uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving Caesar include:

26 Oct 1944
HMS Virulent (Lt. S.J. Fovargue, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN), HMS Zealous (Cdr. R.F. Jessel, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Bute (T/A/Lt.Cdr. T. Costley, RNVR) and HMS Macbeth (A/Skr.Lt. R.C. Green, DSC, RNR). (1)

2 Nov 1944
HMS Virulent (Lt. S.J. Fovargue, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow with HMCS Iroquois (Cdr. J.C. Hibbard DSC, RCN), HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN), HMS Lord Lloyd (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A. Flaaten, RNR) and HNoMS Risor. (2)

3 Nov 1944
HMS Virulent (Lt. S.J. Fovargue, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow with HMS Mendip (Lt. P.D. Davey, RN) and HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN). (2)

7 Nov 1944
HMS Virulent (Lt. S.J. Fovargue, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN). (2)

8 Nov 1944

Operations Counterblast and Steak, first attempt, aborted.

Operation Counterblast.

The object of this operation was the destruction of shipping off the south west coast of Norway.

On 8 November 1944, the heavy cruiser HMS Kent (Capt. G.A.B. Hawkins, DSC, MVO, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral R.R. McGrigor, CB, DSO, RN), light cruiser HMS Bellona (Capt. C.F.W. Norris, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Myngs (Capt. M.L. Power, CBE, RN), HMS Zambesi (Lt.Cdr. W. Scott, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Verulam ( Lt.Cdr. M Thornton, DSO, DSC, RN) and HMCS Algonquin (Lt.Cdr. D.W. Piers, DSC, RCN) departed Scapa Flow around 1800A/8.

Operation Steak.

This operation had two objectives;
1) To provide fighter cover for operation Counterblast.

2) To carry out an air attacks by fighter aircraft on shipping in the Vingvaagen anchorage or sweep off the Leads to the westward.

On 9 November 1944, the escort carrier HMS Pursuer (A/Capt. H.R. Graham, DSO, DSC, RN), light cruiser HMS Euryalus (Capt. R. Oliver-Bellesis, RN) and the destroyers HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN), HMS Zephyr (Lt.Cdr. J.F.D. Bush, DSC and 2 Bars, RN), HMS Venus (Cdr. H.G.D. De Chair, DSC with Bar, RN) and HMS Nubian (Lt.Cdr. T.A. Pack-Beresford, RN) departed Scapa Flow around 0900A/9.

Weather conditions were found to be unsuitable and the operations were cancelled / postponed and both forces returned to Scapa Flow arriving late in the afternoon of the 9th. (3)

11 Nov 1944

Operations Counterblast and Steak, second, successful, attempt.

Operation Counterblast.

The object of this operation was the destruction of shipping off the south west coast of Norway.

Around 2100A/11, the heavy cruiser HMS Kent (Capt. G.A.B. Hawkins, DSC, MVO, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral R.R. McGrigor, CB, DSO, RN), light cruiser HMS Bellona (Capt. C.F.W. Norris, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Myngs (Capt. M.L. Power, CBE, RN), HMS Zambesi (Lt.Cdr. W. Scott, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Verulam ( Lt.Cdr. M Thornton, DSO, DSC, RN) and HMCS Algonquin (Lt.Cdr. D.W. Piers, DSC, RCN) departed Scapa Flow.

Operation Steak.

This operation had two objectives;
1) To provide fighter cover for operation Counterblast.

2) To carry out an air attacks by fighter aircraft on shipping in the Vingvaagen anchorage or sweep off the Leads to the westward.

Around 0800A/12, the escort carrier HMS Pursuer (A/Capt. H.R. Graham, DSO, DSC, RN), light cruiser HMS Euryalus (Capt. R. Oliver-Bellesis, RN) and the destroyers HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN), HMS Zephyr (Lt.Cdr. J.F.D. Bush, DSC and 2 Bars, RN), HMS Venus (Cdr. H.G.D. De Chair, DSC with Bar, RN) and HMS Nubian (Lt.Cdr. T.A. Pack-Beresford, RN) departed Scapa Flow.

During operations Counterblast / Steak the German convoy KS-357-ST was attacked near the Lister Fjord (south-east of Egersund). Out of four merchant vessels in the convoy the Greif (996 GRT, built 1923) and Cornouaille (former Belgian, 3303 GRT, built 1928) were sunk. From the six escorts five were sunk. These were minesweepers M 416, M 427, and the submarine chasers UJ 1221, UJ 1223 and UJ 1713. Also a German radar station was destroyed by the aircraft of HMS Pursuer.

All ships returned to Scapa Flow in the morning of November 16th except for HMS Euryalus which had parted company with her force at 1600A/15 and then set course for Rosyth where she also arrived in the morning of the 16th. At Rosyth she was then taken in hand by the dockyard. (3)

23 Nov 1944
HMS Vengeful (Lt. A.S. Melville-Ross, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at/off Scapa Flow with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN), HMS Onslaught (Cdr. The Hon. A. Pleydell-Bouverie, RN), HMS Bardsey (T/Lt. H. Fritzen, RNR) and HNoMS Horten. (4)

27 Feb 1945
HMS Seraph (Lt. T. Russell-Walling, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Loch Alsh with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN) and HMS Carron (Lt.Cdr. J.V. Wilkinson, DSC, RN). (5)

28 Feb 1945
HMS Vengeful (Lt. A.S. Melville-Ross, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Loch Alsh with ships from the 24th and 18th Escort Groups and HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN) and HMS Carron (Lt.Cdr. J.V. Wilkinson, DSC, RN). (6)

6 Jun 1945
HMS Unrivalled (Lt. R.P. Fitzgerald, DSC, RN) conducted exercises off Plymouth with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN). (7)

13 Jun 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN). (8)

14 Jun 1945
HMS Sea Devil (Lt. D.W. Mills, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at Scapa Flow with HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN). Also a practice attack was carried out on this destroyer.

Later this day an RDF tracking exercises was carried out with HMS Belfast (Capt. R.M. Dick, CBE, DSC, RN). (8)

As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.