HMS Devonshire (39)
HMS Devonshire was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, that served in World War II. Devonshire was laid down by HM Dockyard at Devonport in Plymouth on 16 March 1926, launched on 22 October 1927 and completed on 18 March 1929. Devonshire's primary weaponry consisted of 8-inch (200 mm) guns. Devonshire served with the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean until 1932, on the China Station until 1933, and the Mediterranean again until 1939. She participated in the Norwegian campaign, and evacuated the Norwegian Royal Family from Norway on 6 June 1940, two months after Germany had invaded. She was part of the force for the raid on Dakar in August 1940, searched for the enemy German raider Kormoran in the South Atlantic, and served with the Home Fleet off Norway and Russia until September 1941. On November 21, 1941, under the command of Captain R. D. Oliver, and with the help of its Supermarine Walrus observation plane, Devonshire located and then sunk a German merchant raider, the auxiliary cruiser Atlantis, at a range of 14–15 km. Seven German sailors were killed. She then participated in the assault on Madagascar in May 1942, served with the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean until May 1943, underwent a refit until March 1944, served with the Home Fleet off Norway, and was converted to a training ship in 1947. Devonshire was sold for scrap on 16 June 1954 and arrived at Newport on 12 December 1954 where she was broken up by Cashmore's. See HMS Devonshire for other ships of this name.
External Links HMS Devonshire veterans
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