1 9 3
9
September Deployed
in Home Fleet.
3rd Detached for
Atlantic convoy defence.
Escorted troop convoy to Gibraltar.
October Atlantic
trade protection duties in continuation.
November Transferred
to Indian Ocean for trade defence.
Carried
out search for German ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE
December Indian Ocean trade defence
duty in continuation.
Passage to New Zealand for escort of military
convoy.
1 9 4 0
January
6th Sailed with HM
Australian Cruiser CANBERRA as escort for military convoy. Joined
military convoy US1 for escort from Australian waters to Suez.
February Passage
to Suez as escort for Convoy US1.
March Transferred
to Mediterranean Fleet.
April
19th Detached to join
escort of Convoy US2 from Melbourne to Middle East.
Passage to join HM Australian Cruisers ADELAIDE and SYDNEY.
May Deployed
for defence of Convoy US2.
June On
arrival at Alexandria taken in hand for refit.
11th Refit suspended after Italy entered war.
27th Deployed with HM Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN,
HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE,
HM
Cruisers LIVERPOOL, NEPTUNE, ORION and SYDNEY (RAN) screened by
11 Destroyers to cover the passage of Convoys MF1 and MS1 from Malta.
(Operation
MA3 - These convoys were evacuating non-essential personnel).
28th Cruisers in action
against 3 Italian destroyers one of which (ESPERO) was sunk.
29th Fleet units returned to Alexandria because of high expenditure of ammunition
and
Operation
cancelled.
July
4th At Alexandria when French warships
crisis was resolved (Operation CATAPULT).
(See RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute).
27th Deployed with HM Battleships MALAYA and WARSPITE, HMS EAGLE, HM
Cruisers NEPTUNE and SYDNEY south of Crete in search for shipping. Under air
attack.
August
17th Joined Force B with HMS MALAYA for
bombardment of Bardia and Fort Capuzzo.
September Mediterranean
Fleet deployment in continuation.
October
8th Deployed with HM Battleships MALAYA, VALIANT and WARSPITE. HM Aircraft
Carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS and EAGLE, HM Cruisers AJAX, GLOUCESTER,
LIVERPOOL, ORION, SYDNEY and YORK screened by 9 destroyers to cover
passage of Convoy MF3 to Malta and Convoy MF4 to Port Said (Operation MB6).
12th Under attack by Italian torpedo boats
some of which were engaged by HMS YORK
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
14th Covered air operations against Leros by
carriers.
November
6th Deployed with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS
MALAYA, HMS VALIANT HMS
WARSPITE,
HM Cruisers AJAX, GLOUCESTER, ORION, SYDNEY (RAN)
and YORK with screen of 13 destroyers. (Operation
COAT).
Operation
COAT - Major operations involving both Force H ships at Gibraltar and
Mediterranean
Fleet based at Alexandria. This included passage of reinforcements to
join Mediterranean Fleet and passage of Convoy MW3 to Malta and Convoy MW4 to
Port Said (Operation MB8)
10th Escorted Convoy ME3 from Malta with HM Cruiser COVENTRY, HM Destroyers
DEFENDER, DECOY, VAMPIRE (RAN) and WATERHEN (RAN).
Attack
by Italian submarine CAPRONI failed.
13th Under air attacks.
(For
details of Mediterranean Fleet activities in 1940-41 see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre).
20th Nominated for
withdrawal from Mediterranean Fleet and to return to UK.
25th Deployed with HM Cruisers BERWICK, COVENTRY and NEWCASTLE, screened
by five destroyers as Force D to cover passage of Convoy MW4
to Malta and Convoy
ME3
to Port Said. (Operation MB9 - Coincident with Operation COLLAR – Major
operation to pass more reinforcement ships to Alexandria and pass convoys to Malta
from East and West).
27th Detached with HMS NEWCASTLE and HMS
BERWICK to join Force H during
passage to Gibraltar with HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK
ROYAL, HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD and DESPATCH.
Took
part in brief engagement with Italian units, which withdrew at speed and were
not pursued in order to ensure safe passage of convoy
(Battle of Cape Spativento).
December Passage
to UK with HMS MALAYA.
Rejoined Home Fleet for Atlantic convoy defence
duty on arrival.
1 9 4 1
January
12th Joined military convoy WS5B in NW
Approaches for escort during Atlantic Passage.
(Note:
HM Cruisers NAIAD, PHEOPBE and EMERALD also deployed for this
convoy.)
17th Detached from WS5B and resumed Atlantic
trade defence duty.
February Atlantic
deployment in continuation.
6th During cover of Convoy HXl06 sighted
German battleship SCHARNHORST which
withdrew at high speed to avoid damage in action with a
battleship.
March Home
Fleet deployment in continuation.
April Covered
passage of convoys HX118 and SC27 whose escort included HM armed
Merchant
Cruiser SALOPIAN, French submarine SURCOUF and Polish destroyer
ORP
PIORUN.
May Deployed
to cover passage of Convoy HX127.
25th Detached from Convoy HX127 and joined
Home Fleet search for the German
battleship BISMARCK which had sunk HM Battlecruiser HOOD on
24th May.
June Home
Fleet deployment for Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
to
July
August Atlantic
deployment in continuation.
18th Passage from Hvalfjord, Iceland to Scapa Flow with HM Battleship PRINCE OF
WALES, HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE, HM Destroyer Depot Ship HECLA screened
by five destroyers.
(Note:
The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill was embarked in HMS PRINCE OF
WALES for return to UK after the Atlantic Charter meeting in
Newfoundland).
September Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
to Under
refit:
November Radar
for aircraft and surface warning as well as for fire control of main and
secondary armament. (See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
Nominated for service in East Indies.
December On
completion of post refit trials prepared for foreign service.
13th Joined military convoy WS14 with HM
Destroyers BADSWORTH and BEAUFORT
as escort during passage to Indian Ocean.
21st At Freetown with WS14.
25th Rejoined WS14 with HMS BEAUFORT on
departure from Freetown as escort for
passage to Capetown with HM Sloop BRIDGEWATER, HM Destroyers
BEAUFORT and HURWORTH.
1 9 4 2
January
4th Detached from WS14 on relief by HM
Armed Merchant Cruiser DERBYSHIRE off
Cape of Good Hope.
10th Rejoined ships of WS14 which had entered
Capetown and provided Ocean Escort for
passage in Indian Ocean.
13th Remained with WS14 on arrival at Durban where convoy divided into sections bound
for Aden, Bombay and Singapore.
20th Detached from WS14
on relief by HM Cruiser COLOMBO.
Took passage to Durban for further convoy
escort duty.
February
20th Joined military convoy DM3 with HM
Destroyer NORMAN as escort for its passage
in Indian
Ocean from Durban.
(Note:
Originally bound for Singapore, the destination was changed to Batavia).
28th Detached from DM3 with HMS NORMAN to
refuel at Addu Atoll and returned on 29th
March
2nd Destination of convoy changed to Bombay and Columbo.
Detached
from DM3 and took passage to Columbo with designated mercantiles.
4th On arrival at Columbo detached from DM3 to join ships of East Indies
Squadron.
26th Joined HM Battleships WARSPITE,
RESOLUTION, REVENGE and ROYAL
SOVEREIGN
and formed 3rd Battle Squadron.
Carried out tactical and gunnery exercises at Addu
Atoll with squadron.
31st Joined Force B of Eastern Fleet with HM
Battleships RESOLUTION, REVENGE,
and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, HM Aircraft Carrier HERMES, HM Cruisers
CALEDON, DRAGON and Dutch cruiser HEEMSKERK (Neth) screened by 8
destroyers.
Deployed
to cover search by Force A for Japanese warships reported heading toward
Ceylon.
(For details of Indian Ocean operations in 1942 see OPERATION
PACIFIC by E Gray).
April
4th Deployed with Force B in support of
Force A during further search operation to the
south of Ceylon.
8th Transferred to Mombassa after
Trincomalee and Colombo were considered unsafe due
to Japanese air raids on Ceylon.
Deployed on convoy protection in Indian Ocean.
28th Escorted Convoy Z with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
and HM Cruiser HERMIONE
screened by six destroyers from Durban to Diego Suarez for assault landings.
(Operation
IRONCLAD - see RELUCTANT ENEMIES and Naval Staff History)
May
5th Provided naval
gunfire support during landings.
6th Royal Marines transferred to HM
Destroyer ANTHONY for landing at French Naval
Base in Diego Suarez.
30th Hit by torpedo on port side forward of A
turret from Japanese midget submarine in
Diego Suarez Bay.
Extensive
damage and flooding prevented further use before major repair.
June
3rd Passage to Durban escorted by HM Cruiser EMERALD and 3
destroyers after
temporary repair had been completed.
Taken in hand for repair on arrival.
July Under
repair at Durban.
to Ship
to return to UK for refit and completion of repair
outstanding.
August
September Passage
to UK.
October Under
repair and refit.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Under
refit
to
June
July Re-commissioned
and carried out post refit trials.
Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet.
August Passage
to Scapa Flow for work-up with Home
Fleet.
Prepared
for foreign service.
September Passage
to join Eastern Fleet in Ceylon.
October Deployed
for convoy defence in Indian Ocean.
to
November
December Nominated
for return to UK for support of military operations in Home
waters.
1 9 4 4
January Passage
to UK
February Defence against aircraft improved including fit of radar
for close weapons.
March Joined
Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
April Took
part in preparatory exercises for planned assault landings.
to Nominated
for service in Eastern Task Force with Bombarding Force D. Target in
May Pre-arranged
Fire Plan - Benerville Battery.
(Operation
NEPTUNE - For details of naval activities prior to
and during landings see
OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, JUNE
1944 (HMSO).).
June Joined
HMS WARSPITE, HM Monitor ROBERTS, HM Cruisers MAURITIUS,
ARETHUSA,
FROBISHER, DANAE and Polish ORP DRAGON of Bombarding
Force
D at Portsmouth.
4th Operation delayed 24 hours.
5th Passage through swept channel to
Assault area with ships of Force D in Convoy S6
escorted by HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, SWIFT, Norwegian
destroyers SVENNER
and STORD, HM Frigates ROWLEY and HOLMES.
6th Arrived in the bombardment position
and provided support during landings on
SWORD Beach.
Came
under attack by E-Boats and Norwegian destroyer SVENNER (ex SUCCESS)
sunk.
Bombarded
Benerville battery in support of landings and
remained off beaches
with HMS WARSPITE (till withdrawn), HM Battleships NELSON
and RODNEY.
July After
release from NEPTUNE prepared for bombardment duties in Mediterranean.
Allocated for service under US Command for support of landings in South France.
(Operation
DRAGOON - For details see LANDINGS IN SOUTH FRANCE
(HMSO).
August Passage
to Gibraltar
11th Arrived at Algiers to join ALPHA Gunfire
Support Group in Task Force 84.
(Note:
The Group had already sailed for Malta and programme
rearranged).
10th Took passage to join HM Cruisers ORION, AURORA, AJAX and BLACK PRINCE,
US cruiser USS QUINCY and
French cruiser GLOIRE in Assault area.
15th Joined Gunfire
Support Group.
Provided
naval gunfire support with ships of Group during landings by 3rd US Div
in Baie de Cavalaire.
Batteries at St Tropez and Cape Camarat silenced.
19th Transferred to SITKA area. Fired 12 rounds at fort.
After
defence collapsed in SITKA area took passage to Propriano.
August
24th Took passage to Algiers from Propriano.
Recalled to support military operations in Marseilles Bay.
25th Arrived at Porquerolles
with HM Cruiser SIRIUS and US cruiser OMAHA. Joined in
bombardment of batteries on St. Mendrier
peninsula.
26th Resumed bombardment of batteries.
27th Bombardment in
continuation. (See above references for details).
29th Released from US command and remained in
Mediterranean.
September Deployed
in Mediterranean.
October Passage
to UK
November Deployed
with Home Fleet
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Home
waters deployment in continuation
to
February
March Withdrawn
from operational service
April Deployed
as Accommodation Ship and for training
to
August
