大象传媒

She was built in November 1911 and completed in 1913 at Devonport Dockyard.
A ship of 23000 tons displacement. armed with 10 13.5 MK guns, 16 4" guns, and 4 3pounder saluting guns. and named H.M.S. Centurian.

In 1914 was allocated to the grand Battle Fleet, with the battle honour Jutland 1916.

Later in 1916 she was demiltarised, and all armament was removed. Was then turned into a targetship.

1940 itt was recomended she was to be turned into an Ack Ack ship, this was later rejected .

1941 her upper deck was stripped. The forward funnel was cut down level with the dek, and a dummy funnel erected further aft.a dummy aircraft hanger and crane, and 4x14" 3 forward and 1 aft wooden gun turrets were fitted as main armament, to look like a King George V Class battleship.

From sources gained while I served aboard, it was related to me that were a number of depth charges secured in the bilges, to be detonated, and sink her in a french harbour, and become a blockship. How true this story is I cannot confirm.

at the last minute this was cancelled and was ordered to sail round the Cape for Bombay.

Bombay was the port where I joined H.M.S. Centurian, and sortly we sailed via the Red Sea for Alexandria. The voyage westward was trying, as she had been a targetship previously, all pipe work was pipework was hung under the armour plated upper deck which reduced the head room, all the portholes had been welded up, and there was no forced ventilation as such only what air could get through the open hatches. so not much time was spent below deck. only to eat ones meals in the mess, sat in a pair of underpants and the sweat dripping of ones elbows.

Watches in the engine room were limited to half hour spells while sailing down the Red Sea. With being a decoy we never went into harbour, always anchored out in the roads so only a silhouette was presented to the watchers.
On arriving at Alexandria
We were surounded with loaded lighters and a swarm of Egyptian labours who proceeded to load us with cargo, this consisted of 100 tons of Cotton Seed, 100 tons of Flour, 100tons of canned food, and 150tons of amunition. at the same time as the loadig was taking place, 16 20mm Orlikons wher installed, 8 each side of the upper deck, and ratings to man them. Our sole armament was these 16 orlikons and 4 single barrel 2lb Pom Poms plus the wooden guns. this could only mean MALTA.

Malta convoy Vigorous CS15

We sailed on the 11th of June 1942 at the same time as convoy HARPOON left Gibraltar the object being to split the attention of the German and Italian forces.

HARPOON convoy consisted of 6 merchantmen,
while the VIGOROUS convoy had 11 merchantmen

escorted by Force Commander Rear ADmiral Sir Philip Vian, with a total of 7 light cruisers, 1Ack Ack cruiser,26 destroyers, a number of Corvettes mine sweepers, a rescue ship and one old decoy battleship H.M.S. Centurian A,K.A. a King George V battle ship to the axis.

Reconnaissance aircraft soon discovered the convoy , and attack soon began, one merchantman was soon hit , was detacted and order back to Alex. but was soon attacked again and sunk.
The convoy was attaked throughout days 13 and 14, On the 14th of June the Italian fleet was reported to be leaving Tarranto harbour, and consisted of 2 mondern battleships,2 heavy cruisers, and about 13 destroyers, and could intercept us on the 15th June. about 0700,so we are ordered to turn back to Alex. but, allied aircraft struck the Italian Fleet, and crippled the heavy cruiser TRENTO, and and the LITTORIO, it was during this period that we lost the cruiserH.M.S.NEWCASTLE,and destroyer H.M.S. HASTY. The Italian fleet now turned and headed back to ITALY. VIAN was ordered to turn again and head for MALTA once more.
unfortunatly we had just about run out of amunition, so it was decided we should return to Alexandria, on the return run we met with more trouble. The cruiser H.M.S. HERMOINE was sunk by a U Boat, and a destroyer H.M.S. NESTOR was damaged, and had to be sunk with friendly gunfire. it was obout this time that H.M.S. CENTURIAN was hit by a bomb,on the forecastle, fortunatly it did not explode, but went through the upperdeck and out on the port side below the waterline,all the lights went out as the bomb had knocked the generater out, and those not on watch were sat on the upper deck blowing our lifebelts up. The rest of the convoy dissapearing smartly over the horizon The admiral was flashing, asking what was our problem, but with no electricity we could only reply with semaphore flags, stating we were making headway , though down in the bows at 9 knots. eventually arring at the boom at Alexandria during the night, but were refused entry to the harbour, in case sank and blocked the harbour. We had to remain in the roads with motor boats circleing us all night dropping grenades to deter any italian frogmen that might be trying to place limpet mines on our hull.

With her sole armament of 16 Orlikons and 4 pompoms she was credited with having lured and engaged successfully enemy stukas and damageing 4 enemy E-Boats.

We were still afloat at daylight, when both anchors and anchor chains were jetisoned overboard, and all the cargo that we had been carrying was brought up
on deck and stacked high on the quaterdeck to try and bring the bows up

Repair men and divers were brought on board and repair work began.Some italian prisoners of war who had diving experience were employed, these divers were extremely talented and began using electric welding to fix the cover plates in place underwater over the hole from the bomb damage,
. This was something unheard of in 1942. rather secret, and as such the divers would not let any other person down to watch the process. also a new approach was the use of
bolts fired from guns to be driven through the plates to secure them in place.
While all this repair work was being carried out Rommel was driving eastward and Tobruk had fallen again, and as he was getting close to Alexandria. The order was given to evacuate, All seaworthy craft had to up anchor and sail for Port Said. the foltilla of ships sailed, in convoy, but it did not stop the submarine depot ship H.M.S. MAIDSTONE being torpedoed and sunk with alarge loss of life, among those lost was the Wren contingent who were on the R.N. staff in Alex.

On arriving in Port Said she lay in the canal till March 1944 when she sailed for England, as unfit for active service.

I did not sail with her to England as I was drafted to H.M.S. EURYALAS in October 1943 a 5.25 Ack Ack cruiser. and that could be another story.

H.M.S> CENTURIAN was sacrficed on the Normany Landings being sunk of the Normandy coast and used as breakwater for landing craft operation NEPTUNE.

Received the battle honor Normandy 1944.

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