HMS Suffolk (55)

HMS "Suffolk" (55) was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, and part of the "Kent" subclass. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard, Portsmouth, UK), with the keel being laid down on the 15 November 1924. She was launched on the 16 March 1926, and commissioned 25 June 1928.

History

"Suffolk", like her sisters, served on the China Station, save for reconstruction, until the outbreak of World War II. She came home in 1939 and then patrolled the Denmark Straits in October 1939. In April 1940 she participated in the Norwegian Campaign. On 13 April 1940 she arrived at Tórshavn to commence the British pre-emptive occupation of the Faroe Islands. On 14 April 1940 "Suffolk" sank the German tanker "Skagerak" northwest of Bodø, Norway.

On 17 April 1940 "Suffolk" bombarded the air field and station for sea planes at Sola Air Station, Stavanger, destroying four aircraft and damaging the installations, but was in return badly damaged by bombs from German Ju88 aircraft of II./KG 30. X-turret's magazine had been destroyed. The ship was very lucky to survive this ordeal and she barely reached Scapa Flow with her stern awash the next morning. Until she reached port the Germans claimed to have sunk her. She was beached at Scapa Flow to prevent her sinking. "Suffolk" was out of action from April 1940 until February 1941 where she was repaired at Clyde

During May 1941 "Suffolk" was involved in the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the sinking of the German battleship "Bismarck". "Suffolk" had engaged the battleship twice during the battle making several salvoes on her. Using her Radar, "Suffolk" was able to track the Bismarck through the Denmark Strait and maintained contact long enough for other units to vector into "Bismarck"s path.

After her repairs "Suffolk" served with the Home Fleet in Arctic waters until the end of 1942, then underwent a refit between December 1942 and April 1943. On completion of this the ship was ordered to the Eastern Fleet, operating in the Indian Ocean until the end of the war.

"Suffolk" was allocated to Bisco on 25 March 1948 and was scrapped at J Cashmore's (Newport, Wales) where she arrived on 24 June 1948.

References

*Colledge
* "British and Empire Warships of the Second World War", H T Lenton, Greenhill Books, ISBN 1-85367-277-7
* "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946", Ed. Robert Gardiner, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 0-87021-913-8
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1181.html HMS Suffolk at U-boat.net] (pers coment from living crew member)