HMS Auckland (L61)

Auckland was ordered on 5 March 1937 from William Denny and Brothers, of Dumbarton, as part of the 1936 construction programme, and was laid down there on 16 June 1937. Originally named Heron, she was renamed Auckland when launched on 30 June 1938. She was designed as a general-purpose vessel, and intended for use as a survey ship around New Zealand. However, with the approach of war, Auckland was modified during her build for service as a convoy escort and anti-submarine warfare ship. She was completed on 16 November 1938.[2]

At the outbreak of the Second World War Auckland was stationed at Simonstown in South Africa. She was briefly employed in hunting for raiders in the South Atlantic before returning to the UK with convoy SL 9.

In January 1940 Auckland was stationed at Rosyth, serving as escort to east coast convoys in the North Sea.

In April Auckland took part in Operation Primrose, a planned landing in Norway, and later assisted in the evacuation of troops from Namsos and Andalsnes.[3]

In May Auckland was transferred to the Mediterranean for service in the Red Sea. After a refit she served as a convoy escort in the Red Sea, and in October was involved in the action around convoy BN 7.[4]

After a further refit in January 1941 Auckland joined the Mediterranean fleet. In April she was involved in an action in the Kasos strait, defending a troop convoy against an attack by Italian destroyers.[5]

In May she was escorting convoys to Tobruk, which was under siege by Axis forces in North Africa.

On 24 June 1941 Auckland was in company with Australian sloop HMAS Parramatta, escorting the oiler Pass of Balmaha to Tobruk. In the evening of 24 June they were attacked by Axis aircraft. Auckland was hit several times and wrecked; her crew abandoned ship and she sank. Most of her crew, 162 men, were saved by Parramatta.[6][7]

• Campbell, N. J. M. (1980). "Great Britain (including Empire Forces)". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 2–85. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• 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.
• Hague, Arnold (1993). Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946. Kendal, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-67-3.
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
• Vincent O’Hara : The Struggle for the Middle Sea (2009) ISBN 978-1-84486-102-6
• 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.
• Stephen Roskill: The War at Sea: vol I (1954)

• HMS Auckland at uboat.net