Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Battleship |
Class | King George V |
Pennant | 79 |
Built by | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. (Wallsend-on-Tyne, U.K.): Wallsend |
Ordered | 28 Apr 1937 |
Laid down | 20 Jul 1937 |
Launched | 24 Feb 1940 |
Commissioned | 22 Jun 1942 |
End service | Aug 1950 |
History | Anson served as Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Moore`s flagship during Operation Tungsten in April 1944. One of the many air attacks against Germany's only remaining battleship Tirpitz, in Altenfjord, Northern Norway. With the end of the war in Europe in sight HMS Anson joined the British Pacific Fleet until July 1946 returning home to become the Training Squadron Flagship from 1948 until 1949. Anson was paid-off into Reserve in August 1950. Sold to Shipbreaking Industries in 1957, arrived at Faslane for scrapping on 17 December 1957. |
Commands listed for HMS Anson (79)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | Capt. Harold Richard George Kinahan, RN | 10 Feb 1942 | 29 Jul 1943 |
2 | Capt. Edward Desmond Bewley McCarthy, DSO, RN | 29 Jul 1943 | mid 1944 |
3 | Cdr. Alexander Robert Kennedy, RN | mid 1944 | 9 Nov 1944 |
4 | Capt. Alexander Cumming Gordon Madden, RN | 9 Nov 1944 | 19 Jan 1946 |
5 | Capt. Frederick Secker Bell, RN | 19 Jan 1946 |
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Notable events involving Anson include:
18 Jun 1942
HMS Manchester (Capt. H. Drew, DSC, RN)) and the destroyers HMS Somali (Capt. J.W.M. Eaton, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Ashanti (Cdr. R.G. Onslow, DSO, RN) and HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Ewing, RN) departed Scapa Flow to rendez-vous with new battleships HMS Anson (Capt. H.R.G. Kinahan, CBE, RN) that is to proceed from Rosyth to Scapa Flow for working up exercises. (1)
19 Jun 1942
HMS Manchester (Capt. H. Drew, DSC, RN), HMS Somali (Capt. J.W.M. Eaton, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Ashanti (Cdr. R.G. Onslow, DSO, RN) and HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.A. Ewing, RN) returned to Scapa Flow escorting HMS Anson (Capt. H.R.G. Kinahan, CBE, RN) after taking over the escort duties from the destroyers Verdun (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Donald, DSC, RN) and HMS Vanity (Lt.Cdr. W.B.R. Morrison, RN). (1)
5 Aug 1942
HMS Upright (Lt.Cdr. A.F. Collett, DSC, RN) carried out exercises with HMS Anson (Capt. H.R.G. Kinahan, CBE, RN). (2)
6 Aug 1942
HMS Upright (Lt.Cdr. A.F. Collett, DSC, RN) carried out exercises off Scapa Flow with HMS Anson (Capt. H.R.G. Kinahan, CBE, RN) and her destroyer screen which was made up of HMS Inglefield (Cdr. A.G. West, RN), HMS Windsor (Lt.Cdr. D.H.F. Hetherington, DSC, RN), HMS Walpole (Lt. A.S. Pomeroy, RN) and HMS Panther (Lt.Cdr. R.W. Jocelyn, RN). (2)
2 Sep 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. J.P.H. Oakley, DSC, RN) conducted exercises off Scapa Flow. These exercises included a practice attack on the battleship HMS Anson (Capt. H.R.G. Kinahan, CBE, RN) and her screen of six destroyers; HMS Onslow (Capt H.T. Armstrong, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Onslaught (Cdr. W.H. Selby, RN), HMS Opportune (Cdr. M.L. Power, OBE, RN), HMS Eskimo (Cdr. E.G. Le Geyt, RN), HMS Tartar (Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, DSC, RN) and HMS Echo (Lt.Cdr. N. Lanyon, RN). (3)
10 Dec 1942
HMS P 49 (Lt. J.P. Fyfe, RN) conducted attack exercises off Scapa Flow during which HMS Anson (Capt. H.R.G. Kinahan, CBE, RN) served as target. The battleship was escorted by HMS Inglefield (Cdr. A.G. West, RN), HMS Icarus (Lt.Cdr. E.N. Walmsley, DSC, RN) and HMS Eclipse (Lt.Cdr. E. Mack, DSO, DSC, RN). (4)
7 Mar 1944
HMS Trusty (Lt. M.F.R. Ainslie, DSO, DSC, RN) conducts attack exercises with HMS Anson (Capt. E.D.B. McCarthy, DSO and Bar, RN). (5)
Media links
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Sources
- ADM 53/116227 + ADM 199/427
- ADM 173/17714
- ADM 173/17241
- ADM 173/17422
- ADM 173/19123
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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