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1 9 3 9
September Flagship of 8th Cruiser Squadron
based at Bermuda with HM Cruisers YORK, ORION
and PERTH (RAN)
3rd Deployed
for interception of blockade runners and defence of Atlantic convoys.
Took passage to Halifax.
15th Sailed
from Halifax with HM Cruiser YORK to join Convoys HX1 and HXF1 as Ocean Escort.
17th Joined
convoys to replace Local Escort by HM Canadian Destroyers SAGUENAY and ST
LAURENT.
20th Detached
from Ocean Escort and resumed patrol.
22nd Took
passage from Halifax for patrol.
October
3rd Arrived
at Halifax for repair.
4th Sailed
with HMS PERTH as escort for Convoy KJ3 during passage to Bermuda.
Relieved by HM Cruiser EFFINGHAM and
resumed patrol.
5th Nominated
for service in Hunting Group F with HMS YORK.
(Note: This
Group was intended for interception of commerce raiders but did not form
because of
requirement to cover Atlantic convoys against attack by German
battleship
DEUTSCHLAND.)
7th Based
at Bermuda and deployed
for patrol and search for commerce raiders.
26th Taken
in hand for docking and repair at Bermuda.
November Transferred to 1st Cruiser Squadron, Horns Fleet.
7th Took
passage from Bermuda to Portsmouth.
14th Taken
in hand for repair on arrival at Portsmouth.
December
9th Took
passage from Portsmouth to join Squadron at Scapa Flow.
12th Deployed
in NW Approaches for trade defence
25th Returned to Clyde.
30th Resumed
patrol duties in NW Approaches.
1 9 4 0
January Atlantic
deployment In continuation.
10th Arrived
at Rosyth
19th Returned
to Scapa Flow to resume patrol duties.
21st Passage
from Scapa Flow for Northern Patrol duty.
February
29th Returned
to Greenock.
March Resumed Northern Patrol duties.
2nd Intercepted
and boarded German freighter WOLFSBURG which was on
fire.
Sank mercantile by gunfire.
5th Intercepted
and boarded German freighter URUGUAY which also had been set afire by
crew and
had to be sunk by gunfire.
April Recalled for support of planned landings in Norway (Operation R4).
(Note: This
operation to land troops in Norwegian ports if Germany carried out an invasion after
a minelay off Norway to prevent passage of iron ore shipping (Operation WILFRED).
Passage to
Rosyth
3rd Embarked
1/4 Royal Lincolnshire Regiment at Rosyth for passage to Norway.
(Note: Troops were also embarked in
HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE, GLASGOW and YORK.)
8th Disembarked
troops after German invasion of Norway confirmed.
Sailed from
Rosyth with other cruisers.
Joined off Kinnaird Head by French Cruiser Emil Bertin , destroyers TARTU and MAILLE BREZ
as screen.
Carried out
sweep to North East as ordered by Admiralty with same ships.
(Note:
Operation R4 was cancelled and replaced by the Operation RUPERT.
For details
see NARVIK by D Macintyre, THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by J Adams,
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Bamett. and Naval Staff
History
(HMSO -2001)
Sailed to
join Home Fleet ships on passage to Norwegian waters to cover allied landings.
9th After
joining HM Battleships RODNEY, VALIANT and WARSPITE, HM Aircraft Carrier
FURIOUS screened by Home Fleet destroyers, came under heavy
and sustained German air
attacks
during which HM Destroyer GURKHA was sunk.
11th Deployed
as escort for HMS FURIOUS during air attacks on Trondheim.
On completion
joined HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE screened by HM Destroyers
INGLEFIELD,
ILEX, IMOGEN and ISIS to carry cut search of Trondheim Leads
for German
troopships.
14th Carried
cut search in Aandsfjord and Vaagsfjord with HMS INGLEFIELD.
15th Rejoined
Home Fleet ships off North Cape.
16th Near
missed during air attacks without significant damage..
18th Detached
with HMS DEVONSHIRE and HMS INGLEFIELD and took passage to Scapa Flow.
(Note: See
above references for details of operations off Norway.)
23rd Deployed
as escort for HM Aircraft Carriers ARK ROYAL and FURIOUS with HM AA
Cruiser
CURLEW and HM Destroyers FEARLESS, FURY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HYPERION.
and JUNO during passage to the
Norwegian coast for air operations (Operation DX)
. (Note: This
was the first RN joint aircraft carrier operation.
See CARRIER
GLORIOUS by J Winton.)
28th Deployed
as escort for HMS ARK ROYAL during rest period off Faeroes.
May
1st Under
air attacks off Norway with HMS ARK ROYAL, HMS GLORIOUS and HMS VALIANT.
3rd Provided
cover for HMS GLORIOUS during continuations of DX air operations' in place of
HMS
ARK ROYAL.
4th Took
return passage to UK as escort for HMS ARK ROYAL.
8th Joined
HMS GLASGOW, HM Destroyers FEARLESS and FORTUNE in Clyde.
Embarked
advance party of Royal Marines for passage to Iceland (Operation FORK)
(Note:
British occupation of Iceland was carried cut to prevent German landings following the
fall of Denmark.)
10th Landed
Royal Marines at Reykjavik and searched fjords for enemy activity.
Embarked German nationals for passage
to UK for detention.
11th Passage
to Liverpool.
17th Under
repair at Cammell Laird shipyard, Birkenhead.
June Under repair.
July
22nd Repair
work completion date.
August
4th Sustained
damage in collision with mercantile and returned for docking.
September Undocked and took passage to rejoin
Squadron.
22nd Arrived
at Scapa Flow for Hone Fleet duties.
October
8th Deployed
for interception patrol in Atlantic.
During patrol
selected for service in Mediterranean and took passage to prepare for foreign
service
. in Clyde
30th Took
passage from Clyde with H M Battleship BARHAM, HMS GLASGOW, HM Destroyers
GALLANT, GRIFFIN, GREYHOUND
and ENCOUNTER to join Fleet in the Mediterranean.
(Operation
COAT)
(Note:
Designated as Force F.
HMS ARK ROYAL
also took passage to rejoin Force H at Gibraltar.)
November
6th Arrived
at Gibraltar.
7th Sailed
with Force F to join ships of Force H for escort during passage to land stores and personnel
in Malta.)
(Note: For
details of naval operations in Mediterranean during 1940 to 1942 see THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre and Naval Staff
History) (HMSO-2001)
9th Convoy
under air attack and submarine threat which failed to make contact.
10th Disembarked
troops and stores In Malta.
Took passage to join Mediterranean
Fleet ships.
11th Deployed
with HM Cruisers GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER and YORK. HM Destroyers HAVOCK,
HERO,
HEREWARD, JERVIS and JUNO to provide cover during air attacks from HM Aircraft
Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS on Italian fleet at Taranto (Operation
JUDGEMENT).
14th On
arrival at Alexandria with Mediterranean Fleet joined 3rd. Cruiser Squadron.
15th Embarked
troops for passage to Piraeus with HM Cruisers YORK, GLASGOW and SYDNEY
(RAN)
25th Passage
to Malta with HM Battleship RAMILLIES and HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE.
(Operation
COLLAR - Joint operation with Force H and included the transfer of ships to Gibraltar
covered by HM
Battleships BARHAM, MALAYA, HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE.
HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON were also on passage to reinforce the
Mediterranean
Fleet and a mercantile convoy was on passage to Egypt.)
27th Met
HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD and HMS ARK ROYAL.
Took part in
surface action against Italian Fleet units (Battle of Spartivento.
Hit by two
8in shells in return of fire and sustained damage to after turret.
(Note: The
only RN ship to be hit in this action. See above references and THE NAVAL WAR
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and A Massignani.)
When Italian
Fleet withdrew, joined ships of Force H with HMS RAMILLIES and HMS
NEWCASTLE for passage
to Gibraltar.
29th Under
repair at Gibraltar.
December Nominated for service with Hunting Group K for
interception of German commerce raiders.
(Note: This was subsequently
cancelled.)
18th On
completion prepared for operational service.
21st Took
passage to join military convoy WS5A as relief for HM Cruiser NAIAD.
24th Joined HM
Cruisers DUNEDIN and BONAVENTURE in Ocean Escort for WS5A.
(Note: HMS FURIOUS and HMS ARGUS were
with the convoy and were taking aircraft to
Takoradi for flight to join RAF in Middle East.)
25th Convoy
came under attack by German cruiser HIPPER at dawn and was scattered.
Engaged
HIPPER and hit by 4 shells in return fire causing casualties.
(Note: After
structure and gun mountings damaged with some flooding.
Troopship ss EMPIRE TROOPER was also seriously damaged and was
escorted to
Ponta Delgado, Azores.
Ships of
convoy were later re-assembled by Force H from Gibraltar.
Considerable
confusion was caused and attempts by carriers to carry out air attacks were
cancelled on
Admiralty orders. See Naval Staff History.)
31st Landed
wounded at Gibraltar and taken in hand for temporary repair.
1 9 4 1
January Under temporary repair.
5th On
completion took passage to Portsmouth for permanent repair.
11th Casualty
List for December engagement published.
February Under repair by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
to (Note: Type 286M modified RAF radar
fitted to provide limited warning facility.
April Type 284 main armament fire-control radar
fitted.
Fit of
aircraft warning radar is recorded but to be confirmed.
New masts to
allow later fitting of this equipment may have been provided.
(For details
of development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
20mm Oerlikon
guns fitted to improve Close Range defence.
Nominated for
service in 1st Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
May Arrangements made for completion of refit
work at Rosyth
Took passage to Rosyth.
June Completion of refit in continuation by HM
Dockyard.
17th Carried
out post refit trials.
21st Arrived
at Scapa Flow for work-up.
July On completion of work-up deployed with
Squadron based at Rosyth.
to (Note: Home Fleet units carried cut
interception and convoy defence duties.
August
September Under repair at Rosyth.
October Repair in continuation.
15th Rejoined
Squadron at Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.
November
1st Deployed
as escort for HM Battleship DUKE OF YORK with HM Destroyers ESCAPADE,
TARTAR and PUNJABI for passage from Clyde to Scapa Flow on completion of build.
3rd Deployed
with HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM
Cruisers KENT and SUFFOLK, screened by five Home Fleet destroyers.
(Note: These
ships took passage to Iceland after report of possible break-cut into Atlantic by
German
battleships SCHEER and TIRPITZ.)
5th Arrived
in Iceland.
17th Deployed
with escort for Russian Convoy PQ4 with HM Destroyers OFFA and ONSLOW
(For details
of an Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY ! by P
Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and ARCTIC
CONVOYS
by R.
Woodman.)
27th At Murmansk after
arrival of PQ4.
December Independent
return passage to UK with RAF personnel.
Rejoined Squadron at Scapa Flow for Hone Fleet duties.
1 9 4 2
January Passage to Iceland for patrol and interception duties with Home Fleet units.
17th Sailed
from Iceland with Home Fleet units to Tromso area
after TIRPITZ break-cut reported
and for air
operations against coastal shipping.
Search
unsuccessful and returned to Iceland.
February Deployed in Iceland for interception duties and took part in search for German
cruiser PRINZ
EUGEN and ADMIRAL SHEER reported en
passage in North Sea to join TIRPITZ.
20th Detached
from Fleet units to join HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS.
Joined HM
Destroyers ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, PUNJABI and ICARUS as escort for
HMS
VICTORIOUS during air strikes.
22nd Operation
cancelled after enemy ships reported anchored in Aasfjord.
23rd Rejoined
Home Fleet units.
March Deployed
with Squadron at Scapa Flow.
4th Sailed with HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS VICTORIOUS, HM
Destroyers ONSLOW
ASHANTI, INTREPID, ICARUS, LOOKOUT and BEDOUIN to join HMS DUKE OF YORK,
HMS RENOWN,
HM Cruiser KENYA, HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, ESKIMO, PUNJABI
ECHO and ECLIPSE to provide cover
for passage of Russian convoy PQ12 and return Convoy
QP8.
6th Detached
to carry cut patrol south of PQ12.whilst TIRPITZ was at sea.
9th Rejoined
Home Fleet units during air operations against TIRPITZ near Lofotens.
(Note: See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY. These attacks failed and this was the
only occasion
when naval attacks were made whilst enemy ship was at sea.)
11th Returned
to Scapa Flow with Fleet units.
April Home Fleet deployment with Squadron for
interception and patrol duties.
to Machinery problems required attention.
May Refit arranged at Devonport.
June Passage to Plymouth.
5th Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Devonport.
July Under refit.
(Note:
Surface warning radar Type 273 fitted.
Four fire-control
Radars Type 283 fitted to provide facilities for main armament with
AA Barrage
control.
Additional
20mm Oerlikon guns fitted.
August On completion of post refit trials rejoined
Squadron at Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.
September Deployed for interception duties,
Northern Patrol in Denmark Strait and Atlantic convoy defence.
to
November
December Deployed with HMS KING GEORGE V, HM Destroyers
MUSKETEER, QUADRANT and
RAIDER to provide Distant Cover for
passage of Russian Convoy JW51A
22nd. On
release from JW51A cover carried out interception patrol in Arctic.
1 9 4 3
January Arctic deployment in continuation.
4th Provided
cruiser cover for passage of return Convoy RA51 with HM Cruiser KENT in place
of HM Cruisers JAMAICA.
19th Detached
from covering duties and returned to Scapa Flow.
February Home Fleet duties with Squadron in continuation.
Relieved HM Cruiser KENT as Squadron flagship.
24th Deployed
with HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE. HM Destroyers ICARUS,
METEOR, MUSKETEER, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT and Polish ORP PIORUN to provide
Distant Cover
for passage of Russian Convoy JW53.
March Home Fleet Squadron duties for patrol and
interception.
to
April
May
1st Passage
to Gibraltar with HMS
KING GEORGE V and destroyer screen for defence of Atlantic
convoys against enemy surface
attacks.
31st Deployed
with HMS DUKE OF YORK. US battleships USS ALABAMA and USS SOUTH
DAKOTA with ten US Navy destroyers as
screen during Atlantic passage to Iceland.
June
6th Returned
to Scapa Flow as escort for same USN ships with HMS FURIOUS, HM Cruiser
SCYLLA and
destroyers from US 16th Destroyer Division.
(Note: US
Navy ships were en loan to Home Fleet.
See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
13th Resumed
Squadron duties at Scapa Flow.
July Deployed in NW Approaches.
6th Took
passage from Iceland with HM Cruiser NORFOLK to join Home
Fleet units for a
diversionary
operation off Norwegian coast (Operation CAMERA).
(Note: This
was intended to create unusual activity during the allied landings in Sicily
(Operation
HUSKY - See the Naval Staff History, CONVOY ! by P. Kemp and
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY.)
July
10th Returned
to Iceland with Home Fleet ship
Resumed
Interception patrol duties.
Passage to Scapa Flow to prepare for refit.
August Under refit at Rosyth.
to Aircraft facilities removed.
October Work done included
Air warning
radar outfit 279 replaced by Type 281B using single mast position.
Fire control
radar Type 285 fitted for 4in HA mountings.
Two Radars
Type 282 fitted for fire-control of Close Range weapons.
Close range
AA weapons re-sited and additional Oerlikons fitted.
November
13th Carried
out post refit trials before work-up.
December Worked-up for service with Squadron at Scapa Flow.
1 9 4 4
January Deployed with Home Fleet on completion.
14th Joined
HM Cruisers BERMUDA and KENT to cover Russian Convoy JW56 but had
to detach later due to machinery
defect.
February
1st Provided
covered for Russian Convoy JW56B with HMS BERMUDA and HMS KENT.
5th Provided
cruiser cover for returning Convoy RA56 with same ships
26th Covered
passage of Russian Convoy JW57 with HM Cruiser JAMAICA.
27th Released
and resumed Squadron duties.
March Deployed with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
April Home Fleet duties in NW Approaches in
continuation.
30th Participated
in Home Fleet exercises in preparation for support of the Normandy landings.
May
6th Escorted
HMS FURIOUS and HM Escort Carrier SEARCHER during air strikes on coast
shipping in Kristiansund North area (Operation CROQUET).
(See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and CONVOY!)
Resumed
Squadron duties in Home Fleet.
June Remained in NW Approaches with Home Fleet to
provide cover for Normandy landings
against any interference by German
surface ship (Operation NEPTUNE).
1st Deployed
with Home Fleet units carrying cut shipping strike off Norway.
(Operation LOMBARD. This was part of the
deception plans for NEPTUNE).
Remained in
NW approaches. (See Naval Staff History).
July Home Fleet deployment in continuation
August Deployed with Home Fleet units providing cover
during carrier air operations off Norway.
20th Provided
cover with HMS DEVONSHIRE during air attacks on TIRPITZ by HM Aircraft
Carriers
INDEFATIGABLE, FORMIDABLE, FURIOUS, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers NABOB
and TRUMPETER
(Operation
GOODWOOD. For details see CONVOY ! and Naval Staff History))
22nd On
completion of air operations Fleet units came under U-Boat attacks using acoustic
torpedoes
during which
HM Frigate BICKERTON and HMS NABOB were hit.
(Note: HMS
BICKERTON had to be sunk by own forces and HMS NABOB declared to be
beyond
economic repair on return to UK.)
Air attacks failed
because target obscured by smoke screen.
24th Further
series of air attacks unsuccessful and ships returned to Scapa Flow.
(Note: See
CONVOY ! , HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and WARSHIP LOSSES by
Peter Kemp.
September (also see Addenda following)
5th Deployed
with HM Cruisers KENT and DEVONSHIRE to escort rms QUEEN MARY during
Atlantic
passage taking Prime Minister and Defence Staff to Canada for a meeting with US
President
(Operation
OCTAGON).
9th Returned
to Scapa Flow and resumed Home Fleet Squadron duties.
(Note: Home
Fleet units carried cut coastal shipping attack and air minelay off off Norway on 12th
September
(Operation BEGONIA).
One source
records ship took part. This requires confirmation.)
20th Detached with HMS KENT and HMS DEVONSHIRE for escort
of rms QUEEN MARY
during return passage to UK with
Prime Minister after OCTAGON conference.
October Deployed for Home Fleet duties with Squadron. (also see Addenda following)
November (also see Addenda following)
2nd Provided
Ocean Escort for rms EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and ss SCYTHIA with HM
Escort
Carrier CAMPANIA, screened by HM Destroyers CAMBRIAN, CAPRICE,
CASSANDRA,
SCOURGE, SAUMAREZ and SERAPIS as Convoy JW61A.
(Note: These
ships were taking 11,000 Russian nationals captured in Normandy back to the USSR
Norwegian troops
for planned operations to enter Norway. (Operation FREEMAN).)
See above
references).
11th Escorted
same merchant ships back to UK as Convoy RA61A.
16th Resumed
Squadron duties. Squadron duties in continuation at Scapa Flow.
December Deployed
with Squadron at Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
in NW Approaches.
30th Escorted HM Escort Carriers CAMPANIA and
NAIRANA for air strikes on shipping off
Stadtlandet.
February Rejoined Squadron on completion.
to Deployed with Hone Fleet in NW
Approaches.
March
April Returned to Rosyth.
May
16th Passage
to Trondheim with HM Canadian Destroyers HAIDA and HURON accompanied
by ships of 5th Escort Group from Western Approaches..
17th Arrived
at Trondheim and made arrangements for collection of U-Boats for passage to UK.
(Note: Some
submarines were handed to allied navies and the others not required for RN use
were
destroyed in Operation DEADLIGHT.)
24th Returned
to Rosyth.
29th Deployed
with HM Cruiser NORFOLK for transport of military personnel to Bergen and
Trondheim.
June Passage to Greenock to embark stores and personnel
for passage to Iceland.
12th Joined
by HM Destroyer ZEBRA and took passage to Iceland.
16th Disembarked
personnel and stores at Advent Fjord and took passage to Reykjavik.
22nd Took
passage from Reykjavik for Portsmouth with personnel and stores.
27th Arrived
at Portsmouth and transferred from Home Fleet for trooping duties.
28th Prepared
for new role at HM Dockyard Portsmouth.
July
21st Took
passage to Sydney via Colombo.
BERWICK
left Scapa Flow and proceeded to Punta del Garda
(Azores) calling briefly at Devonport. Meanwhile KENT (not sure about
DEVONSHIRE) escorted QUEEN MARY as far as the Azores and returned
to the UK. After 24 hours in Punta del Garda BERWICK took over the
escort to
Halifax, NS. The Prime Minister left the QUEEN MARY to
attend the Ottawa Conference and the QUEEN proceeded to New York to
disembark American casualties. BERWICK stayed in Halifax until
rendezvousing with the QUEEN MARY to escort her back to UK. BERWICK then
returned to Scapa Flow, then to Rosyth to embark Norwegian troops for
the journey to Murmansk (Convoy JW61A/RA61A). I was a member of the crew of Berwick from November 1943 until May 1945. Derek Whitwam, editor Russian Convoy Club of New
Zealand, website www.russianconvoyclub.org.nz.