HMS HAWKINS (D86)

Type: Cavendish Class Heavy Cruiser

Length	605 feet
Beam	65 feet
Speed	30.5 knots
Complement	430 officers & men
Fore Truck to water line	147 feet
Main Truck to water line	135 feet
Funnel to water line	64 feet
Forecastle to water line	24 ft 3 inches
Quarter Deck to water line	14 ft 9 inches

HMS Hawkins was built by Parsons at Chatham and launched 1st October 1917.
Hawkins served as flagship, 5th Light Cruiser Squadron, on the China Station from 1919 until 12th November 1928, when she paid off at Chatham for refit.

After re-commissioning on 31 December 1929, the ship joined the 2nd Cruiser Squadron (flag) with the Atlantic Fleet, where she served until 5 May 1930 when she commissioned for the reserve.

In September 1932 she became flagship, 4th Cruiser Squadron, in the East Indies, returning to reserve in April 1935.

Hawkins became a cadets training ship in September 1938. She was rearming until January 1940.

Thereafter she served with the South American Division, then moved to the Indian Ocean in 1941, participating in the raid on Mogadishu by Force K in February 1941 and capturing the Italian merchantman Adria off Kismayu on 12 February.

After refit at Portsmouth between December 1941 and May 1942, the ship served with the Eastern Fleet until returning home in 1944.

June 1944 saw her as part of the bombardment force off Utah Beach, after which she became a training ship again, reducing to reserve in 1945.

Hawkins was allocated for ship target trials in 1947, and was subjected to bombing by RAF Lincoln bombers off Spithead in May, after which she was transferred to BISCO for scrapping on 21 August 1947 and subsequently broken up by Arnott Young at Dalmuir, where she was scrapped in December 1947.

Continue to the next pages to see extracts of Lt Frank Mathews RN journal (which has been painstakingly extracted by his grand daughter) with pictures by Frank and CPO W G LAWES.

All material is copyright of TS HAWKINS and may not be reproduced in any way.