The story
She took part in the invasion of Normandy, where she fired 4359 shells (Vaux sur Aure). Again a lucky ship, she was hit by a German artillery shell that penetrated the quarterdeck and emerged by the starboard side without exploding and without a single casualty.
In August 1944 Argonaut was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet, where she took part in Operation Dragoon (the invasion of Southern France)
In September 1944 she was moved to the Aegean Sea, and saw action when she spotted some boats carrying troops, which she sunk, taking many prisoners. She was also involved in some shore bombardments in the Greek coast. In early November she was ordered to Trincomalee, in the Indian Ocean.
She was assigned in escort duties, and involved in the bombardment of Palembang oil fields in Sumatra. She was lucky once more: attacked several times by kamikaze aircrafts, she sustained only minor damages. In January 1945 Argonaut was ordered to Sydney, to join the Pacific Fleet. In February she took part in the shelling of Saskishima (the diversion operation from the main American operation in Okinawa).
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.