View source for HMS Nigeria (60)

{{short description|Fiji-class cruiser}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Nigeria.jpg
|Ship caption=''Nigeria'' 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name= ''Nigeria''
|Ship namesake=[[Colonial Nigeria|Nigeria]]
|Ship ordered= 20 December 1937
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Vickers Armstrongs]], [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne]]
|Ship laid down= 8 February 1938
|Ship launched= 18 July 1939
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned= 23 September 1940
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=Sold to [[Indian Navy]] as {{ship|INS|Mysore|1957|2}}, 29 August 1957
|Ship badge= On a Field barry wavy of six White and Blue within two triangles Green, the Imperial Crown Proper
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours= Atlantic 1941, Norway 1941, Arctic 1942, Malta Convoys 1942, Sabang 1944, Burma 1944–45
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=India
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|India|naval}}
|Ship name= ''Mysore''<ref>{{cite book |last= Singh|first= Satyindra|date=1992 |title= Blueprint to Bluewater, the Indian Navy, 1951–65|publisher=Lancer Publishers & Distributors |page=72 |isbn=978-81-7062-148-5}}</ref>
|Ship acquired= 29 August 1957
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned= 20 August 1985
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]: C60
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship fate= [[ship breaking|Scrapped]], 1986
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship class={{Sclass|Fiji|cruiser|0}} [[light cruiser]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|8530|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
|Ship length={{convert|555|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|62|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} 
|Ship draught={{convert|19|ft|10|in|m|0|abbr=on}} 
|Ship power=*4 [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
*{{cvt|80000|shp|lk=on}}
|Ship propulsion=4 shafts; 4 geared [[steam turbine]] sets
|Ship speed={{convert|32.25|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|6250|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|13|kn}}
|Ship complement=733 (peacetime), 900 (wartime)
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*4 × triple [[BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval gun|6&nbsp;in (152&nbsp;mm) guns]]
*4 × twin [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|4&nbsp;in (102&nbsp;mm)]] [[Dual-purpose gun|DP gun]]s
*2 × quadruple [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|2-pdr ({{cvt|40|mm|1}})]] [[AA gun]]s
*2 × quadruple [[Vickers .50 machine gun|Vickers {{cvt|0.5|in|1}}]] [[anti-aircraft machinegun|AA machine guns]]
*2 × triple [[British 21 inch torpedo|21&nbsp;in (533&nbsp;mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=*[[Engine room|Engine and boiler rooms]]: {{convert|3.25|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]s: {{convert|2|-|3.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Magazine (artillery)|Magazine]]s: {{convert|2|-|3.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Gun turret]]s: {{convert|1|-|2|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship aircraft=2 × [[seaplanes]]
|Ship aircraft facilities=1 × [[aircraft catapult|catapult]], 2 × [[hangar]]s
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Nigeria''''' ([[pennant number]] 60) was a {{sclass|Fiji|cruiser|0}} [[light cruiser]] of the [[Royal Navy]] completed early in [[World War II]] and served during that conflict. She was named after the British colony of [[Colonial Nigeria|Nigeria]].

==Career==
===Home waters===
[[File:NMM by Richard Symonds 26.JPG|thumb|left|Ship's badge in the National Maritime Museum]]

''Nigeria'' served in Home waters and off the Scandinavian coast for the early part of the war. On 28 June 1941 ''Nigeria'', in company with the [[destroyer]]s {{HMS|Bedouin|F67|2}}, {{HMS|Tartar|F43|2}} and {{HMS|Jupiter|F85|2}} intercepted the {{ship|German weather ship|Lauenburg||6}} in thick fog north-east of [[Jan Mayen Island]]. The German ship was detected through the use of [[Huff-Duff|HF/DF]]. The crew of ''Lauenburg'' abandoned ship after they were fired upon, allowing the British to board her. Valuable codebooks and parts of the [[Enigma machine]] were found aboard and recovered. This was one of the earliest captures of Enigma material of the war, and came a few weeks after the destroyer {{HMS|Bulldog|H91|2}} had captured the first complete Enigma machine from the [[Germany|German]] [[submarine]] {{GS|U-110|1940|2}} on 9 May 1941.

In July 1941, ''Nigeria'' became the [[flagship]] of Force K, commanded by [[Rear Admiral]] [[Philip Vian]]. During this period, Force K made two expeditions to [[Spitsbergen]] (Norwegian territory), the first to ascertain the situation and the second, in September, to escort a [[troopship]], {{RMS|Empress of Australia|1919|2}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Nigeria.htm|title=HMS ''Nigeria'' at Naval History.net|access-date=2009-06-23}}</ref> with Canadian troops and a team of demolition experts (see [[Operation Gauntlet]]). Their task was to evacuate Norwegian and Soviet personnel from the archipelago and destroy coalmines and fuel stocks that might be of use to the enemy. [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]] was also visited to destroy a German weather station. The two cruisers of the task force, ''Nigeria'' and {{HMS|Aurora|12|2}} diverted to intercept a German convoy. During this action, ''Nigeria'' sank the German training ship {{ship|German training ship|Bremse||2}}, but suffered serious damage to her [[Bow (ship)|bow]], possibly having detonated a [[naval mine|mine]].<ref>{{cite web| last = Mason| first = Geoffrey B | title = HMS NIGERIA – Colony-type Light Cruiser |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Nigeria.htm| work = SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2| access-date = 12 May 2009|year=2004}}</ref> On return to Britain, she was sent to [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] for repairs.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Vian
 | first = Philip
 | title = Action This Day
 | publisher = [[Frederick Muller]]
 | year = 1960
 | location = London
 | pages = 68–73
 }}</ref>
[[File:HMS Nigeria torpedoed.jpg|left|thumb|250px|A distant view of ''Nigeria'' stopped and on fire after being torpedoed]]

===The Mediterranean and Far East===
''Nigeria'' was then assigned to operate in the [[Mediterranean]]. On 12 August 1942 she was participating in [[Operation Pedestal]], escorting a convoy bound for [[Malta]]. She was the flagship of the close escort group, commanded by Admiral [[Harold Burrough]]. ''Nigeria'' was torpedoed and damaged by the {{ship|Italian submarine|Axum||6}} but managed to make it back to [[Gibraltar]] escorted by three destroyers. 52 crew were killed in the attack.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hmsnigeria.com/fatalities/fatalities.htm|title=Fatalities on HMS NIGERIA - September of1940 to March of 1947}}</ref> Admiral Burrough meanwhile transferred his flag to the destroyer {{HMS|Ashanti|F51|2}} whilst ''Nigeria'' returned to Gibraltar.

She was sent from there to the United States for repairs, which took nine months to complete. After these were complete, she operated off the [[South Africa]]n coast, and on 12 March 1943 she picked up 30 survivors from the American merchant {{SS|James B. Stephens||2}} that was torpedoed and sunk on 8 March 1943 by the {{ship|German submarine|U-160|1941|6}} about {{convert|150|nmi|km}} north-east of [[Durban]]. ''Nigeria'' was then assigned to operate with the [[Eastern Fleet]] from February 1944 until December 1945, when she returned to the UK to be refitted. During her time in the far east, she participated in raids on [[Sumatra]].

==Post war==
{{main|INS Mysore (C60)}}
''Nigeria'' survived the war and continued in service with the Royal Navy, as the only Colony-class cruiser, maintaining four triple 6-inch turrets, 'X' turret finally being removed in 1954. In 1954 she was sold to India and went under reconstruction, largely on the pattern of the rebuild of HMS ''Newfoundland'', possibly incorporating some of the electronics and radar intended by the RAN to be used on the refit of HMAS ''Hobart'', which was abandoned. On 29 August 1957 she was recommissioned into the [[Indian Navy]], who renamed her ''Mysore''. During her time with the Indian Navy, she collided with the [[destroyer]] {{HMS|Hogue|D74|6}}, severely damaging ''Hogue''{{'}}s bow. ''Mysore'' was in service for a further 28 years until she was decommissioned on 20 August 1985.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book|first=D. K. |last=Brown |first2=George |last2=Moore |title=Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945|location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=Naval Institute Press |date=2003 |ISBN=1-59114-705-0|name-list-style=amp |author1-link=David K. Brown}}
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Great Britain |last1=Campbell |first1=N.J.M.|pages=2–85}}
*{{cite book|last1=Colledge|first1=J. J.|authorlink1=J. J. Colledge|last2=Wardlow|first2=Ben|last3=Bush |first3=Steve |title=Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present|year=2020|publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-5267-9327-0|name-list-style=amp|edition=5th}}
* {{cite book|last=Crabb|first=Brian James|title=Operation Pedestal. The Story of Convoy WS21S in August 1942|publisher=Shaun Tyas|location=Donington, Lincolnshire, UK|year=2014|isbn=978-1-907730-19-1}}
*{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After|year=2010|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-59114-078-8 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}
*{{cite book|first=David |last=Murfin |chapter=AA to AA: The Fijis Turn Full Circle |editor1-first=John|editor1-last= Jordan |title=Warship 2010 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |date=2010 |isbn=978-1-84486-110-1}}
* {{cite book|last1=Raven|first1=Alan|last2=Roberts|first2=John|title=British Cruisers of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1980|isbn=0-87021-922-7|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2 |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia|publisher=Cassell |location=London|year=1995|isbn=1-86019-874-0|author-link=Michael J. Whitley}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Nigeria (60)}}
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Nigeria.htm HMS ''Nigeria'' at naval-history.net]
* [http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4029.html HMS ''Nigeria'' at Uboat.net]
* [http://www.hmsnigeria.com HMS ''Nigeria'' at hmsnigeria.com]

{{Crown Colony class cruiser}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nigeria (29)}}
[[Category:Crown Colony-class cruisers of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Tyne]]
[[Category:1939 ships]]
[[Category:World War II cruisers of the United Kingdom]]