Mysore
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:29 pm
The India stamp of 15p. depicts the flagship of the Indian Navy, the cruiser Mysore, originally H.M.S. Nigeria, one of the "Fiji" class of eight ships.
All the ships were identical in appearance. The Nigeria was built by Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. at their Walker Naval Yard on the Tyne and completed on September 20, 1940. Originally designed with four triple turrets, these have now been reduced to three to cut down weight. Sold to the Indian Navy in 1957, she was refitted by Cammell Laird and Co. (Shipbuilders and Engineers) Ltd., Birkenhead and was the last of the class to have the top turret removed.
Her standard displacement is 9,000 tons, with a length of 555'/2 ft., beam of 62 ft. and draft 21 ft. Main armament is nine 6 in. guns and secondary armament eight 4 in., with a variety of anti-aircraft guns. Six 21 in. torpedo tubes are carried, and the vessel has a speed of 21 knots.
The Nigeria was one of the escort ships for the famous "Operation Pedestal" in 1942, in which 15 merchant ships took on 85,000 tons of supplies and the tanker Ohio 11,000 tons of fuel oil and kerosene. Only a small part of the fuel supplies got through and there were heavy losses of both merchant and naval vessels, but Malta was saved from starvation and the Ohio. almost broken in two, was nursed into Grand Harbour with a naval vessel lashed to each side of her to keep her afloat, and towed from ahead. Her oil got through and Malta was able to keep on fighting.
During this epic of the Second World War, H.M.S. Nigeria was torpedoed and damaged on August 12, 1942 by the Italian submarine Axum and returned to Gibraltar for repairs. Flying the flag of Admiral Burrough for most of the war, the Nigeria was also engaged in convoy duties in the Atlantic and to North Russia; additionally, she was engaged in a landing operation on Spitzbergen, when the coal mines were destroyed by Allied forces. Sea Breezes 5/66
See also /www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7983
India SG527
All the ships were identical in appearance. The Nigeria was built by Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. at their Walker Naval Yard on the Tyne and completed on September 20, 1940. Originally designed with four triple turrets, these have now been reduced to three to cut down weight. Sold to the Indian Navy in 1957, she was refitted by Cammell Laird and Co. (Shipbuilders and Engineers) Ltd., Birkenhead and was the last of the class to have the top turret removed.
Her standard displacement is 9,000 tons, with a length of 555'/2 ft., beam of 62 ft. and draft 21 ft. Main armament is nine 6 in. guns and secondary armament eight 4 in., with a variety of anti-aircraft guns. Six 21 in. torpedo tubes are carried, and the vessel has a speed of 21 knots.
The Nigeria was one of the escort ships for the famous "Operation Pedestal" in 1942, in which 15 merchant ships took on 85,000 tons of supplies and the tanker Ohio 11,000 tons of fuel oil and kerosene. Only a small part of the fuel supplies got through and there were heavy losses of both merchant and naval vessels, but Malta was saved from starvation and the Ohio. almost broken in two, was nursed into Grand Harbour with a naval vessel lashed to each side of her to keep her afloat, and towed from ahead. Her oil got through and Malta was able to keep on fighting.
During this epic of the Second World War, H.M.S. Nigeria was torpedoed and damaged on August 12, 1942 by the Italian submarine Axum and returned to Gibraltar for repairs. Flying the flag of Admiral Burrough for most of the war, the Nigeria was also engaged in convoy duties in the Atlantic and to North Russia; additionally, she was engaged in a landing operation on Spitzbergen, when the coal mines were destroyed by Allied forces. Sea Breezes 5/66
See also /www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7983
India SG527