Dates: 1936 - 1958
The seventh HMS Glasgow (21) was built on the Clyde, and was a Southampton-class light cruiser, a sub-class of the Town-class, commissioned in September 1937. She displaced 11,930 tons with a top speed of 32 knots (59 km/h). She was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet, and escorted the King and Queen to Canada in 1939. She also took a large quantity of gold to Fort Knox as an emergency reserve.
Captain F. H. Pegram was commanding officer of Glasgow from July, 1939 to April, 1940. On the outbreak of war, she operated off the Scandinavian coast, and in November was off the coast of Norway with two destroyers in the hope of intercepting the German passenger ship SS Bremen which had sailed from Murmansk. This was unsuccessful, but on 12 February 1940, she captured the German trawler Herrlichkeit off Tromso. On April 9, she was attacked by Ju 88s and He 111s and was damaged by near misses off Bergen. On April 11, 1940, during the Allied campaign in Norway in World War II Glasgow, along with HMS Sheffield and six Tribal class destroyers landed troops near Harstad, and three days later on April 14, again in company with Sheffield and ten destroyers, landed an advance force of Royal Marines at Namsos to seize and secure the wharves and approaches to the town, preparatory to the landing of a larger Allied force. On the 23rd Glasgow, Sheffield, HMS Galatea and six destroyers landed the first part of the 15th Infantry Brigade in Andalsnes.
Later in the campaign, on 29 April, she transferred King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav of Norway and part of the Norwegian gold reserves when they fled from Molde to Tromso, escaping the advancing German forces in their country.
The Mediterranean
Whilst operating in home waters after the withdrawal from Norway, Glasgow accidentally rammed and sank the destroyer HMS Imogen in thick fog off Duncansby Head on July 16.
Glasgow was then employed as a convoy escort in the Mediterranean Sea and as a reinforcement of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron based at Alexandria. She took part in the Fleet Air Arm raid that crippled the Italian Fleet at Taranto, and on the 14 November Glasgow, along with HMS Berwick, HMAS Sydney and HMS York, landed 3,400 troops from Alexandria in Piraeus. On the 26th, Glasgow, HMS Gloucester and HMS York escorted a supply convoy from Alexandria to Malta. On 3 December Glasgow was attacked by Italian aircraft while anchored at Suda Bay, Crete. She was hit by two torpedoes and badly damaged. She was able to return to Alexandria, where temporary repairs were carried out. During this period she was temporarily replaced by HMS Southampton.
The Far East
In January 1941 Glasgow was assigned to the Eastern Fleet and sailed for Singapore. Upon arrival she underwent more repairs. In February the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer sank the freighters Canadian Cruiser and Rantaupandjang in the Indian Ocean. Both managed to transmit distress signals, that were picked up by Glasgow, which deployed in search of the German ship. On 22 January, the Admiral Scheer was sighted by the spotter aircraft from Glasgow, and the East Indies Task Force was deployed to the reported area. The Admiral Scheer had escaped however by turning away to the south east, and further searches were in vain. In March Glasgow in company with HMS Caledon, two auxiliary cruisers, two destroyers and two anti submarine trawlers of the Indian navy, escorted two troop transport vessels containing two Indian Battalions and one Somali commando detachment, who were landed both sides of Berber, in Somaliland, which had previously been occupied by the Italians. The town was taken against only slight Italian resistance, which was soon broken by naval gunfire from Glasgow and the other escorts. At midnight on 9 December, 1941, Glasgow sank the RIN patrol vessel HMIS Prabhavati with two lighters in tow en route for Karachi, with 6 inch shells at 6000 yards. The Prabhavati was alongside the lighters and wa
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Glasgow
"I am trying to find an old shipmate from HMS Glasgow. Scotty was a CPOWEA and we served together around 1992. If anyone knows where he is now or how to contact him, I would be very grateful"
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" I am a High School teacher in Ipswich, but I am currently researching for a book concerning the Norwegian gold bullion saved by RN ships when Norway was invaded. I would be very interested to hear from veterans or relatives of those involved with the following HM ships during April and May 1940: ..."
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" Alright Peter, You asked for some gen on the Berwick (1940) I hope this helps Noteable events involving Berwick include: 2 Mar, 1940 HMS Berwick (Capt I.M. Palmer, DSC, RN)intercepts the German merchant Wolfsburg (6201 GRT) north of Iceland in position 67º50’N, 22º45’W. However ..."
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"Any one who served on HMS GLASGOW C21 or D88 and is not a member of the GLASGOW association and would like to join please contact GARY on 07864 712 776 for more details "
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" The former Swan Hunter shipyard on Tyneside has been sold. North Tyneside Council and regional development agency One North East have purchased the 60-acre site in Wallsend from owner Jaap Kroese. They plan to make the site a key part of redevelopment proposals for a 600-acre stretch of ..."
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