|Ship laid down=5 January 1939
|Ship launched=27 March 1940
|Ship christened=
|Ship commissioned=5 December 1941
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=15 February 1953
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]: 33
|Ship fate=[[ship breaking|Scrapped]], 15 December 1958
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship class={{sclass|Dido|cruiser|0}} [[light cruiser]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|5600|LT|t|lk=on}} (standard)
* {{convert|6850|LT|t}} ([[full load]])
|Ship length=*{{convert|485|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|p.p.]]
* {{convert|512|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam={{convert|50|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|14|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power={{cvt|62000|shp|kW|lk=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*4 × [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] geared [[steam turbine]]s
* 4 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
* 4 × shafts
|Ship speed={{convert|32.25|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range=*{{convert|1500|mi|km nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|30|kn}}
* {{convert|4240|mi|km nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|16|kn}}
|Ship complement=480
|Ship sensors=* [[Radar]]
** Surface 274
** Target Indicator 293
** Surface DC 284
** Anti Aircraft DC 285(3)
** Air Warning 281B
|Ship armament=
* 10 × [[QF 5.25 inch gun|{{cvt|5.25|in}} dual purpose guns]],
* 2 × [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|2-pounder (40&nbsp;mm) pom-pom guns]],
* 2 × quad 2&nbsp;pdr (40&nbsp;mm) pom-pom guns,
* 2 × triple [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{cvt|21|in|0}} torpedo tubes]].
|Ship armour=
* [[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|3|in|cm|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1|in|cm|abbr=on}}
* [[Magazine (artillery)#Naval magazines|Magazines]]: {{convert|2|in|cm|abbr=on}}
* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkheads]]: {{convert|1|in|cm|abbr=on}}
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Cleopatra''''' was a {{sclass|Dido|cruiser}} of the [[Royal Navy]]. She was built by R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited ([[Hebburn|Hebburn-on-Tyne]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]), with the keel being laid down on 5 January 1939. She was launched on 27 March 1940, and commissioned on 5 December 1941.

==Second World War service==
''Cleopatra'' went out to [[Gibraltar]] early in 1942, and on 9 February she sailed for [[Malta]], where she was immediately damaged by a bomb. After repair, she was transferred to [[Alexandria]] in early March for the 15th Cruiser Squadron. She was Admiral [[Philip Vian]]'s [[flagship]] during the [[Second Battle of Sirte]], when his group of four light cruisers and 17 destroyers held off an Italian force which included the battleship {{Ship|Italian battleship|Littorio||2}}, two heavy cruisers, a light cruiser and 10 destroyers, which had all been sent to intercept their convoy to Malta. During the engagement, ''Cleopatra''{{'}}s radar and wireless stations were wrecked by a 6" round fired by the Italian light cruiser {{Ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere||2}}.<ref>Woodman, Richard (2000). ''Malta Convoys, 1940–1943'', Jack Murray Ltd., p. 301. {{ISBN|978-0-7195-5753-8}}</ref>  Other reports state that ''Cleopatra''{{'}}s after turrets were also damaged.<ref>Whitley, p. 132</ref> In June 1942, she covered Operation Harpoon and Vigorous, and in August bombarded [[Rhodes]] as a diversion for the [[Operation Pedestal]] convoy.

[[File:HMS Cleopatra smoke.jpg|thumb|left|{{center|''Cleopatra'' throws out smoke to shield the convoy as {{HMS|Euryalus|42|2}} elevates her forward {{convert|5.25|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns to shell the Italian Fleet during the [[Second Battle of Sirte]], 22 March 1942}}]]
''Cleopatra'' was dry docked in [[Massawa]] on 19 September 1942 for minor repairs and cleaning and was un-docked five days later. During the refloating, she slipped on the angled dry dock, crushing every wooden keel block on the dock but sustaining little hull damage. Captain G. Grantham considered the resulting leak a minor nuisance and ordered ''Cleopatra'' to return to service.<ref>Commander [[Edward Ellsberg]], O.B.E. ''[[Under the Red Sea Sun]]'', (1946). Dodd, Mead and Co., New York</ref>

By January 1943, ''Cleopatra'' was part of Force "K", later Force "Q" at [[Annaba|Bône]], from where the [[Axis powers|Axis]] traffic to and from [[Tunisia]] was attacked. Later, she was a unit of the 12th Cruiser Squadron, and was present at the landings in [[Sicily]], [[Operation Husky]], in June, followed by supporting the army ashore. On 16 July 1943, ''Cleopatra'' was torpedoed by the {{ship|Italian submarine|Dandolo||6}} and again badly damaged. Temporary repairs were made at Malta which lasted until October 1943, after which she sailed to [[Philadelphia]], US, for full repairs. Like {{HMS|Phoebe|43|6}}, ''Cleopatra'' was fitted with quad Bofors in place of its pom poms. Mediterranean experience had shown that air attacks over the bow were common, and more forward fire power was provided with the quad Bofors in "B" position. These were completed in November 1944, and in 1945 she went out to the [[East Indies]], where she was the first ship into the newly recaptured [[Singapore Naval Base]] in September.

==Post war service==
''Cleopatra'' served post-war with the 5th Cruiser Squadron in the [[East Indies]] until returning to [[Portsmouth]] on 7 February 1946 to refit. Thereafter, she joined the [[British Home Fleet|Home Fleet]], 2nd Cruiser Squadron, from 1946 to early 1951 and after a major refit and minimal update with the quad Bofors landed and replaced by 3 twin Mk 5 40&nbsp;mm guns.<ref>H.T. Lenton and A. Raven. Dido Class. Ensign (1973) London</ref> In 1948 she was commanded by [[Peter Reid (Royal Navy officer)|Peter Reid]]. She served in the [[Mediterranean]] from late 1951 to early 1953. While in the Mediterranean, she took a starring role in the 1953 film of [[C.S. Forester]]{{'}}s ''[[Brown on Resolution]]'', (called ''[[Sailor of the King]]'' in Britain, and ''Single-handed'' in the United States). ''Cleopatra'' plays both the fictional Royal Navy ships "HMS ''Amesbury''" and "HMS ''Stratford''". As ''Amesbury'' she is heroically sunk by the more powerful German raider ''Essen'', (portrayed by {{HMS|Manxman|M70|6}} with large mock-up gun turrets), and as ''Stratford'', she triumphs at the end of the story. The two battle sequences depict this open-bridge light-cruiser firing her guns and torpedoes in some detail.

She returned to [[Chatham Dockyard|Chatham]] on 12 February 1953 to be paid off.  In June of that year she took part in the [[Fleet Review]] to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.<ref>Souvenir Programme, ''Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953'', HMSO, Gale and Polden</ref> From late 1953 to 1956 ''Cleopatra'' was flagship of the reserve squadron. On 15 December 1958, she arrived at the [[Newport, Wales|Newport]] yard of [[John Cashmore Ltd]] for breaking up.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Publications==
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Great Britain |last1=Campbell |first1=N.J.M.|pages=2–85}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman |author-link=Norman Friedman|title=British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After|year=2010|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-59114-078-8}}
* {{cite book|last1=Raven|first1=Alan|last2=Roberts|first2=John|title=British Cruisers of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1980|isbn=0-87021-922-7|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=3rd rev|isbn=1-59114-119-2 |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|author-link=Michael J. Whitley|title=Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia|publisher=Cassell |location=London|year=1995|isbn=1-86019-874-0}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Cleopatra (33)}}
* [http://www.world-war.co.uk/index.php3 WWII cruisers]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4018.html HMS ''Cleopatra'' at Uboat.net]
* [http://www.hmscleopatra.co.uk  www.hmscleopatra.co.uk]

{{Dido class cruiser}}
{{July 1943 shipwrecks}}
{{coord|37|06|N|16|04|E|source:kolossus-ruwiki|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleopatra (33)}}
[[Category:Dido-class cruisers]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Tyne]]
[[Category:1940 ships]]
[[Category:World War II cruisers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in July 1943]]