1 9 3 9
September
3rd Serving with Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria and
exercising in the eastern
Mediterranean.
October Deployed
in Indian Ocean with HM Battleship MALAYA and HM Destroyer BULLDOG
in Hunting Force
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett).
(Note : During
this period boiler tubes were replaced during non-operational
flying periods.
November Indian Ocean deployment in
continuation.
December
10th At Colombo
29th Passage with HM Cruiser KENT and French cruiser SUFFREN to
rejoin Fleet in
the
Mediterranean.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed with Mediterranean
Fleet and prepared for refit.
17th Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Malta.
February Under refit
to Post refit trials.
March
April Planned work-up with HM
Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL in eastern Mediterranean
cancelled after
German invasion of Norway.
14th Passage to Clyde with HM Australian Destroyer STUART for
deployment with the
Home Fleet off
Norway (Operation RUPERT/R4).
19th Nomination for cover of Trondheim landings (Operation HAMMER)
cancelled.
21st Sailed from Clyde to rejoin Fleet.
22nd . Embarked RAF GLADIATOR aircraft, previously based at Filton,
Bristol.
23rd Took passage from Scapa Flow with HMS ARK ROYAL, HM Cruiser
BERWICK and
HM AA Cruiser
CURLEW, screened by HM Destroyers FEARLESS, FURY, HASTY,
HEREWARD,
HYPERION and JUNO to relieve HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS at
Narvik
(Operation DX)
(Note : HMS
CURLEW was fitted with aircraft warning radar equipment.
This was the
first RN multi-carrier operation).
24th Commenced air operations in support of military.
GLADIATOR
aircraft flew off to establish airfield on frozen lake in Romsdal
valley.
25th Aircraft operations in support of military and for shipping
attacks.
to Four SKUA aircraft lost but crews recovered.
26th Operation extended 24 hours.
New screen
provided comprising HM Destroyers BEAGLE, ENCOUNTER,
ESCORT, FORTUNE,
GRENADE and VOLUNTEER.
27th Returned to Scapa escorted by HM Destroyers BEAGLE, ENCOUNTER,
ESCORT,
FURY, GRENADE, HASTY and VOLUNTEER to refuel and re-arm.
30th Sailed for Narvik after delay due to bad weather without all
expected number
of replacement
aircraft embarked.
Escort Included
HM Destroyers ACHERON, ANTELOPE and BEAGLE.
May
1st Rejoined HMS ARK ROYAL and provided cover for evacuations
at Andalsnes
and Molde.
Provided A/S patrols and air cover for fleet and shipping protection.
Escorted HM
Battleship VALIANT with HM Cruiser BERWICK.
Under heavy air
attacks.
2nd Returned to Scapa Flow with HMS ARK ROYAL.
3rd Aircraft landed prior to passage to Clyde.
4th At Greenock to replenish and give leave.
14th Sailed for Norway with HMS FURIOUS.
18th Provided cover and Fleet protection with HMS ARK ROYAL and
HMS FURIOUS.
(Note : This was
the first time 3 RN carriers operated together).
21st Landed GLADIATOR aircraft for operation from shore.
Took passage to
Scapa Flow.
24th Passage to Narvik area escorted by HM Destroyers WREN, ARROW
and
HIGHLANDER
to resume flying operations.
26th Flew off RAF HURRICANE aircraft to operate from airstrip at
Skaanland.
27th Provided air cover during allied military operations to
recapture Narvik.
28th During continuation of air cover intercepted enemy aircraft
at Narvik during
allied attack.
29th Returned to Scapa Flow.
June
1st Passage to
Narvik with HMS ARK ROYAL screened by HM
Destroyers ACASTA,
ARDENT, ACHERON, DIANA and HIGHLANDER for support of evacuation
(Operation
ALPHABET)
2nd Deployed at Narvik to embark RAF GLADIATOR aircraft.
3rd Detached with HMS HIGHLANDER and laid off Norwegian coast
to conserve fuel.
(Note : Owing to
lack of aircraft unable to take full part in covering the
evacuation of
allied troops from Narvik with HMS ARK ROYAL.
For details see
THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by Jack Adams, NARVIK by D
MacIntyre).
4th Rejoined HMS ARK ROYAL.
6th Launched SWORDFISH aircraft for bombing attack on German HQ
at Hundallan.
Operation
aborted because of weather and aircraft returned.
7th Began to embark RAF HURRICANE aircraft from shore for
passage to UK.
8th On completion of recovery of RAF aircraft approval given to
return to Scapa
Flow to prepare
for courts martial.
Sailed for UK at
0253 escorted by HM Destroyers ACASTA and ARDENT.
Intercepted by
German battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU.
In brief
engagement all three British warships were sunk. (Casualty
List -
note
on casualties)
(For further
details See CARRIER GLORIOUS by John Winton, THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION
by J Adams and Naval Staff History).
(Note ; The loss
of these ships was the subject of an Inquiry.
Among the
various factors leading to this loss was the failure to ensure
aircraft were
available for reconnaissance and the wisdom of allowing
the ship to make
an independent passage).
Addendum
1938-1940 MOVEMENTS of
HMS GLORIOUS
by Don Kindell
|
1938
|
|
Devonport
|
3 Nov
37 to
15 Jan 38
|
|
Weymouth
Bay
|
16 Jan
38 to
17 Jan 38
|
|
Gibraltar
|
21 Jan
38 to
21 Jan 38
|
|
Malta
|
24 Jan
38 to
7 Feb 38
|
|
Alexandria
|
12 Feb
38 to
21 Feb 38
|
|
Malta
|
25 Feb
38 to
3 Mar 38
|
|
Gibraltar
(exercises)
|
7 Mar 38 to 25 Mar 38
|
|
Malta
|
27 Mar 38 to 16 May 38
|
|
Golfe Juan,
France
|
18 May 38 to
24 May 38
|
|
Ajaccio,
Corsica
|
25 May 38 to
29 May 38
|
|
Malta
|
31 May 38 to
27 Jul 38
|
|
Crkvenica,
Yugoslavia
|
24 Jul
38 to
1 Aug 38
|
|
Argostoli,
Greece
|
3 Aug
38 to
11 Aug 38
|
|
Patras,
Greece
|
12 Aug
38 to
23 Aug 38
|
|
Malta
|
25 Aug
38 to
16 Sep 38
|
|
Vatika Bay,
Greece
|
18 Sep
38 to
21 Sep 38
|
|
Alexandria
|
23 Sep
38 to
5 Nov 38
|
|
|
|
|
1939
|
|
Malta
|
9 Nov
38 to
23 Jan 39
|
|
Alexandria
|
27 Jan
39 to
16 Feb 39
|
|
Malta
|
20 Feb
39 to
23 Feb 39
|
|
Gibraltar
|
27 Feb 39 to 18 Mar 39
|
|
Malta
|
20 Mar 39 to 26 Apr 39
|
|
Alexandria
|
28 Apr
39 to 12 May 39
|
|
Malta
|
14 May 39 to
6 June 39
|
|
Alexandria
|
9 Jun
39 to
4 Jul 39
|
|
Phalerum Bay,
Greece
|
7 Jul
39 to
14 Jul 39
|
|
Milos,
Greece
|
15 Jul
39 to
18 Jul 39
|
|
Suda
Bay,
Crete
|
20 Jul
39 to
24 Jul 39
|
|
Alexandria
|
27 Jul
39 to
9 Aug 39
|
|
Limassol,
Cyprus
|
11 Aug
39 to
14 Aug 39
|
|
Alexandria
|
15 Aug
39 to
11 Sep 39
|
|
East Mediterranean
|
11 Sep
39 to
16 Sep 39
|
|
Alexandria
|
16 Sep
39 to
9 Oct 39
|
|
Aden
|
13 Oct
39 to
13 Oct 39
|
|
Socotra area
|
15 Oct
39 to
6 Dec 39
|
|
Colombo, Ceylon
|
10 Dec 39 to 18 Dec 39
|
|
Trincomalee, Ceylon
|
21 Dec
39 to
29 Dec 39
|
|
Colombo,
Ceylon
|
30 Dec
39 to
31 Dec 39
|
|
|
|
|
1940
|
|
Aden
|
7 Jan
40 to
7 Jan 40
|
|
Suez
|
9 Jan
40 to
9 Jan 40
|
|
Alexandria
|
11 Jan
40 to
13 Jan 40
|
|
Malta
|
17 Jan
40 to
25 Mar 40
|
