Meet H.M.S. Enterprise (D52): An Emerald-Class Light Cruiser
Not many people are aware of this, but there were two Enterprises that saw action during World War II: the Yorktown-class USS Enterprise that we all know and love, and this one, H.M.S. Enterprise.
A Look into H.M.S. Enterprise’s Early Years
H.M.S. Enterprise was laid down in 1918 and was actually the 14th Royal Navy vessel to carry the name. She was built with a prototype twin 6″ turret in place of the original design’s two forward single mounts, which proved so successful in trials that the design was later used on the Leander, Amphion, and Arethusa classes. In fact, she had a lot of features that were later used on other Cruiser classes.
World War II Service
By World War II, the Enterprise was part of the reserve fleet when she was reactivated. She would go on to have an eventful life during the conflict, taking part in a number of major actions such as the Norwegian Campaign and even taking part in the short-lived Anglo-Iraqi War. She even took part in the Normandy invasions on D-Day, shelling German positions with other allied vessels such as the Dutch gunboat HNLMS Soemba and the battleship USS Nevada. (Yes, that Nevada).
Post-War and Final Days
After the war, she was used to transport British troops back to the UK from Asia before finally being sent to the breakers in 1946.
