RN:
Abdiel class minelayer HMS
Latona. She was commissioned on 4 May 1941 but never served in her intended primary role, instead being used in the
Mediterranean to deliver stores and supplies to the allied armies and garrisons at
Tobruk and
Cyprus.
On being commissioned
Latona sailed to
Scapa Flow to embark stores and extra
Oerlikon 20 mm cannons for defence against air attacks. Having completed loading, she sailed for the Mediterranean on 16 May, travelling via the
Cape of Good Hope and the
Red Sea. She arrived at
Alexandria on 21 June, joining her
sister Abdiel. The following day they sailed to support military operations in the eastern Mediterranean.
Latona’s first assignment was to carry
RAF personnel to
Cyprus to reinforce the garrison there. After successfully carrying this out, she returned to Alexandria on 25 July.
She sailed again in August in company with
Abdiel, the Australian cruiser
Hobart, and Australian destroyers
Napier and
Nizam to support the garrison at
Tobruk. They eventually carried some 6,300 troops to Tobruk and evacuated another 6,100. On 25 October the ships supporting Tobruk came under air attack north of
Bardia.
Latona, carrying 1,000 Polish troops, was hit in the engine room by a bomb from a
Junkers Ju 87 of I./StG1. This started a fire which soon raged out of control. The destroyers
Hero and
Encounter came alongside to assist and evacuated most of the troops and crew.
Latona remained afloat for a further two hours, before the after magazine exploded, sinking the ship. Four officers, 16 crew members and 7 soldiers were killed.