HMS ''Imperieuse'' was the name given to a floating training establishment of the

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during the

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History

There had been a previous floating establishment known as HMS ''Imperieuse''. This was the old ironclad , which had borne the name whilst serving as a repair and store ship alternately at Scapa Flow and

Rosyth Rosyth ( gd, Ros Fhìobh, "headland of Fife") is a town on the Firth of Forth, south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to the census of 2011, the town has a population of 13,440. The new town was founded as a Garden city-style suburb ...

between 1914 and 1920.Colledge, p. 171. The second establishment was commissioned as HMS ''Imperieuse I'' on 12 May 1944 as the base of the Naval Officer in Charge at

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, and a stokers' training establishment.Warlow, ''Shore Establishments'', p. 75. Also established that day was HMS ''Imperieuse II'', which was the name given to two obsolete s, and . They had previously been laid up at

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as stokers' training ship under the name HMS ''Shrapnel II''. The two ships spent a brief period at

before it was decided by the

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to move the establishment to Devonport. The ships reverted to being ''Revenge'' and ''Resolution'' for the tow, and arrived at Devonport on 11 December 1944. They were commissioned that day as HMS ''Imperieuse'', but retained their individual names. They were later joined by a number of other ships that had been reduced from active duty. These included the battlecruiser , the battleship , the aircraft carrier and the light cruiser . These were all jointly commissioned as HMS ''Imperieuse'' on 21 June 1946, but the ships retained their individual names. The ships were reduced to the

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by October 1947, with the exception of HMS ''Newfoundland'' which was transferred for refitting to become flagship of the

4th Cruiser Squadron The 4th Cruiser Squadron and (also known as Cruiser Force H) was a formation of cruisers of the British Royal Navy from 1907 to 1914 and then again from 1919 to 1946. The squadron was first established in 1907, replacing the North America and ...

. The facility's role was transferred to on 10 March 1948 and HMS ''Imperieuse'' was paid off on 1 June 1948.

References

Bibliography

* * Warlow, Ben. ''Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy'', Liskeard: Maritime, 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Imperieuse Royal Navy bases in England