Early Career
Newfoundland was built by Swan Hunter and launched 19 December 1941 by the wife of the then British Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevin. The ship was completed and commissioned in December 1942.
After commissioning Newfoundland joined the 10th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet. Early in 1943 the ship became flagship of the 15th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean. On 23 July 1943, during the Sicily Campaign, she was torpedoed, either by the Italian submarine Ascianghi or U-407. Temporary repairs were carried out at Malta. Later, steering by her propellers only, she steamed to the Boston Navy Yard for major repairs.
In 1944 the ship was re-commissioned for service in the Far East. While at Alexandria an exploding air vessel occurred in one of the torpedoes in the port tubes which caused severe damage and one casualty. The repairs delayed her arrival in the Far East for service with the British Pacific Fleet (BPF). Newfoundland went to New Guinea to support the Australian 6th Division in the Aitape-Wewak campaign. On 14 June 1945, as part of a BPF task group, Newfoundland attacked the major Japanese naval base at Truk, in the Caroline Islands.
On 6 July Newfoundland left the forward base of Manus in the Admiralty Islands with other ships of the BPF to take part in the Allied campaign against the Japanese home islands. On 9 August she took part in a bombardment of the Japanese city of Kamaishi. Newfoundland was part of a British Empire force which took control of the naval base at Yokosuka.
The ship was present in Tokyo Bay when the Instrument of Surrender was signed aboard the USS Missouri, on 2 September 1945. Newfoundland was then assigned the task of repatriating British Empire prisoners of war.
She returned to Great Britain in December 1946.
Read more about this topic: HMS Newfoundland (59)
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