During the 2nd WW the ship was adopted by Beckenham, Kent. As the sister of Lt Cmdr P Vian (Later Admiral) – Marian Vian had a school in Beckenham named after her. Reg Morrison passed the 11 plus whilst attending in 1942. A plaque marking the adoption was put up in the town hall. This building was demolished in 1991 to make way for a supermarket. The area is now under the London Borough of Bromley.

HMS Cossack F03

Year by Year

Discover the history of the HMS Cossack from 1938 to 1941.

You can search the ‘year’ and ‘month’ to find a specific date and also ‘click’ on the date itself to reveal any images and moments from that date.

03 January 1941

Departed Scapa Flow for Portsmouth and Southampton for refitting

07 January 1941

Refit at Thorneycroft’s Yard, Southampton.

Repairs included docking for structural work on external bottom plating to rectify corrugation caused by high speed in poor weather and modification of accommodation for the increased complement to 226.

Type 286 RADAR modified to allow use of a rotating aerial unit. (286M)

After funnel was shortened and the Mainmast reduced in size.

28 February 1941

Small fire in cotton and waste storage in Tiller Flat

02 March 1941

COSSACK departed Southampton for Scapa Flow on completion of refitting.

03 March 1941

COSSACK damaged by non – contact acoustic mine exploding close by at a point 300 degrees south west of Isle of Man.  Minor structural damage and minor defects to auxiliaries from the underwater explosion.  The cast iron feet of the starboard L.P. turbine were fractured. A reduction in speed because of damaged castings.

04 March 1941

COSSACK arrived at Scapa Flow at noon.

09 March 1941

COSSACK departed Scapa Flow at 1800 to join MAORI and ZULU to rendezvous with the 1st Minelaying Squadron in the Minches for escort duties

11 March 1941

Escort to ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron for Operation SN6B. (Minelaying in Northern Barrage).  Other ships MAORI, ST MARYS, ZULU and cruisers EDINBURGH and NIGERIA.

13 March 1941

Arrived at Loch Alsh for refuelling.

14 March 1941

Departed from Loch Alsh at 0835 in company with MAORI and ZULU to join convoy OB 297 in the Minches at 1100. Submarine hunting followed this.

15 March 1941

0900 together with MAORI and ZULU rendezvoused with ACTIVE, BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, NELSON, and NIGERIA to operate south of Iceland.

16 March 1941

Reykjavik to refuel. Departed at 2245.

17 March 1941

Rejoined the group at 0800 which then supported the 1st Minelaying Squadron to lay field SN69.

19 March 1941

Mines were laid.

21 March 1941

Iceland

23 March 1941
At 2200Z-2 hours in position 60N, 27W, destroyers COSSACK (D4), ZULU and MAORI rendezvoused with convoy HX 114. Following which RODNEY escorted by destroyers COSSACK, ZULU and MAORI detached from convoy HX 114 and proceeded to Hvalfjord to refuel.
24 March 1941

COSSACK in company with MAORI and ZULU escorted the battleship RODNEY to Hvalfjord for refuelling arriving at 1645. (One report has this as 1345Z – 2 hours)

25 March 1941

At 1030Z – 2 hours

RODNEY escorted by destroyers COSSACK, ZULU and MAORI sailed from Hvalfjord for Halifax.
26 March 1941
At 0630Z-2 hours in approximate position 61-16N, 30W, destroyers COSSACK, ZULU and MAORI detached from RODNEY and returned to Hvalfjord to refuel.
28 March 1941

Departed Reykjavik at 2100 in company of MAORI and ZULU to rendezvous with King George V

Hidden Gems

The HMS Cossack 1938-1941 was accepted on 10 June 1938 and dented, whilst coming alongside the jetty in Portsmouth on 12 June 1938.

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1806-1816

This is the account of the first vessel named HMS Cossack, a title that would be passed on to five later ships and commemorated by the Royal Navy in the Cossack Building at HMS Raleigh.

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1854-1875

The second Cossack was originally ordered by Russia for the Black Sea Fleet in December 1852 at a cost of 290,000 silver roubles. However, when relations between Britain and Russia deteriorated, Russia sold the vessels to the Hamburg trading firm Henry Mersk & Co.

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1886-1905

This account covers the third vessel named HMS Cossack. Launched on 3 June 1886 and in service until 1905, she spent the majority of her career in the Far East, calling at India, Aden, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and other ports.

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1907-1919

The fourth HMS Cossack received the first Battle Honour for participating in operations along the Belgian coast from 17 October to 8 November 1914. This section contains copies of the original construction contract and detailed plans showing her launch, deck arrangements, and machinery.

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1938-1941

Credited with battle honours including Baltic 1855, Witu 1890, Dover Patrol 1914–1919, Narvik 1940, Norway 1940, Atlantic 1940–1941, the Bismarck Action 1941, and the Malta Convoys 1941, the HMS Cossack in service from 1938 to 1941 was a formidable presence.

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1944-1960

During Warship Week in February 1942, the town of Esher raised £1,192,211, contributing to the construction of the warship HMS Cossack. The funds were collected by the public depositing money into a rubber-type float in a pool. Remarkably, the surplus was enough to fund a submarine as well. The story continues.

Anchor crest

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