| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Landing Ship Infantry |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | 4.120 |
| Mod | LSI(S) |
| Built by | Cockerill (Hoboken, Belgium) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 12 Apr 1930 |
| Commissioned | 1941 |
| End service | |
| History | Completed as passenger ship Prince Charles in October 1930. Returned in February 1945. |
Commands listed for HMS Prince Charles (4.120)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | A/Cdr. William Richmond Fell, DSC, OBE, RN | 8 Jan 1941 | 16 Apr 1942 |
| 2 | A/Cdr. (retired) Stratford Hercules Dennis, DSC, RN | 16 Apr 1942 | mid 1944 |
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Notable events involving Prince Charles include:
23 Dec 1941
HMS Tuna (Lt. M.B. St. John, RN) departed Scapa Flow for her 11th war patrol. She was part of Operation Archery, a commando raid on Vågsøy, Norway. Tuna was to act as navigational beacon for the surface ships involved in this operation.
The raid on Vågsøy was carried out by the British Light cruiser HMS Kenya (Capt. M.M. Denny, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Burrough, RN), the British destroyers HMS Onslow (Capt. H.T. Armstrong, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Oribi (Lt.Cdr. J.E.H. McBeath, DSO, RN), HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Ewing, RN), HMS Chiddingfold (Lt. L.W.L. Argles, RN) and the landing ships Prince Charles (A/Cdr. W.R. Fell, DSC, OBE, RN) and Prince Leopold (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Byles, RD, RNR). (1)
24 Dec 1941
Operation Archery.
Commando raid against the Norwegian island of Vågsøy.
Around 2100A/24, the light cruiser HMS Kenya (Capt. M.M. Denny, CB, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.M. Burrough, CB, RN), destroyers HMS Onslow (Capt. H.T. Armstrong, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Ewing, RN), HMS Oribi (Lt.Cdr. J.E.H. McBeath, DSO, RN), the escort destroyer HMS Chiddingfold (Lt. L.W.L. Argles, RN), and the landing ships HMS Prince Charles (A/Cdr. W.R. Fell, DSC, OBE, RN) and HMS Prince Leopold (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Byles, RD, RNR) departed Scapa Flow for operation Archery. First they were to proceed to Sullom Voe where they arrived around 1330A/25. and Maaloy Island. The Force arrived at Sullom Voe on the 25th.
Heavy weather had been encountered on the passage to Sullom Voe and the operation was postponed 24 hours so that some weather damage to the landing ships could be made good.
The raiding force departed Sullom Voe around 1600A/26.
The arrived off the Vaagsfiord in perfect weather around 0740A/27. At 0640A/27 they had made rendezvous with the submarine HMS Tuna (Lt. M.B. St. John, RN) which acted as beacon.
Enemy positions were bombarded and troops were landed.
The enemy was caught by surprise but resistance was however stiff as an enemy unit of mountain troops was present at Måløy for a rest.
HMS Kenya engaged the enemy shore battery at Rugsundöy. She was also hit in return.
HMS Onslow and HMS Oribi sank the German patrol vessel V 5108 / Föhn (207 GRT, built 1911, former Norwegian whaler Hadarøy) in Måløy-Sund. The merchant vessels Reimar Edzard Fritzen (2936 GRT, built 1923), Norma (2258 GRT, built 1911, former Dutch Calypso) and Anita L.M. Russ (1712 GRT, built 1926) and Eismeer (1003 GRT, built 1941, former Dutch Duiveland) were either sunk or driven on the rocks.
HMS Offa and HMS Chiddinfold sank the German patrol vessel V 5102 / Donner (223 GRT, built ?) and the merchant vessel Anhalt (4621 GRT, built 1922).
The commandoes commenced to retreat back to the landing ships around 1400A/27.
The raiding force returned to Scapa Flow around 1600A/28. (2)
Sources
- ADM 199/1844
- ADM 53/114498 + ADM 199/396 + ADM 199/399
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.