January
Passage
to Scapa Flow from patrol area.
3rd
- Resumed Fleet duties at Scapa Flow.
23rd
- Deployed with cruiser SHEFFIELD,
destroyers ECHO, ECLIPSE, FAULKNOR,
INGLEFIELD, MONTROSE, QUEENBOROUGH, RAIDER
and Polish destroyer ORP ORKAN to provide
Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy
JW52 and return Convoy RA52
27th
- Remained in Arctic after arrival of JW52
at Kola Inlet
30th
- Provided Distant Cover for RA52 with
SHEFFIELD screened by destroyers INGLEFIELD,
OBEDIENT, ORIBI and ORP ORKAN,
February
2nd
- Took passage to return to Scapa Flow on
completion of covering duties.
March
to
May
Deployed
for interception of commerce raiders with
Home Fleet ships at Scapa Flow and in
Iceland area.
June
Deployed
at Scapa Flow.
9th
- Provided cover for relief of Anglo-
Norwegian garrison at Spitzbergen with DUKE
OF YORK, US battleships USS SOUTH DAKOTA and
ALABAMA screened by five US Navy destroyers
(Operation GEARBOX). Note: These US Navy
warships had been transferred for loan
service to reinforce Home Fleet after
battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE were
detached for service in Mediterranean for
planned allied landings in Sicily (Operation
HUSKY)
13th
- On release from GEARBOX took passage to
Scapa Flow with covering force.
28th
- Vice Admiral Bruce Fraser left ship on
promotion to Admiral and relieved by Vice
Admiral Sir Henry Moore as VA2 (Second in
Command) Home Fleet
July
Home
Fleet deployment at Scapa Flow in
continuation.
27th
- Deployed with aircraft carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS and UNICORN for repeat diversion
operation to simulate possible allied
landing in south Norway as a diversion
during HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily. (Note:
Ships involved included DUKE OF YORK and
seven cruisers screened by RN and USN
destroyers (Operation GOVERNOR). The earlier
Operation CAMERA was carried out on 7th
July.)
August
1st
- Note: US ships were withdrawn from loan
service.
Took
passage for refit and routine docking,
Note:
King George VI visited Home Fleet ships at
Scapa Flow on 11th August. Presence of ship
is to be confirmed.
September
Resumed
Home Fleet duties at Scapa Flow.
8th
- Deployed with DUKE OF YORK and screen of
five Home Fleet destroyers to intercept
German battleships TIRPITZ and SCHARNHORST
which had carried out bombardment of
Spitzbergen.
9th
- Returned to Scapa Flow after German
warships reported as returned to Altenfjord.
October
Home
Fleet deployment in continuation.
4th
- Part of Home Fleet cover with DUKE OF
YORK, US cruisers TUSCALOOSA, three RN
cruisers and screen of RN and USN destroyers
during air strikes by US aircraft carrier
USS RANGER on shipping at Bodo on coast of
Norway (Operation LEADER).
6th
- Returned to Scapa Flow with Home Fleet
ships.
14th
- Deployed with destroyers HAIDA (RCN),
IROQUOIS (RCN), HARDY, JANUS and VIGILANT to
land relief stores for allied garrison at
Spitzbergen (Operation GEARBOX III/FQ.)
November
2nd
- Provided Distant Cover for return Convoy
RA54 from Kola Inlet with aircraft carrier
FORMIDABLE, cruisers JAMAICA screened by
destroyers ONSLOW, VENUS, HAIDA (RCN),
Norwegian STORD, US destroyers USS CAPPS and
USS HOBSON.
19th
- Deployed with USS TUSCALOOSA and screened
by US Navy destroyers USS CORRY, USS FITCH,
USS FORREST and USS HOBSON to provide
Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy
JW54A to Kola Inlet.
28th
- Provided Distant Cover for passage of
Russian Convoy JW54B during passage to Kola
Inlet and return Convoy RA54B with cruiser
BELFAST screened by destroyers ASHANTI,
MATCHLESS, MUSKETEER and OBDURATE.
29th
- MATCHLESS detached with weather damage.
December
Detached
from RA54B and returned to Scapa Flow. Note:
Extreme weather conditions were experience
during the cover of JW54B and destroyers
were temporarily detached.
Deployed
at Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.
January
Home
Fleet service based at Scapa Flow in
continuation.
February
24th
- Deployed with Free French battleship
RICHELIEU and two Home Fleet cruisers to
provide cover for FURIOUS during series air
strikes on Norwegian coast (Operation
BAYLEAF).
March
Home
Fleet deployment at Scapa Flow in
continuation.
30th
- Sailed from Scapa Flow with DUKE OF YORK,
aircraft carriers VICTORIOUS and FURIOUS,
cruisers BELFAST, ROYALIST, SHEFFIELD and
JAMAICA, Escort aircraft carriers EMPEROR,
FENCER. PURSUER and SEARCHER screened by
destroyers MILNE, URSA, ONSLAUGHT, VERULAM,
METEOR, UNDAUNTED, VIGILANT, VIRAGO, SWIFT,
JAVELIN, WAKEFUL, ALGONQUIN (RCN), SIOUX
(RCN) and Polish ORP PIORUN to provide
Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy
JW58 to Kola Inlet and for air attacks on
German battleship TIRPITZ at Altenfjord
(Operation TUNGSTEN)
April
2nd
- DUKE OF YORK and two destroyers detached
to provide Distant Cover for JW58.
3rd
- Provided cover during strikes by aircraft
from carriers. (For details see CONVOY! by P
Kemp)
4th
- Second series of strikes abandoned and
took return passage to Scapa Flow.
6th
- Arrived at Scapa Flow with Fleet units.
21st
- Sailed from Scapa Flow with VICTORIOUS,
FURIOUS, SEARCHER, STRIKER, EMPEROR and
PURSUER, Home Fleet cruisers and destroyer
screen to provide cover during further
series of air strikes on TIRPITZ (Operation
PLANET). Note: DUKE OF YORK did not take
part.
25th
- Air operations postponed because of
weather conditions. See above reference.
26th
- TIRPITZ attacks cancelled in view of
weather and carried out on secondary target
of shipping near Bodo.
May
Scapa
Flow deployment in continuation.
12th
- Deployed to provide cover for air strikes
by VICTORIOUS and FURIOUS on TIRPIRTZ with
Home Fleet cruisers and destroyer screen.
Note: This operation was cancelled and ships
returned to Scapa Flow.
June
Nominated
for refit at Devonport to prepare for
service in British Pacific Fleet.
Took
passage to Devonport to Pay-off.
July
Paid-off
and taken in hand for refit by Dockyard.
Note: During the nine month refit extensive
changes were made to the radar equipment and
to improve close range AA defence prior to
service in the Pacific. Radar changes
included:
Aircraft
warning Type 281 replaced by single mast
281B.
Surface warning Type 273 replaced by Type
293 and Type 277.
Close Range AA fire-control replaced by
four Type 262 and single Type 282
retained. 4 AA Fire-control Type 285
replaced by Type 274. Barrage Control Type
283 fitted for all four mountings.
Main Armament Fire Control Type 284
replaced by two Type 274 to provide
separate facilities for forward and after
turrets.
The aircraft facilities were removed to
provide additional accommodation and
improved boat stowages.
July
to December
Under
refit
January
to February
Under
refit
March
Recommissioned
for service with British Pacific Fleet.
Commanding Officer Captain A C G Madden.
Post
refit trials.
April
On
completion of sea trials took passage to
Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of Home
Fleet for operational service in Pacific.
Trials
including gunnery firings and weapon
calibrations whilst working up at Scapa
Flow. Note: Trials of newly developed
surface warning radar Type 277P were carried
out.
25th
- Took passage to Mediterranean with DUKE OF
YORK.
May
2nd
- Arrived at Malta. Note: DUKE OF YORK
remained in Malta for repair of major
electrical defect.
Took
independent passage to Ceylon via Suez
Canal.
June
Passage
to Sydney
July
Arrived
in Sydney, escorted by destroyers WAGER and
WHELP, after British Pacific Fleet had
sailed to join US 3rd Fleet as Task Force 37
to take part in operations off Japan. Note:
Further research is required for these
months.
August
Deployed
at Sydney
Nominated
for duty at Hong Kong as part of
re-occupation Task Force.
Took
passage from Sydney.
20th
- Joined Light Fleet aircraft carrier
VENGEANCE and ships of Task Force 111 during
passage to Hong Kong.
26th
- Arrived in Hong Kong and landed parties to
assist in re-occupation and repatriation of
military and civil personnel taken prisoner
in December 1941 when Colony fell to
Japanese forces.
