HMS Bonaventure (31)

This article includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (June 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Bonaventure at her mooring, 1940
History
United Kingdom
Name	Bonaventure
Builder	Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company (Greenock, Scotland)
Laid down	30 August 1937
Launched	19 April 1939
Commissioned	24 May 1940
Fate	Torpedoed by the Italian submarine Ambra, 31 March 1941
General characteristics
Class and type	Dido-class light cruiser
Displacement	5,600 long tons (5,700 t) (standard) 6,850 long tons (6,960 t) (full load)
Length	485 ft (148 m) p.p. 512 ft (156 m) o/a
Beam	50 ft 6 in (15.39 m)
Draught	14 ft (4.3 m)
Installed power	4 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers 62,000 shp (46,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines
Speed	32.25 knots (59.73 km/h; 37.11 mph)
Range	1,500 mi (1,300 nmi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) 4,240 mi (3,680 nmi; 6,820 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement	480
Armament	8 × QF 5.25-inch (133 mm) dual purpose guns (4×2) 1 QF 4-inch gun 8 × 2-pounder pom-pom anti-aircraft guns (2×4) 6 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×3)
Armour	Belt: 3 in (7.6 cm) Deck: 1 in (2.5 cm) Magazines: 2 in (5.1 cm) Bulkheads: 1 in (2.5 cm)
Notes	Pennant number 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]

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

On 31 March 1941 she was torpedoed and sunk south of Crete (

33°20′N 26°35′E / 33.333°N 26.583°E / 33.333; 26.583) by the Italian submarine Ambra with the loss of 139 of her 480 crew. 310 survivors were rescued by HMS Hereward and HMAS Stuart.

References[]

Citations[]

Sources[]

• 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 (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• 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. 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.

External links[]

• World War II cruisers
• HMS Bonaventure at Uboat.net
• IWM Interview with survivor Patrick Northcott
• IWM Interview with survivor Frank Connor

Coordinates: 33°20′0″N 26°35′0″E / 33.33333°N 26.58333°E / 33.33333; 26.58333