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July 25 1919, HMS Hawkins was commissioned and named flagship of the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron at the China Station. Her thorough 1928 refitting at Chatham included boiler replacements and modifications, and she soon joined the Atlantic Fleet, entering the reserves the following year. Again re-commissioned, reserved and then demilitarized in the early to mid-thirties, Hawkins was appointed a Cadets Training ship for the remainder of 1938.
The outbreak of war in 1939 brought Hawkins under command of Rear Admiral Harwood, patrolling from the South American coast as far as the Falklands following the Graf Spree Incident.
After a 1941 refit her gunfire supported the Indies Fleet Force T offensive on Somaliland, days later capturing Italian ships en route to Mogadishu. Hawkins was involved in a serious accident while operating in the Cape waters which sent her home for repairs that same year.
Briefly back in service, Hawkins spent the following year in the Eastern Fleet providing convoy escorts before returning to the docks again in August 1943 for repairs. The sunset of her career included troop convoy escorts in South African waters, and supporting D-Day's Operation Neptune, for Utah Beach.
Reverted to a training ship in August and reserved a final time in 1945, Hawkins performed her final service in ship target trials January 1947, and was sold for scrap in August, 1947.
Displacement: 9750 tons standard
Length: 565 feet
Beam: 58 feet
Draft: 17¼ feet
Propulsion: 10 Yarrow-type oil-fired water-tube boilers, 4 shafts, 70,000 HP
Speed: 31 kts
Complement: 712
Seven 7.5 inch guns in single mounts
Three 4 inch guns in single mounts
Six 21 inch torpedo tubes
Main belt - 3 inches amidships
Upper belt - 2 inches amidships
Decks - 1-1½ inches
Gunshields - 2 inches
Read more about HMS Hawkins here,
here, and
here.
Sources: Public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
and pictures from my father's 1943 Naval Recognition Manual
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