HMNZS Gambia – Crown Colony Class Light Cruiser – PART 1
Pennant No: C48
Callsign: GCFX
RNZN Service 22 Sep 1943 to 27 Mar 1946
Aircraft and fittings removed before entering RNZN service.
10450 tons full load
Length – 555.5ft
Beam – 62ft
Draught – 16.5ft
Speed – 33kts
Crew – 730
Armament:
12 x 6in (4×3)
8 x 4in (4×2)
8 x 40mm Bofors AA (4×2)
3 Quadruple Pom-poms
6 x 21in Torpedo Tubes (2×3)
The images below have come for HMNZS TOROA History Museum.
![HMNZS Gambia[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/hmnzs-gambia2.jpg?w=300&h=192)
![Comm[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/comm2.jpg?w=300&h=211)
Commissioning ceremony 22 September 1943 Liverpool
![Marine Band[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/marine-band2.jpg?w=213&h=300)
Royal Marine Band, practising for Commissioning ceremony 22 Sep 1943, Liverpool
![Ships Tels[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/ships-tels2.jpg?w=300&h=182)
W/T Staff, HMNZS Gambia 2 January 1944
![Suez[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/suez2.jpg?w=300&h=188)
Gambia transiting the Suez Canal Jan/Feb 1944 en route to join the Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee
![Ras[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/ras2.jpg?w=300&h=218)
Gambia RAS – not known with whom and where.
![battle ensign[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/battle-ensign2.jpg?w=196&h=300)
Battle ensign being flown during shore bombardment at Soerabaja East Java
(now known as Surabaya, Indonesia) 6 May 1944
![twin aa[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/twin-aa2.jpg?w=300&h=187)
Twin Oerlikons (20mm) – one of 10 sets of secondary AA guns
![pom poms[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/pom-poms2.jpg?w=300&h=184)
Pom-Poms in action
![hms quality[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/hms-quality2.jpg?w=300&h=220)
RAS with HMS Quality – Destroyer Pennant No G62. Gambia was in company with Quality in 1944 – May, June and July.
![Broadside[2]](http://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/broadside2.jpg?w=300&h=223)
Broadside showing 4 inch and some of the other secondary armament – 2 pounders (Gambia had 10 of these). British battleship HMS HOWE astern.
