| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Ocean boarding vessel |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | |
| Built by | A. Stephen & Sons Ltd. (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 20 Mar 1924 |
| Commissioned | 15 Oct 1940 |
| End service | Jul 1942 |
| History | Passenger/cargo (ref.) vessel completed in May 1924. Requisitioned by the Admiralty on 6 August 1940. Displacement: 6908 GRT. Dimensions: 129.6 x 16.5. Armament: 2 6" guns (2x1), 1 12pdr AA gun, 2 2pdr AA (2x1) Speed: 14.5 knots. Returned to her owner in July 1942. Then served with Ministry of War Transport until 1946. |
Commands listed for HMS Cavina
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Capt. Newell Herbert Gale, RD, RNR | 13 Aug 1940 | 25 Jan 1941 |
| 2 | Cdr. Charles Beresford Osborne, RD, RNR | 25 Jan 1941 | mid 1942 |
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Notable events involving Cavina include:
30 Jan 1941
Convoy SLS 64.
This convoy departed Freetown on 30 January 1941 for the U.K.
The convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Anna Mazaraki (Greek, 5411 GRT, built 1913), Blairatholl (British, 3319 GRT, built 1925), Borgestad (Norwegian, 3924 GRT, built 1924), Bur (Norwegian, 4343 GRT, built 1917), Clunepark (British, 3491 GRT, built 1928), Derrynane (British, 4896 GRT, built 1938), Empire Energy (British, 6589 GRT, built 1923), Kalliopi (British, 4965 GRT, built 1910), Lornaston (British, 4934 GRT, built 1925), Margot (British, 4545 GRT, built 1926), Nailsea Lass (British, 4289 GRT, built 1917), Oswestry Grange (British, 4684 GRT, built 1935), Perseus (Greek, 5172 GRT, built 1919), Polyktor (Greek, 4077 GRT, built 1914), Shrewsbury (British, 4542 GRT, built 1924), Varangberg (Norwegian, 2842 GRT, built 1915), Volturno (British, 3420 GRT, built 1914), Warlaby (British, 4875 GRT, built 1927) and Westbury (British, 4712 GRT, built 1928).
The convoy was not escorted.
On 12 February 1941, the convoy was intercepted east of the Azores in approximate position 37°10'N, 21°20'W by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, which managed to sink the following merchant vessels; Borgestad, Derrynane, Oswestry Grange, Shrewsbury, Warlaby, Westbury, and Perseus. The Lornaston sustained heavy damage and Kalliopi sustained light damage. The Lornaston went to Ponta Delgada where she arrived on the 18th. The Kalliopi arrived at Gibraltar on the 18th.
The convoy scattered on being attacked.
The Ocean Boarding Vessels HMS Camito (Lt.Cdr. A.A. Barnet, RNR), HMS Cavina (Cdr. C.B. Osborne, RD, RNR), HMS Corinthian (A/Cdr. E.J.R. Pollitt, RNR) and HMS Maron (Cdr. (Retd.) J.H. Blair, DSC, RD, RNR) were ordered to the area to search for survivors.
Also the light cruiser HMS Sheffield (Capt. C.A.A. Larcom, RN) was ordered to the area to provide cover for the remaining ships.
On 24 February, the Nailsea Lass was torpedoed and sunk south-south-west of Ireland by the German submarine U-48.
25 Mar 1941
Convoy HG 57.
This convoy departed Gibraltar on 25 March 1941 and arrived in U.K. waters on 11 April 1941.
It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Aghios Spyridon (Greek, 3338 GRT, built 1905), Aldergrove (British, 1974 GRT, built 1918), Anneberg (Finnish, 2537 GRT, built 1902), Ardeola (British, 2609 GRT, built 1912), Baltallinn (British, 1303 GRT, built 1920), Baron Newlands (British, 3386 GRT, built 1928), Bollsta (Norwegian, 1832 GRT, built 1934), Caledonia (British, 1268 GRT, built 1913), Cantal (British, 3178 GRT, built 1916), Cervantes (British, 1810 GRT, built 1916), Chantilly (British, 9986 GRT, built 1923), Egyptian (British, 2868 GRT, built 1920), Empire Strait (British, 2841 GRT, built 1940), Gothland (British, 1286 GRT, built 1932), Marvia (British, 1989 GRT, built 1914), Mimosa (Greek, 3071 GRT, built 1905), Moscha D. Kydoniefs (British, 3874 GRT, built 1915), Newton Pine (British, 4212 GRT, built 1925), Octane (British (tanker) (former French), 2034 GRT, built 1939), Polo (British, 1950 GRT, built 1919), Runa (British, 1575 GRT, built 1930), Scania (Swedish, 1980 GRT, built 1901), Scottish Monarch (British, 4719 GRT, built 1938) and Trio (Swedish, 1482 GRT, built 1922).
The rescue ship Zamalek (British, 1567 GRT, built 1921).
On departure from Gibraltar the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMS Wrestler (Lt. E.L. Jones, DSC, RN), sloop HMS Rochester (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Allen, RN), corvettes HMS La Malouine (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) R.W. Keymer, RN), HMS Verbena (Lt.Cdr. D.A. Rayner, DSC, RNVR)and the submarine HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. G.B.M. van Erkel, RNN).
The Aghios Spyridon returned to Gibraltar the same day the convoy had sailed.
On 27 March, HMS Wrestler was detached.
On 3 April, HrMs O 23 was detached and the light cruiser HMS Nigeria (Capt. J.G.L. Dundas, RN joined.
At 0920Z/4, HMS La Malouine was detached.
At 0845Z/5, the armed boarding vessel Hilary (Cdr. T.L. Owen, RD, RNR) joined the convoy.
At 1930Z/5, the armed boaring vessel Cavina (Cdr. C.B. Osborne, RD, RNR) joined the convoy.
On 8 April the destroyers HMS Broke (Cdr. B.G. Scurfield, RN), HMS Douglas (Cdr. W.E. Banks, DSC, RN), HMS Roxborough (Lt. V.A. Wight-Boycott, OBE, RN), HMS Salisbury (Lt.Cdr. H.M.R. Crichton, RN), corvettes HMS Abelia (T/Lt. F. Ardern, RNR), HMS Clarkia (Lt.Cdr. F.J.G. Jones, RNR) and auxiliary A/S trawlers HMS St. Elstan (T/Lt. G. Butcher, RNVR), HMS St. Kenan (T/Lt. R.R. Simpson, RNR), HMS St. Zeno (T/Lt. J.K. Craig, RNVR) and HMS Vizalma (T/Lt. M.M. Firth, RNVR).
HMS Nigeria parted company with the convoy around 1900A/9.
The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 11 April 1941.
8 Jun 1941
Convoy SL 77.
This convoy departed Freetown for the U.K. on 8 June 1941.
On departure from Freetown the convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Aliakmon (Greek, 4521 GRT, built 1913), Banfora (British, 9472 GRT, built 1914), Blackheath (British, 4637 GRT, built 1936), Boskoop (Dutch, 5620 GRT, built 1927), Chulmleigh (British, 5445 GRT, built 1938), Ile de Batz (British, 5755 GRT, built 1918), John Holt (British, 4975 GRT, built 1938), Kindat (British, 4358 GRT, built 1938), Macuba (Dutch (tanker), 8249 GRT, built 1931), Mahsud (British, 7540 GRT, built 1917), Peebles (British, 4982 GRT, built 1936), Spar (Dutch, 3616 GRT, built 1924) and Storaas (Norwegian (tanker), 7886 GRT, built 1929).
On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by armed merchant cruiser HMS Arawa (A/Capt. G.R. Deverell, RN) and the corvettes HMS Gardenia (Lt.Cdr. H. Hill, RD, RNR), HMS Marguerite (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Blundell, RNR) and the auxiliary A/S yacht HMS Surprise (Capt.(Retd.) E. Stubbs, RN).
The merchant vessels Aliakmon and Blackheath however soon returned to Freetown due to engine defects.
At 1015N/10, the convoy was joined by the corvette HMS Cyclamen (Lt. H.N. Lawson, RNR). She parted company around 0800N/11.
HMS Gardenia and HMS Marguerite and HMS Surprise parted company in the afternoon of 13 June.
Around 1130N/15, the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk (Capt. A.J.L. Phillips, RN) joined the convoy as did the merchant vessels Anglo-Indian (British, 5609 GRT, built 1938), Cordillera (British, 6865 GRT, built 1920), Gascony (British, 4716 GRT, built 1925), and Stornest (British, 4265 GRT, built 1921) which had been brought out from St. Vincent by the corvette HMS Cyclamen.
At 1810N/15, HMS Surprise parted company with the convoy.
Around noon on 21 June, the merchant vessel Peebles was detached to the Azores due to engine defects.
Around 1100Z/27, HMS Norfolk was detached to proceed to Scapa Flow.
Around 0700A/28, the armed boarding vessel HMS Hilary (Cdr. T.L. Owen, RD, RNR) joined the convoy.
Around 0100B/28, the armed boarding vessel Cavina (Cdr. C.B. Osborne, RD, RNR) joined the convoy.
Around 0800B/28, the corvette HMS Wallflower (Lt.Cdr. I.J. Tyson, RN) joined the convoy.
Around 1140B/28, the destroyer HMS Vanoc (Lt.Cdr. J.G.W. Deneys, DSO, RN) joined the convoy.
Around 1210B/28, the destroyers HMS Walker (Cdr. D.G.F.W. MacIntyre, DSO, RN), HNoMS Bath (Lt.Cdr. C.F.T. Melsom) and the corvette HMS Hydrangea (Lt. J.E. Woolfenden, RNR) joined the convoy.
Around 1300B/28, the rescue ship Toward (British, 1571 GRT, built 1923) joined the convoy.
The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 2 July 1941.