H. M. S. BARHAM
1
9 3 9
September Deployed with Mediterranean Fleet
October Transferred to Home Fleet for Atlantic
convoy defence.
November Deployed in Atlantic
for convoy defence including escort of military convoys bringing
first Canadian troops
to Europe.
December Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
12th Involved in collision with HM Destroyer DUCHESS in position off
coast of northern
Ireland. This destroyer sank 9 miles off Mull of Kintyre.
28th Hit on port side by torpedo from U30 whilst
on patrol with HM Battlecruiser REPULSE
in
position 10 miles north of Butt of Lewis.
Several
compartments were flooded.
Taken
in hand for repair at Liverpool.
1 9 4 0
January Under repair
to For details see BRITISH
BATTLESHIPS.
March
April On completion of post repair
trials joined 2nd Battle Squadron, Home Fleet.
May Worked-up for operational
service with Home Fleet based at Scapa
Flow.
(Note: This ship
was not deployed in Norwegian waters.)
June Deployed in NW Approaches
for convoy escort and interception patrol
(Note: Ship was not
fully worked-up.)
August Nominated for support of planned
French landings at Dakar.
(Operation MENACE
–For details see MENACE by A Marder, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C Barnett, and Naval Staff History.)
28th Took passage from Scapa
Flow escorted by HM Destroyers ECHO, ECLIPSE,
ESCAPADE and INGLEFIELD.
September Passage to Gibraltar.
2nd Called at Gibraltar
6th Sailed from Gibraltar with HM Battlecruiser RENOWN and screened by HM
Destroyers VELOX,
ENCOUNTER, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, VIDETTE and WISHART.
13th Joined HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL, HM
Battleship RESOLUTION, HM Destroyers
FURY,
FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER and GREYHOUND with HMS RENOWN
screened
by destroyers
20th Pre-operation conference held on board at
Freetown.
22nd Sailed from Freetown
for MENACE.
(Note:
HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE, CORNWALL, AUSTRALIA
(RAN) and DEHLI had
joined
MENACE at Freetown.)
24th Bombarded French warships including battleship
RICHELIEU at Dakar
with HM Cruisers
HMAS
AUSTRALIA, DEVONSHIRE
and HMS RESOLUTION.
Hit
by two shells with slight damage.
Engaged
French submarine PERSEE with depth charges.
25th Carried out further bombardment of RICHELIEU
and obtained one hit.
(Note:
Post war evidence records this caused no damage.)
Took
damaged HMS RESOLUTION in tow after that ship had been torpedoed by French
submarine
BEVEZIERS.
October On release from MENACE took passage to UK
from Freetown.
Nominated
for service in Mediterranean based at Alexandria.
November Passage to Gibraltar with HMS ARK
ROYAL, HM Cruiser BERWICK screened by
HM
Destroyers GALLANT, GREYHOUND and GRIFFIN.
6th Embarked troops and stores at Gibraltar
for passage to Malta.
7th Formed Force F for Mediterranean transit
covered by HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS
SHEFFIELD
screen by destroyers of Force H
For
details see Naval Staff History, Operation COAT.
(Note:
Operation CRACK and air attack from HMS ARK ROYAL took place
coincidentally
with COAT.)
10th Joined ships of Mediterranean Fleet.
See
above reference and THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by
D MacIntyre.
11th Disembarked troops and stores in Malta.
Rejoined
HM Battleships VALIANT and WARSPITE, HM Cruisers AJAX,
GLOUCESTER,
ORION, SYDNEY (RAN) and YORK,
screened by Mediterranean
Fleet
destroyers.
(Note:
These ships of the Mediterranean Fleet were providing cover for passage
of
Convoy ME3 to Alexandria.
HM
Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS sailed for this operation but detached
during
passage ton carry out attack on Italian Fleet at Taranto.
(Operation
JUDGEMENT) – For details see above references.)
14th Arrived at Alexandria
with ships of Fleet.
26th Deployed with HM Battleship MALAYA to provide
cover for HM Aircraft Carrier
EAGLE
during air operations on Tripoli.
(Note:
This was part of coincident Operation C)
December
9th Provided support for military operations
with HMS MALAYA
(Note:
Ships bombarded supply routes in Cyrenaica and were covered by cruiser
screened
by destroyers.)
1 9 4
1
January
3rd Joined Force A with HMS MALAYA and HMS
VALIANT screened by 11 destroyers for
bombardment
of Bardia with cover from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and HM Cruiser
CALCUTTA.
11th Deployed with HMS EAGLE, HMS AJAX and destroyer
screen to carry out air attacks on
Dodecanese,
(Note:
This operation was cancelled after HMS ILLUSTRIOUS had been seriously
damaged
in air attacks whilst covering passage of Convoy to Alexandria.
See
references.)
22nd Part of escort for damaged aircraft carrier
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS during passage from Malta.
(Note:
HMS VALIANT and HM Australian Cruiser PERTH were also deployed.)
24th Provided Distant Cover with HMS EAGLE and
HMS VALIANT during passage of
HMS
Cruisers AJAX, GLOUCESTER
and ORION, HM Destroyers MOHAWK and
NUBIAN
taking troops to Malta
(Operation MC8)
March
20th Provided Distant Cover for passage of MW6A to Malta with HM Aircraft Carrier
FORMIDABLE, HMS VALIANT,
HMS WARSPITE, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER and YORK
screened by destroyers
of Mediterranean Fleet deployed as force A (Operation MC9)
(Note:
Italian Fleet units were known to be at sea covering passage of
a
convoy to North Africa.)
27th Sailed from Alexandria
with HMS WARSPITE, HMS VALIANT and HMS
FORMIDABLE
screened by Fleet Destroyers to intercept Italian Fleet units
intending
to attack convoys between Egypt
and Piraeus. The subsequent encounter
with
these Italian warships is known as The Battle of Matapan.)
(Note:
This deployment was made on the basis of interception of Italian Navy
signals
traffic and is described in MATAPAN by S W Pack which with
the
above references give details of the action.)
Took
part in sinking of two enemy ships.
April
18th Covered passage of HM Supply Ship BRECONSHIRE
to Malta and return
Convoy
ME7
with HMS FORMIDABLE, HMS WARSPITE, HMS VALIANT, HM Cruisers
AJAX,
CALCUTTA, GLOUCESTER,
ORION and PHOEBE screened by Fleet
Destroyers.
20th Detached with HMS WARSPITE, VALIANT, HMS
GLOUCESTER screened by four
destroyers
identified as Force A.
21st Took part in bombardment of Tripoli
for 49 minutes covered by Force C comprising
HMS
FORMIDABLE, HMS AJAX and HMAS PERTH.
23rd Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units
(Note: A proposal
by the Prime Minister that this ship should be used as a blockship
for
an operation to carry out an attack on Tripoli was rejected by C-in-C
Mediterranean Fleet.)
May
6th Deployed with HMS FORMIDABLE, HMS VALIANT, HMS WARSPITE, HMS
AJAX,
HMS ORION, HMAS PERTH
and HM Cruiser ABDIEL screened by 12 Fleet Destroyers
to provide Distant
Cover for passage of Convoy MW7 from Alexandria to Malta and
military convoy on
passage to Egypt (Operation TIGER).
(Note: This operation
also covered transit of HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM
Cruisers FIJI, GLOUCESTER and NAIAD to reinforce the Fleet at Alexandria.
10th Under air attacks, which were repelled by
aircraft from HMS FORMIDABLE and ships
AA
gunfire.
25th Deployed with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH to provide
cover for units of Mediterranean
Fleet
engaged in support of military operations in defence of Crete.
26th Provided cover for air attacks by HMS FORMIDABLE
on Scarpanto.
27th Under air attacks and sustained serious damage
after hit on “Y” turret and effect of near
misses.
See BRITISH BATTLESHIPS.
29th Return passage to Alexandria.
June Repair arranged in Durban
and prepared for passage by local resources.
Took
passage to Durban for repair.
July Under repair at Durban.
to August
September On completion took passage to rejoin Fleet at Alexandria.
October Deployed for Fleet duties in eastern Mediterranean.
November Fleet duties in continuation including support of military
operations by bombardment
of
coastal targets.
18th Deployed with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS
VALIANT for diversionary cruise
to
draw off enemy aircraft during bombardment of Libyan coast positions by 7th and
15th
Cruiser
Squadrons (Operation ME4)
Although
Fleet units were shadowed by enemy aircraft, no attacks developed.
(Note:
The bombardment support was the RN contribution to planned military advance
in
the western desert, Operation CHIEFTAIN)
20th Deployed with same ships for further diversionary
cruise during support bombardment by
cruisers.(Operation
ME7)
21st Deployed with Fleet units to cover passage
of cruisers for support bombardment.
Under
air attacks which were driven off by Fleet Air Arm aircraft based at Mersa Matruh.
22nd Returned to Alexandria
with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS VALIANT and destroyer
screen.
24th Took part with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH , HMS
VALIANT and screen of eight
Fleet
destroyers for provision of cover to cruisers of 7th and 15th Squadrons carrying
out
search for military convoys on passage to Benghazi (Operation ME7).
(Note:
Cruisers were deployed as Force B – See Naval Staff History)
25th Under constant supervision by enemy aircraft.
Under
attack by U331 and hit by three torpedoes which struck between funnel and X
turret
on port side.
Ship
sank in position 32.34N 26.24N within 4 minutes after the magazine detonated.
Only
450 survived from the complement of about 1312. (Casualty List
-
note on casualties)
(Note:
At the subsequent Board of Inquiry it was suggested that the fires started caused
the
explosion of the 4” and 15” magazines All internal communications failed
and
the speed of the development of a list made it impossible for many to escape.
See
above references and TUBAL CAIN by E Muspratt.)
