1 9 4 2
June
17th Commissioned for service in Home Fleet.
Commanding Officer:
Captain H C L Woodhouse, RN.
Minimum manning for trials.
28th Passage to Rosyth for completion of radar outfit installation
work.
July Completion of radar fit
at Rosyth in continuation.
August Radar equipment fit completed.
26th Contractors Sea Trials.
29th Build completion date.
(Note: Some of the
delay in completion was due to changes made following the
loss of HM Battleship PRINCE OF WALES. See BRITISH BATTLESHIPS by Raven
and Roberts. Total build time was 5 years and 2 months.)
30th Commenced work-up with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
September
2nd Carried out Full Power Trials and achieved
27.5 knots.
October Work-up at Scapa Flow in
continuation.
November Deployed with Home Fleet on patrol
to interception of surface warships attempting
to break out in Atlantic for attacks on convoy routes.
December
29th Covered passage from Kola Inlet of returning Convoy RA51 with
HM Battleship KING
GEORGE V and HM Cruiser
BERMUDA screened by HM Destroyers MONTROSE, MUSKETEER,
QUEENBOROUGH, RAIDER, WORCESTER and Polish ORP PIORUN.
(For details of all
Russian Convoy operations and naval deployments in the NW
Approaches see CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by R. Ruegg, CONVOY! by
P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B. Schoefield, and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett).
1 9 4 3
January
3rd Resumed interception patrol end convoy defence in NW Approaches.
February
24th Covered passage of Russian Convoy JW53 and returning RA53 with
HMS KING GEORGE V
and HM Cruiser BERWICK screened by HM Destroyers ICARUS, METEOR,
MUSKETEER, OFFA,
ONSLAUGHT and Polish
ORP PIORUN
March
10th Resumed interception and convoy defence duty in NW Approaches.
April Deployed with Hone Fleet in
continuation.
May Nominated for support of
allied landings in Sicily after docking at Rosyth
(Note : Close range AA defence was supplemented by provision of
20mm Oerlikon
guns which were fitted during passage to Gibraltar by ship's
staff.)
Visited by HM King George VI during visit to Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
21st Passage from Rosyth to Gibraltar screened
by HM Destroyers ONSLOW and ORWELL.
(Note : Carried out bombardment exercises during passage in NW
Approaches.)
26th Arrived at Gibraltar and prepared for support of allied landings in Sicily.
(Operation HUSKY
- See Naval Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C Barnett.).
June Transferred to Algiers.
12th Present at Algiers during visit by HM King George VI who came
on board.
July Nominated with HMS KING
GEORGE V for duty in Reserve Force to be deployed west
of Sicily to prevent interference during landings by Italian warships.
9th Passage to take up station with HMS KING
GEORGE V screened by four destroyers.
10th Deployed south of Sardinia as part of the Reserve Covering Force with HMS KING
GEORGE V, HM Cruisers
DIDO and SIRIUS, screened by HM Destroyers JERVIS, PANTHER,
PENN, PALADIN and PETARD during the landings in
Sicily.
12th Bombarded Trapani and Favignana, Levanzo with HMS KING GEORGE
V as a deception to
suggest landings on west coast of Sicily (Operation FRACTURE)
On release from HUSKY
returned to Algiers.
August
4th At Algiers when HM Destroyer ARROW was badly damaged whilst assisting
to fight
fires on a mercantile carrying explosives. After an explosion
parties were sent
to help in rescue work and dealing with casualties.
(Note: Over 100 of
the crew of HMS ARROW were killed.)
September Based at Algiers for future support deployments.
7th Sailed for Augusta with HMS KING GEORGE V.
9th Covered landing of 1st British Airborne Division at Taranto by HM Cruisers AURORA
PENELOPE, DIDO, SIRIUS and HM Minelaying Cruiser ABDIEL with HMS KING
GEORGE V.
(Operation SLAPSTICK)
(Note : HM Minelaying Cruiser ABDIEL sank after being mined when
entering harbour.
See Naval Staff History (Mining)).
14th Deployed with HM Battleship KING GEORGE V for escort of the surrendered
Italian
warships during passage to Alexandria from Malta.
(Note : These included battleships ITALIA and VITTORIO VENETO, four cruisers and
four destroyers)
16th Arrived at Alexandria with Italian warships and met by HM Minesweeper DERBY with
CinC Levant embarked.
Passage from Alexandria to Algiers.
October
1st Arrived at Algiers and rejoined HMS KING GEORGE V
Recalled to Scapa Flow to resume Home Fleet duties.
Took passage escorted
by HM Destroyers FOXHOUND, ECLIPSE, FURY and ECHO.
On arrival deployed
with Home Fleet on interception and convoy defence.
November Nominated for service in Far East after
refit.
To be paid off and
recommissioned on completion.
Passage to Devonport.
Paid-off and taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
December Taken in hand for refit prior to service
in Pacific.
1 9 4 4
January Under
refit and routine docking.
to (Note: Radar Type 276
fitted to give improved air and surface warning capability.
February New design fire control radar Type
274 replaced original Type 284 for main
armament. Aircraft facilities were removed during this period.
For details
of development and use of radar during WW2 see RADAR AT SEA by D
Howse.)
March Undocked.
April Refit
in continuation.
Recommissioned for service in British Pacific Fleet.
Commanding Officer:
Captain H McCall, RN.
11th Carried out Full Power Trial. Returned
to Devonport on completion
May Refit completion and took
passage to Scapa Flow for work-up with Home Fleet.
June On completion of work-up
took passage to Mediterranean.
July Deployed in Mediterranean
for exercises and call at Algiers
August Passage
in Red Sea and Indian Ocean with call at Aden.
8th Arrived in Ceylon and joined Eastern Fleet for deployment pending the formation
of
British Pacific Fleet.
(Note: HM Battleship
VALIANT sustained major damage when Dry Dock in which she
being refitted collapsed. This ship was then withdrawn from operations.)
24th Covered HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS and INDOMITABLE with two
cruisers of the
Eastern Fleet during
air attacks on Padang, Sumatra (Operation BANQUET).
28th Provided air-sea rescue cover for attacks by US XX Bomber Command
B29 aircraft on
targets in NW Sumatra from Ceylon. HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, Free French
battleship RICHELIEU, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE,
ILLUSTRIOUS and VICTORIOUS
screened by destroyers of the Eastern Fleet also took
part (Operation BOOMERANG).
September
16th Covered air attacks by HMS INDOMITABLE and HMS VICTORIOUS on Sigli, Sumatra and a
series of photo-reconnaissance flights on Nicobars, with cruisers and destroyers
of Eastern Fleet (Operation LIGHT).
(For details of Eastern
Fleet operations see OPERATION PACIFIC by Edwin Gray, THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton, and Naval Staff History).
October Deployed with Eastern Fleet in
Ceylon.
November
22nd Joined British Pacific Fleet on formation in Ceylon with HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS
INDEFATIGABLE, HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS INDOMITABLE,
HM Cruisers BLACK
PRINCE, SWIFTSURE, ARGONAUT and two Destroyer Flotillas.
26th Carried out Full Power
Trial.
December
4th Took passage to Sydney from Trincomalee.
6th Crossing the Line ceremonials.
1 9 4 5
January Passage to Sydney after call at Fremantle to refuel.
18th Arrived at Sydney.
Passage to Auckland for independent visit by CinC to RNZN.
February After demonstration off Auckland took passage to Sydney to join rejoin British
Pacific Fleet for operations with the US 5th Fleet.
28th Sailed from Sydney with BPF ships for passage to Forward Base at Manus in the
Admiralty Islands.
March
7th At Manus, British Fleet base in Admiralty Islands.
8th Delayed at Manus pending approval by US Naval CinC Admiral King for deployment of
to BPF in Pacific naval
operations.
14th (Note: RN ships had been redesignated
Task Force 113).
15th Deployment in US 5th Fleet approved.
18th Took passage from Manus
to Ulithi prior to joining 5th Fleet in operational area.
20th Arrived at Manus with ships
of TF113.
23rd Part of Redesignated Task Force 57 and
sailed for Sakishma Gunto Group.
(Note: Task Force
57 comprised:
Task Group 57.1 - HMS HOWE and HMS KING GEORGE V (1st Battle Sqdn.)
Task Group 57.2 -
HM Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS, INDEFATIGABLE,
INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS (1st Aircraft Carrier Sqdn).
Task Group 57.5 -
HM Cruisers ARGONAUT, BLACK PRINCE, GAMBIA (RNZN)
and SWIFTSURE (4th Cruiser Sqdn.)
Task Group 57.8 -
HM Cruiser EURYALUS (RA(D)) and destroyers of 4th, 25th
and
27th Flotillas).
26th Joined ships of Task Force 58 for operations to neutralise airfields
in Sakishima
Gunto Group (Operation
ICEBERG ONE).
April Deployment
off Sakishima Gunto in continuation.
Operation continued
in conjunction with TF58 with Replenishment periods from ships
of Fleet Train. For details see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and above references.
21st Withdrew from operational area with Task
Force 57.
23rd Arrived at Leyte for replenishment and repair period.
May
1st Sailed with Task Force 57 to continue
operations with US Navy off Sakishima Gunto.
(Operation ICEBERG
TWO).
(Note: HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
did not rejoin Task Group 57.2.
Task Group organisation otherwise as for ICEBERG ONE).
4th Rejoined US Task Force 58 with Task Force 57 for further joint
operations in the
Sakishima Gunto Group.
Detached to carry
out bombardment of airfield at Hiara, Miyako Shima with HMS KING
GEORGE V, HMS SWIFTSURE,
HMS BLACK PRINCE, HMS EURYALUS, HMS GAMBIA
and HMS UGANDA screened by 25th Destroyer Flotilla.
Returned to rejoin
other snips which were under KAMIKAZE attacks during which HMS
FORMIDABLE was hit
and sustained serious damage with many casualties.
5th Deployed with Task Force and provided defence against conventional
and KAMIKAZE
to air attacks. See following references
for details.
24th Replenished periodically from Fleet Train
with Task Force.
25th Withdrew for replenishment before taking
passage to Sydney via Manus.
(Note: HMS KING GEORGE
V detached from Task Group 57.1 to visit Guam.)
(For details of operations
by British Pacific Fleet see OPERATION PACIFIC by Edwyn
Gray, THE FORGOTTEN
Fleet by J Winton, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MDRE CLOSELY by
C. Bamett, TASK FORCE 57 by J
Winton, WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and the Naval Staff
History).
June Passage
to Sydney with call at Manus.
5th Arrived at Sydney.
25th Withdrawn from service with British Pacific Fleet to refit in
Durban because no
suitable facilities were available in Australia.
July Passage to Durban and commenced refit.
August Under refit
to
September
