View source for HMS Aurora (12)

{{short description|1936 Arethusa-class cruiser}}
{{other ships|HMS Aurora}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = File:Photograph of the HMS Aurora - DPLA - 3f99bee6ea3de0f696b79ef86e62631d.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Aurora'', July 1942
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = United Kingdom
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
| Ship name = HMS ''Aurora''
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship awarded = 
| Ship builder = [[Portsmouth Dockyard]]
| Ship laid down = 27 July 1935
| Ship launched = 20 August 1936
| Ship christened = 
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship commissioned = 12 November 1937
| Ship recommissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned = April 1946
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship renamed = 
| Ship reclassified = 
| Ship refit = 
| Ship captured = 
| Ship struck = 
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship identification = [[Pennant number]]: 12
| Ship fate = Sold on 19 May 1948 to the [[Republic of China Navy|Nationalist Chinese Navy]]
| Ship homeport = 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = title
| Ship country = [[Republic of China (1912–49)|Republic of China]]
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Republic of China|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Chung King''
| Ship namesake = [[Chongqing]]
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship awarded = 
| Ship builder = 
| Ship laid down = 
| Ship launched = 
| Ship christened = 
| Ship acquired = 19 May 1948
| Ship commissioned = 
| Ship recommissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship renamed = 
| Ship reclassified = 
| Ship refit = 
| Ship captured = 
| Ship struck = 
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship fate = Defected to [[People's Liberation Army Navy|Communist China]], 25 February 1949
| Ship homeport = 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = title
| Ship country = People's Republic of China
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|China|naval}}
| Ship class = 
| Ship name = ''Tchoung King''
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship awarded = 
| Ship builder = 
| Ship laid down = 
| Ship launched = 
| Ship christened = 
| Ship acquired = February 1949
| Ship commissioned = 
| Ship recommissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship renamed = *''Huang He'' (1959)
*''Pei Ching'' (1965)
*''Kuang Chou''
| Ship reclassified = 
| Ship refit = 
| Ship captured = 
| Ship struck = 
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship fate = Sunk by ROC aircraft, March 1949. Later refloated and converted for other purposes. Scrapped during [[Cultural Revolution]]
| Ship homeport = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = {{sclass|Arethusa|cruiser (1934)|0}} [[light cruiser]]
| Ship displacement = *5,220 tons standard load
*6,665 tons full load
| Ship length = {{convert|506|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|51|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|14|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = 
| Ship propulsion = *Four Parsons geared steam turbines
*Four Admiralty 3-drum oil-fired boilers
*Four shafts
*64,000 shp
| Ship speed = {{convert|32|kn|km/h|0}}
| Ship range = Unknown; 1,325 tons fuel oil
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship test depth = 
| Ship boats = 
| Ship capacity = 
| Ship complement = 500
| Ship time to activate = 
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *'''Original configuration:'''
*6 × [[BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval gun|BL {{convert|6|in|adj=on|sigfig=3}} guns]]
*4 × [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF {{convert|4|inch|adj=on|sigfig=3}} single Mk V AA guns]]
*2 × [[0.5 inch Vickers machine gun|{{convert|0.5|inch|adj=on|sigfig=3}} quadruple machine guns]]
*2 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{convert|21|inch|mm|adj=on|sigfig=3}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s (triple mount)
*'''April 1941 configuration:'''
*3 × 6-inch (152 mm) dual guns
*2 × 2-pounder (40 mm) [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|pom-pom]] quad AA guns
*3 × 20 mm [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon]] single AA guns
*2 × 0.5-inch quadruple machine guns
*2 × 21-inch (533 mm) triple torpedo tubes.
*'''December 1943 configuration:'''
*3 × 6-inch (152 mm) dual guns
*2 × 40 mm [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors]] quad AA guns
*4 × 20 mm Oerlikon dual power-operated AA guns
*3 × 20 mm Oerlikon single AA guns
*2 × 0.5-inch quadruple machine guns
*2 × 21-inch (533 mm) triple torpedo tubes<ref name="L&C">Lenton & Colledge 1968 p.41</ref><ref name="Campbell">Campbell 1985 p.34</ref>
| Ship armour = *Original configuration:
*1 to 3 inches – [[Magazine (artillery)|magazine]] protection
*2.25 inches – [[Belt armor|belt]]
*1 inches – [[Deck (ship)|deck]], [[gun turret|turret]]s and [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]]s
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = One aircraft (later removed)
| Ship motto = 
| Ship nickname = 
| Ship honours = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Aurora''''' was an {{sclass|Arethusa|cruiser (1934)|0}} [[light cruiser]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard, with the keel being laid down on 27 July 1935. She was launched on 20 August 1936, and commissioned 12 November 1937.

In 1948 it was gifted to the [[Nationalist government]] in [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|China]] and served as the flagship of the [[Republic of China Navy]], being renamed '''''Chongqing'''''. In February 1949 its crew mutinied and defected to the Communists.

==History==
''Aurora'' served with the [[Home Fleet]] from completion as Rear Admiral (D). In September 1939 she was with the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, escorting convoys to [[Scandinavia]] and engaged in the hunt for the German [[battleship]]s {{ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}} and {{ship|German battleship|Gneisenau||2}}. From October 1940 she was commanded by Captain [[William Gladstone Agnew]]. After the [[Norwegian Campaign]] she participated in the operations hunting the German battleship {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2}} and, with the cruiser {{HMS|Kenya|14|2}}, intercepted one of the German supply ships, ''Belchen'', on 3 June 1941.

[[File:HMS Aurora (12) underway in the North Atlantic, in November 1940 (80-G-70075).jpg|thumb|left|''Aurora'' in the North Atlantic, 1940]]
Between July and August 1941, as part of [[Force K]] with the [[Home Fleet]], she was involved in operations to [[Spitzbergen]] and [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]] ([[Operation Gauntlet]]). After one of these sorties, in company with the cruiser {{HMS|Nigeria|60|2}}, she intercepted a German troop convoy off [[Northern Norway]], and the German {{ship|German training ship|Bremse||2}} was sunk. In the autumn she was transferred to the [[Mediterranean Theatre of World War II|Mediterranean]] and arrived in [[Malta]] on 21 October 1941 to join a new Force K.<ref>''Our Name Wasn't Written – a Malta Memoir'', [[Caroline Vernon]], Canberra, 1992, p37 {{ISBN|0-646-07198-X}}</ref>

On 9 November 1941 leading Force K, consisting of {{HMS|Penelope|97|6}}, {{HMS|Lance|G87|6}} and {{HMS|Lively|G40|6}}, she was involved in [[Battle of the Duisburg Convoy|the destruction of the Beta Convoy]]. In the resulting battle the {{ship|Italian destroyer|Fulmine|1931|6}} was sunk, as well as the German transports ''Duisburg'' and ''San Marco'', the Italian transports ''Maria'', ''Sagitta'' and ''Rina Corrado'', and the Italian ''Conte di Misurata'' and ''Minatitlan''. The Italian destroyers {{ship|Italian destroyer|Grecale||2}} and {{ship|Italian destroyer|Euro|1927|2}} were damaged.<ref>"Struggle for the Middle Sea", [[Naval Institute Press]], Annapolis, 2009, p 143-147 {{ISBN|978-1-59114-648-3}}.</ref>

On 24 November Force K, made up of the British light cruisers ''Aurora'' and ''Penelope'' and the destroyers ''Lance'' and ''Lively'', intercepted an Axis convoy about 100 nautical miles west of [[Crete]]. The Axis convoy was bound from the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] to [[Benghazi]]. The two German transports in the convoy, ''Maritza'' and ''Procida'' were both sunk by HMS ''Penelope'' and HMS ''Lively'' despite the presence of the Italian torpedo boats [[Italian torpedo boat Lupo|''Lupo'']] and {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Cassiopea|1936|2}}.
On 1 December 1941 Force K with HMS ''Penelope'' and HMS ''Lively'' attacked the Mantovani Convoy. The Italian destroyer [[Italian destroyer Alvise Da Mosto|''Alvise Da Mosto'']] and the sole cargo ship ''Mantovani'' were sunk.<ref>"Struggle for the Middle Sea", [[Naval Institute Press]], Annapolis, 2009, p 150-152 {{ISBN|978-1-59114-648-3}}.</ref>

HMS ''Aurora'' also participated in the [[First Battle of Sirte]] on 17 December 1941. On 19 December while steaming off [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] she was heavily damaged in a mine field and was forced to retire to Malta.<ref>"Struggle for the Middle Sea", [[Naval Institute Press]], Annapolis, 2009, p 155-159 {{ISBN|978-1-59114-648-3}}.</ref>

After her return to the Mediterranean she joined [[Force H]], and in November was part of the Centre Task Force for the Landings in North Africa, [[Operation Torch]]. Off [[Oran]], she engaged the [[Vichy France|Vichy French]] destroyers {{ship|French destroyer|Tramontane|4=2}} and {{ship|French destroyer|Tornade|4=2}} on 8 November 1942, sinking the latter and damaging the former so badly that she had to be beached. The following day she badly damaged the [[destroyer]] [[Aigle-class destroyer|''Épervier'']] and drove her ashore. By December she was operating as part of [[List of task forces of the Royal Navy|Force Q]] at [[Bône]] against the [[Axis powers|Axis]] evacuation and supply convoys between [[Trapani]] and [[Tunis]].

Then, as a unit of the 15th Cruiser Squadron, she participated in the [[Allied invasion of Sicily|invasion of Sicily]] and the [[Salerno landings]] (Operation Avalanche) before moving into the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] in October 1943. While escorting British destroyers reinforcing troops on the island of [[Leros]] on 30 October, she was attacked by German Junkers Ju 87 and Ju 88 aircraft off [[Castellorizo]], sustaining a 500&nbsp;kg bomb hit abaft the after funnel.  The explosion and subsequent fire killed 47 crew. ''Aurora'' was forced to withdraw to [[Taranto]] for repairs which lasted until April 1944.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Aurora.htm |title = HMS Aurora, British light cruiser, WW2}}</ref> In August 1944 she was at the [[Operation Dragoon|landings in the south of France]], then returned to the Aegean, where she assisted in the liberation of [[Athens]]. One notable member of crew was the actor [[Kenneth More]], who used his theatre skills in his role as 'action broadcaster' to describe to the crew below decks via the public address system what was happening when the ship was in action.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oQPBb7d6L4|title = Kenneth More, 67 CBE (1914-1982) actor|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>

===Chinese service===

After the war ''Aurora'' was sold on 19 May 1948 to the [[Republic of China Navy|Chinese Navy]] as compensation for six Chinese [[Customs|custom]] [[patrol ship]]s and one [[cargo ship]] that the British seized in [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] and lost during the war. She was renamed ''Chung King'', after the Chinese war time capital of Chung King ([[Chongqing]]), and became the flagship of the Republic of China Navy under the command of Captain [[Deng Zhaoxiang]]. [[Chiang Kai-shek]] spent time on the ship observing the worsening military situation at some points.

=== Mutiny and Communist service ===
See Also: [[:zh:重庆号事件|Chongqing Incident (in Chinese)]]

The crew was not content after not having been paid since December 1948, when the ship itself was assigned to guard $500,000 in silver dollars, and planned a mutiny for weeks. On 24 February 1949 the mutineers found out that their plan had been discovered, opened up the small arms locker, and took over the ship. They forced the captain to the bridge, and threatened to blow up the ship if he didn't get the ship underway. At 0300 on 25 February, Captain Deng relented, and set sail with darkened lights. After announcing to the full crew that they intended to defect to the [[Communist Party of China|Communists]] with the ship, an anti-revolution group formed and threatened to retake the ship. The ship arrived at [[Yantai]] and the silver was distributed amongst the crew, staving off the counter rebellion. Once in Yantai, however, local Communist authorities were needed to put down the counter rebellion.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swanson |first=Bruce |title=Eighth Voyage of the Dragon: a History of China's Quest for Seapower |date=1982 |publisher=Naval Inst. Press |isbn=978-0-87021-177-5 |location=Annapolis, MD |pages=179-182}}</ref> The ship moved to Huludao Harbor after being spotted by Nationalist reconnaissance aircraft, and on 21 March 1949 she was sunk in Huludao harbour by Nationalist aircraft. She was later salvaged with Soviet assistance but then stripped bare as "repayment". The original engines were sent to the Shanghai Department of Electricity, and were replaced with engines from the scuttled coastal defence ship {{ship|Chinese cruiser|Hai Yung||2}}.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |editor1-last=Chinese Naval History Research Association |title=Chongqing's Uprising |journal=Modern Ships |date=2013 |issue=11b |pages=62 }}</ref> The PLAN considered refitting the ship along the lines of the [[Anshan-class destroyer|Anshan-class destroyers]] they had received, with an armament of 4 [[B-2LM]] turrets and 8 twin 57mm, but these plans were still too expensive, so the empty hulk spent the rest of her life as an accommodation and warehouse ship, being subsequently renamed ''Huang He'' ([[Yellow River]]) in 1959, when it was transferred to Shanghai on 27 October of that year to be converted to a salvage ship at a planned budget of 3 million [[Renminbi|¥]]. After spending 276,000 ¥, the conversion project was cancelled, and the ship was once again transferred, this time to [[Tianjin]] in June 1965, used as a barracks ship and renamed ''Pei Ching''. She was scrapped at some point during the [[Cultural Revolution]].<ref name=":0" /> Her name tablet and ship's bell were preserved in the [[Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eng.jb.mil.cn/Collections/Cultural_1/Liberation/202005/t20200521_45733.html |title=Plates of Cruiser Chongqing |publisher=Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution |access-date=4 August 2022}}</ref>

==Commanding officers==
*[[Louis Hamilton (Royal Navy officer)|L. H. K. Hamilton]]
*[[William Gladstone Agnew]]
*[[Robert Sherbrooke]]
*[[Deng Zhaoxiang]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite journal |last1=Caruana |first1=Joseph |title=The Demise of Force "K" |journal=Warship International |date=2006 |volume=XLIII |issue=1 |pages=99–111 |issn=0043-0374}}
*{{cite journal |editor1-last=Chinese Naval History Research Association |title=Chongqing's Uprising |journal=Modern Ships |date=2013 |issue=11b |pages=62 }}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
*{{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|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}}
* Swanson, Bruce (1982). ''Eighth Voyage of the Dragon: a History of China's Quest for Seapower''. Annapolis, MD: Naval Inst. Press. pp. 179–182. [[ISBN (identifier)|ISBN]] [[Special:BookSources/978-0-87021-177-5|<bdi>978-0-87021-177-5</bdi>]].
* {{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 Aurora (12)}}
*[http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4008.html HMS Aurora at Uboat.net]

{{Arethusa class cruiser (1934)}}
{{Cross-Strait relations}}
{{Chinese Civil War}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aurora (12)}}
[[Category:Arethusa-class cruisers (1934)]]
[[Category:1936 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Portsmouth]]
[[Category:World War II cruisers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Cruisers of the Republic of China Navy]]
[[Category:Cruisers of the People's Liberation Army Navy]]
[[Category:Cruisers sunk by aircraft]]
[[Category:Cross-strait relations]]
[[Category:Naval mutinies]]
[[Category:Ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy]]
[[Category:Chinese defectors]]