 |
The
Crest: Black; Cleopatra's head proper, crowned gold. Cleopatra was Queen of Egypt, distinguished for her beauty and her love affairs, who killed herself by self-inflicting an asp bite. Motto = "Invicta ut olin" ( Unconquered as ever.) Battle honours Dogger Bank 1781 Martinique 1809 Burma 1853 Belgian Coast 1916 Malta Convoys 1942 Sirte 1942 Sicily 1943 |
There have been eight ships
of the name Cleopatra.
First Second Third
Fourth Fifth
Sixth Seventh Eighth
The first Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA 1779 5th Rate 32 guns Thetis/Amazon class
| Length of gun deck | 126' | |
| Length of keel | 104' | |
| Breadth | 35' | |
| Depth of hold | 12' 2" | |
| Displacement | 677 tons | |
| Armament | ||
| Upper deck | 26 X 12 pounders | |
| Quarterdeck | 4 X 6 pounders | |
| Forecastle | 2 X 6 pounders | |
| 12 swivel guns | ||
| Complement | 300 | |
| Built by | Hillhouse of Bristol | |
| Ordered | 13th May 1778 | |
| Keel laid | 6th June 1778 | |
| Launched | 26th November 1779 |
She was broken up in 1814
Top of page
The second Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA 1815
This was a Gun Boat in service on the St Lawrence River.
Top of page
The third Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA 1835 6th Rate 26 guns Vestal class Brig/Sloop
| Length of gun deck | 130' | |
| Length of keel | 106' 1" | |
| Beam | 40' | |
| Depth of hold | 10' 6" | |
| Displacement | 911 tons | |
| Armament | ||
| Upper deck | 2 X 8 pounders | |
| 16 X 32 pounders | ||
| Q'deck & Forecastle | 2 X 32 pounders | |
| 6 X 32 pounder carronades | ||
| Complement | 240 | |
| Built by | Pembroke Dockyard | |
| Ordered | 1832 | |
| Keel laid | June 1832 | |
| Launched | 28th April 1835 |
This ship captured a Spanish slaver Segundo
Rosario, with 284 slaves on board in 1841. From 1857 to 1858 she served
as accommodation for a Peruvian crew awaiting completion of their new ship.
Sold in 1862.
Top of page
The fourth Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA, paddlewheel sloop, built in 1839 by Pitcher of Northfleet. She
foundered in the Indian Ocean 14 April 1847.
Top of page
The fifth Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA 1878 Comus class Iron and Steel Corvette
HMS Constance of the Comus class
| Displacement | 2380 tons | |
| Length | 225' | |
| Beam | 44' | |
| Draught | 19' | |
| Armament | 2 X 7" Muzzle-loaders (rifled) | |
| 12 X 64 pounders | ||
| Re-armed | in 1885 with 5 &6" breech-loading guns | |
| Machinery | Compound engines = 2590 horse power | |
| Speed | 13¾ knots | |
| Built by | Elder of Glasgow | |
| Launched | 1st January 1878 |
She was at the intervention at Bluefields,
Nicaragua 1894. In 1905 she was reduced to harbour service and was later
put to use an an overflow ship to Defiance in the Hamoaze, Devonport.
In January 1922 she was renamed Defiance III.
She was sold to Castle at Millbay, Plymouth, for breaking up in July 1931.
The sixth Cleopatra
| Displacement | 4219 tons standard load | |||
| 4733 tons full load | ||||
| Length | 446' | |||
| Beam | 41' 6" | |||
| Draught | 14' 9" | |||
| Machinery | 4 shafts Parsons Independant | |||
| reduction turbines | ||||
| 8 Yarrow boilers | ||||
| 40000 shaft horsepower | ||||
| Speed | 28½ knots | |||
| Armament | As built | 1919 | ||
| 2 X 6" | 4 X 6" | |||
| 8 X 4" | 2 X 3" Anti-aircraft | |||
| 1 X 13 pounder | ||||
| 4 X 4 pounder | ||||
| Torpedo Tubes | 4 X 21" | 4 X 21" | ||
| Complement | 325 | |||
| Built by | Devonport Dockyard | |||
| Laid down | 26th February 1914 | |||
| Launched | 14th January 1915 | |||
| Completed | 1st June 1915 |
Service life
5th Light Cruiser Squadron based at Harwich 1915-18.
Cleopatra rammed and sunk the German destroyer G194 55 miles West of the
Horns Reef lightvessel on the 25th March 1916.
The ship hit a British mine off the Dutch coast on the 4th
August 1916.
Repairs were carried out 1916 to 1917.
Joined the 7th Light Cruiser Squadron which was part of the Grand Fleet
1918-19.
Joined the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron (again based at Harwich).
She also spent time in the Baltic during this period in 1919.
Joined the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron Atlantic 1919-21.
Went into reserve at the Nore 1921-22.
Refit at Pembroke 1923-24.
Joined the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean
(temporary) 1224.
Joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron Atlantic 1925-26.
Refit 1927.
Returned to the Nore and put into Reserve 1927-31.
During 1928 to 31 she was the ship of the Senior Naval Officer and was used
for trooping to the Mediterranean and China.
Sold in 1931 to Hughes of Bolckow, Blyth.
Battle Honour: Belgian Coast 1916.
Top of page
The seventh Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA 1940 Dido class Cruiser
| Displacement | 5600 tons standard load | |
| 6850 tons full load | ||
| Length | 512' overall | |
| Beam | 50' 6" | |
| Draught | 14" | |
| Machinery | 4 shafts Parsons single reduction geared turbines | |
| 4 Admiralty 3 drum boilers 62000 shaft horsepower | ||
| Speed | 32¼ knots | |
| Armament | 10 X 4.25" dual purpose (5 X 2) | |
| 8 X 5.2" due to the removal of Q Turret in 1945 | ||
| 8 X 2 pounder anti-aircraft (2 X 4) | ||
| 8 X .5" machine guns (2 X 4) | ||
| Torpedo Tubes | 6 X 21" (2 X 3) | |
| Complement | 480 | |
| Built by | Halthorne Leslie at Hebburn | |
| Laid down | 5th January 1939 | |
| Launched | 27thMarch 1940 | |
| Completed | 5th December 1941 |
Home Fleet 1941-42.
Served in the Mediterranean from February 1942 until 1943.
Cleopatra, with other ships, sank three enemy supply ships off North Africa on the 13th December 1942.
The ship was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Dandalo and badly damaged on the 16th July 1943 and was under repair until April 1945.
Joined the 5th Cruiser Squadron East Indies Fleet 1945-46.
Home Fleet 1946-51.(The ship was laid up during 1947-48).
Served in the Mediterranean 1951-53.
Flagship of the Reserve Fleet 1953-56.
Cleopatra was broken up by Cashmore of Newport in 1958.
Battle Honours: Malta Convoys 1942. Sirte 1942 Sicily 1943.
HMS Cleopatra
The Eighth Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA F28 1966 Leander class Frigate (Batch2)
HMS Cleopatra
| Displacement | 2350 tons standard load | |
| 2760 tons full load | ||
| Length | 372' | |
| Beam | 41' | |
| Draught | 13' 6" | |
| Machinery | 2 Babcock & Wilcox controlled superheated boilers 550 lbs/sq ins at 860°F | |
| 2 shafts English Electric geared turbines developing 30000 shaft horsepower | ||
| Speed | 30 knots | |
| Armament (as built) | 2 X 4.5" dual purpose (1 X 2) in a Mk VI mounting | |
| 2 X 40mm Anti-Aircraft (2 X 1) | ||
| 4 X 1 Seacat missile system | ||
| Anti-submarine weapons | 1 X Limbo mortar Mk 10 | |
| Aircraft | 1 X Westland Wasp Helicopter |
HMS Cleopatra as built
| Exocet modernisation | Remove 4.5" guns and replace with 4 X MM38 Exocet missiles (4 X 1) | |
| 2 X 40mm Mk 9 (2 X 1) | ||
| 12 Seacat (3 X 4) | ||
| Aircraft | Westland Lynx Mk 2 Helicopter |
Cleopatra after modernisation
| Built by | Devonport Dockyard | |
| Laid down | 19th June 1963 | |
| Launched | 25th March 1964 | |
| Completed | 4th January 1966 |
I joined the Cleopatra on 12th December 1967 and was drafted off on the 16th July 1970 - this draft was once again a home and Far East commission . The early part of 1968 was taken up with getting the ship ready for sea and Sea Training at Portland. In May we went to Lisbon, then exercises and a short break in Gibraltar. We then moved on to Malta, before returning home.
September 27th to 5th October 1968 was British week in Stockholm which we took part in with HMS Daring and the submarines Narwhale and Ambush. Went from Stockholm round to Bergen in Norway, then home for leave and getting ready for the Far East.
Our journey to the Far East took us via South Africa,(Simonstown and Cape Town,) then on to Gan and Singapore where we arrived at the end of February 1969.
Next came a visit to Hong Kong - whilst we were there the ship took part in the "Helping Hands project", so we found ourselves anchored off the small village of Kau Sai. Much work was done for them including a play area with swings and see-saw, net drying area, repairs to the jetty and the temple roof was put to rights. A wonderful time was had by one and all.
After Hong Kong yet another exercise then to Sasebo in Japan. Whilst there some of us went to Nagasaki for a few days and without doubt one of the saddest places I have ever visited was the museum of the death and destruction caused by the atomic bomb, and in memory of those who were killed or injured. But having said that we once again had a super time and were well looked after buy our Japanese hosts.
Then - on to the Philippines after more compulsory exercises and visited Subic Bay Manila visited Pagsanjan Falls. After leaving Manila we took part in yet another. It was 0300 on the morning of June 2nd 1969 that HMAS Melbourne (Captain John P. Stevenson) hit the American destroyer Frank E. Evans (Captain , Commander Albert McLemore) and cut her in two. The Evans was the plane guard for Melbourne whilst at flying stations. Sadly, 74 of the Evans crew perished in this disaster.
The bows of the Melbourne after the collision. She returned to Singapore for
repairs and the other ships in the exercise continued to look for survivors.
After this sad incident we joined up with HMAS Swan and HMNZS Otoga for a
visit to Bangkok in Thailand. Whilst there I went to see the Bridge over the
river Kwae in the Kanchanburi area of Thailand and other areas at Chong Kai,
Tam Krasaer.So much for a good time - back at sea - and you guessed it - another exercise (called Julex 1969), then into Singapore for station leave.
The home journey was left Singapore (in my case for the third time) returning via Gan, Mauritius, South Africa, Gibraltar onwards to home and leave.
February 1970 ; we were off to Gibraltar once again and then on to Malta were we worked with the South East Treaty Organisation Squadron. This took us to Soúdha Bay in Crete, Antalya in Turkey, Athens and Trieste in North Italy and whilst there I took the opportunity see Venice. At the end of this time we returned home once again and to my draft at HMS Vernon
Cleopatra being towed to India for breaking up 24th May 1991.