1 9 3 9
September Part of 1st Battlecruiser Squadron,
Home Fleet.
3rd Deployed with Squadron for convoy defence and interception
in NW Approaches and
North Sea.
26th Carried out patrol in Faeroes- Iceland gap and covered Home Fleet units during
return
of damaged submarine SPEARFISH.
Under
air attack and hit on Quarterdeck without serious damage.
October Deployed
to cover convoys to Norway and searched off Stadtlandet for battleships
SCHARNHORST
and GNEISENAU without success.
November Under repair at Devonport.
On
completion resumed Home Fleet service.
26th Deployed with Home Fleet units to intercept SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU after
loss
of HM Armed Merchant Cruiser RAWALPINDI.
December Reinforced escort for first
Canadian troop convoy NCI to UK.
1 9 4 0
January Home
Fleet deployment in NW Approaches for interception duties..
February Covered passage of 3rd Canadian
troop convoy.
March
29th Taken in hand for refit at Devonport.
April Under
refit.
Replacement
of secondary 5.5" secondary armament completed.
Degaussing
equipment fitted for protection against magnetic mines.
(Note:
RM Detachment and some seamen loaned for service in Norway.
May Post
refit trials.
Nominated
for service with Force H at Gibraltar.
27th On completion prepared for foreign service.
(For
details of operations in the Mediterranean in 1940 see THE BATTLE FOR TH
MEDITERRANEAN
by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C
Barnett and The Naval Staff History).
June
28th Joined Force H with HM Battleships VALIANT and RESOLUTION, HM
Cruisers
ARETHUSAand
ENTERPRISE, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL on formation.
July
3rd Deployed with HM Batttleships WARSPITE, VALIANT and
RESOLUTION, HM Aircraft
Carrier
ARK ROYAL and ships of Force H for attack on Vichy
French warships at Mers-
el-Kebir.
(Operation CATAPULT).
(For
details see THE DEADLY STROKE by W
Tute and The Naval Staff History.
6th Covered 2nd attack on French battleship DUNKERQUE by ships
of Force H.
8th Covered HMS ARK ROYAL with Force H units during air attacks on Cagliari.
(Operation
MA5 - This was abandoned after detection by Italian aircraft.).
31st Covered Malta aircraft delivery by HM Aircraft Carrier ARGUS
with HMS VALIANT.
HMS
RESOLUTION, HMS ARK ROYAL, HM Cruisers ARETHUSA and
ENTERPRISE screened by Force H destroyers (Operation CRUSH).
August
4th Passage UK with HMS VALIANT, HMS ARGUS, HMS ARETHUSA and
destroyers of
Force
H.
Relieved
in Force H by HMS RENOWN.
7th Taken in hand at Rosyth for replacement of one gun in
"A" Turret..
11th Rejoined Home Fleet for interception and anti-invasion patrol
duties.
October Took
part with Home Fleet units in search for enemy warships reported on passage in
North Sea
without success.
November Deployed in SW Approaches with
Home Fleet units in search for German cruiser
SCHEER
without success..
26th Covered ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay in
Northern Barrage
(Operation
SN11: For details see Naval Staff History)
December Diverted
from patrol to assist HMS BERWICK in hunt for German cruiser HIPPER
after
attack on Convoy WS5A.
1 9 4 1
January
3rd Covered ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay in
Northern Barrage.
(Operation
SN6A)
4th Covered ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay in
Northern Barrage.
(Operation
SN65)
16th Taken in hand for refit at Rosyth.
Fire
-Control Radar Type 284 fitted for forward main armament.
(For
details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D
Howse.)
February Under refit
Newly
developed aircraft warning radar Type 79B using only one mast fitted.
March On
completion deployed in SW Approaches in serach for Geraman SCHARNHORST
and
GNEISENAU.
After
enemy ships had reached Brest without contact remained on patrol.
April First
experimental model of single mast aircraft warning radar Type 79B fitted
followed
by
successful sea trial.
May Atlantic
convoy defence and interception duties in continuation based in Iceland.
23rd During patrol off Iceland with HM Battleship PRINCE OF WALES escorted by four
Home
Fleet destroyers took passage to intercept German battleship BISMARCK and the
cruiser
PRINZ EUGEN on receipt of Enemy Report from HM Cruiser SUFFOLK in
Denmark Strait
24th Engaged BISMARCK and PRINZ EUGEN with HMS PRINCE OF WALES and
sank
after
fifth salvo of return fire.
(Note:
Loss was due to design weakness which gave inadequate armour protection
against
plunging shells. See BRITISH BATTLESHIPS.)
HM
Destroyer ELECTRA rescued the only three survivors out of a total complement
of
over 1,418 on board. (Casualty List
-
note on
casualties)
(For
further details see PURSUIT by LK Kennedy, BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by
Mullenheim
Rechberg and The Naval Staff History.)
