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1 9 4 3
August Contractors trials
9th Build
completion
Passage to Esquimalt
12th Commissioned
for RN service in RCN Dockyard
Taken in hand by HM
Dockyard for modifications to suit RN deployment for convoy defence.
September Under modification
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Under modification
(Note: Ship
may have carried out sea trials during this period.)
February Prepared for passage to UK
17th Sailed
for New York via Panama
Canal
March
9th Transit
of Panama Canal
(Note: The time
taken from Vancouver suggests call may have been made at Pacific
coast ports in
USA.
This date is to be confirmed.)
Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
SPEAKER, US Navy CVE USS TULAGI and
two RCN Corvettes for exercises in Caribbean during passage
to Norfolk
(Note: Provision
of AVENGER aircraft for first deck landing on HMS SPEAKER to be
confirmed)
(Note: This
to be confirmed and is at variance with details for HMS SPEAKER.)
26th Sailed
from New York.
(Note: Ship
embarked AVENGER aircraft for passage to UK
These were destined for 850 Squadron.)
April
8th Arrived
in Clyde and disembarked aircraft
(Note: This
would require an alongside berth and may have been done in Belfast
or Glasgow.)
11th Allocated
to Western Approaches Command but not deployed due to defects.
Taken in hand for repair in Clyde
commercial shipyard
May Under repair.
to Transferred
to Rosyth dockyard and took passage to Clyde
on completion.
November (Note: In
addition to defects further modification work was undertaken to deal with
changes found
necessary after experience gained in other operational CVE..)
December Nominated
for service in 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron, East Indies Fleet and prepared
for operational
service.
(Note: Ship
may have sailed to Clyde in this period.)
1 9 4 5
January Passage to Clyde from Forth. To be confirmed
6th Joined
escort for outward Convoy KMF38 during passage from Clyde
to Gibraltar
10th Detached
from KMF38 on arrival at Gibraltar and took passage to Suez.
February Passage in Indian Ocean
4th Arrived
at Trincomalee and joined Squadron
(Note: Other
ships in Squadron were HM Escort Carriers BEGUM, EMPEROR,
SHAH,
AMEER, KHEDIVE, SLINGER and SPEAKER.
845 Squadron personnel and aircrew embarked
together with a detachment of HELLCAT
personnel and
aircraft of 804 Squadron.
Carried out exercises in preparation for
planned East Indies Fleet operations
Nominated
for deployment in Force 64 for Photo-reconnaissance flights prior to the planned
landings in Malaya (Operation STACEY).
22nd Sailed from Trincomalee with Force 64.
(Note: Others ships included HM Escort Carrier AMEER, HM Cruiser
KENYA, HM
Destroyers
VOLAGE, VIRAGO and VIGILANT, HM Frigates PLY, SPEY and
SWALE.
24th Provided fuel for destroyers
and frigates during passage.
26th Commenced photo reconnaissance flying operations.
March On completion returned to Trincomalee.
Took part in preparation for planned occupation
of Rangoon
WALRUS aircraft of 1700 embarked with
aircrew.
April Joined
HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, French battleship RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers
CUMBERLAND, SUFFOLK and Dutch cruiser TROMP with HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier
SHAH
as Task Force 63 to provide cover for landings at Rangoon by attacks on Car Nicobar
and Port Blair in Andamans (Operation BISHOP).
27th Sailed for BISHOP from Trincomalee with Force
63 screened by HM Destroyers PENN,
NUBIAN, VERULAM, TARTAR and ROTHERHAM.
30th Air strikes made on airfields at Car Nicobar and the harbour at Port Blair during
bombardment by ships of TF63.
May Deployed at Trincomalee.
to (Note: During this period extensive preparations were being made for the planned landings
in
June Malaya (Operation ZIPPER)
These
were delayed due to US insistence for political reasons and difficulties
in
implementing the PYTHON Scheme for the return to UK of long serving SEAC
personnel. See THEN FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton, WAR AT SEA Vol.VI
(HMSO) and the FINAL Report of Supreme Commander SEAC (HMSO).)
July Nominated for support of
operations in preparation for landings in Malaya
with
21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron.
(Note: 896 Squadron of HELLCATS were embarked and WALRUS aircraft
of 1700
Squadron
19th Deployed with HM Battleship NELSON, HM Cruiser
SUSSEX, HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
AMEER
screened by HM Destroyers PALADIN, ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE and
RAIDER to cover minesweeping operation off Phuket Island (Operation LIVERY).
24th During minesweeping operations aircraft carried
out attacks on Kra Isthmus.
to (Note: HM
Minesweeper SQUIRREL was lost during the clearance on 24th.)
25th
26th Air strikes continued during final day
of minesweeping.
Force
63 came under air attacks by suicide bombers. One VAL bomber destroyed by ship’s fire
and another by HMS SUSSEX. Later HM Minesweeper VESTAL was hit
by another attack and
set on fire. HMS VESTAL was sunk by gunfire from HMS RACEHORSE
after crew rescued.
(Note: During these attacks fighter aircraft from both carriers
were operating for defence of the
Force
but no direction facilities were available from HMS NELSON which prevented
effective interception of the enemy aircraft.)
28th Returned to Trincomalee
with ships of Force 63.
(Note:
Operation LIVERY was the last offensive operation carried out by the East Indies
Fleet in WW2.
August Deployed in Bay of Bengal with Squadron units to provide cover during
landings in Malaya
pending approval of US authorities.
(Note
HELLCAT aircraft of 896 Squadron and WALRUS of 1700 Squadron embarked)
September Provided
support during ZIPPER landings in Penang and near Port Dickson.
(Note: Return to Trincomalee with catapult defect to be confirmed
See
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser)
10th At Singapore with ships of Squadron.
12th Present at formal surrender
of all Japanese forces in South East Asia at Singapore.
On
release from ZIPPER took passage to Trincomalee to resume Squadron duties
October Deployed
with Squadron at Trincomalee
11th At Colombo
Nominated
for visit to New Zealand and took passage.
November Passage
in SW Pacific
Nominated
for release from East
Indies service
3rd At Wellington
Took
return passage to Colombo.
23rd At Colombo
Prepared
for passage to UK
27th Sailed for UK to Pay-off
December Passage
in Mediterranean
19th Arrived in Clyde to de-store and for removal of British equipment
before return to
US
Navy
896
Squadron aircraft and personnel disembarked,
(Note: The majority of ships company left ship leaving only a
Steaming Party needed
for Atlantic passage and hand-over to US Navy)
1 9 4 6
January Prepared
for Ocean passage
6th Sailed from Clyde for Norfolk.
20th At Norfolk
February
4th Formal transfer to US Navy at Norfolk