September Deployed in Indian Ocean for defence of trade.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Trade defence duties in continuation
to
April
May Transferred
to RN control.
Escorted military
convoy US2 which including rms QUEEN MARY, rms MAURITANIA and
seven other passenger liners with HM Cruisers AUSTRALIA (RAN),
PERTH (RAN) and
LEANDER (RNZN)
June Deployed in Indian Ocean for convoy defence and Interception
of commerce raiders.
to
July
August Escorted Sydney - Fremantle convoys
Searched for raiders
off Cocos Islands with PERTH (RAN).
September Convoy
defence and Interception in Indian Ocean and Australian coastal waters.
to (For details of activities of commerce
raiders see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
October by Corelli
Barnett)
November
28th Escorted military Convoy US3 with HMAS PERTH
during passage to Ceylon.
December Indian Ocean convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
1 9 4 1
January Under refit.
Close Range Anti- Aircraft defence improved by
fitting 8 barrelled Pom-Pom mountings
and 20mm
Oerlikons.
February Resumed
Indian Ocean duties
Escorted military
convoy US9 in Indian Ocean.
Relieved by HM
Cruiser LEANDER.
March Indian Ocean interception and trade defence
duty in continuation.
4th Intercepted German
freighter COBURG and captured Norwegian tanker KETTY BROVIG.
April Deployed with HM Cruiser LEANDER
in Indian Ocean.
10th Joined military convoy WS 6 as relief for
HM Cruiser PHOEBE.
11th After detaching from WS6 resumed trade defence
and interception duty.
May Transferred to ANZAC Squadron for
convoy defence against attacks by German commerce
raiders in Indian Ocean and East Indies area.
June ANZAC Squadron deployment in continuation.
to (See OPERATION PACIFIC by Edwyn Gray).
October
November Deployed
with HMAS PERTH for convoy defence.
December After
outbreak of war with Japan transferred
to defence of military convoys in SW Pacific.
Escorted US troop convoy
with HMAS PERTH and HMNZS ACHILLES for the final stage of
passage
to New Caledonia.
28th Escorted convoy ZK5 from Sydney to Port Moresby with HM Australian
Cruisers ACHILLES,
PERTH and AUSTRALIA
1 9 4 2
January Military convoy defence in SW Pacific
in continuation.
29th Transferred to ANZAC force with HM Cruisers
AUSTRALIA, ADELAIDE, HOBART and
PERTH for
service under overall US Navy command. See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
February Escorted
military convoy from New Zealand to Suva.
March Transferred to Indian Ocean for convoy defence.
to
April
May
30th At Sydney during Japanese midget submarine attacks on
shipping.
June Nominated for duty with US Navy.
(For details of naval activities
in SW Pacific see USN NAVAL OPERATIONS IN WW2
by SE Morison).
July Prepared for duty with US Navy.
10th Sailed from Sydney with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HMAS HOBART
and US cruisers
USS
CHICAGO and SALT LAKE CITY as Task Force
44 for support of US amphibious
Operations and convoy defence in SW Pacific.
August
7th Deployed on patrol
off Talus with HMAS AUSTRALIA, USS CHICAGO
and two
destroyers of US Navy.
9th In action with Japanese cruisers CHOKAI,
AOKA, KAKO, KINUGASA and
FURUTAKI south of Savo Island
whilst in low state of readiness.
Set on fire and
received major damage after repeated hits by 5" shells and by four
torpedoes. 84 of ship's company were killed. (Casualty List
-
note on casualties)
Sunk by USS ELLET
in position 09.15s 159.04E.
(Note:
The circumstances and details of loss of this ship are the subject of a great
deal of controversy. Two official enquiries were held by RAN
and a post-war
US Defence Department
study also included this action.
SHAME OF SAVO published in Australia contends
that the ship was in fact
sunk by a US Navy destroyer.
There is substantial
reason to judge that the sinking has not been explained fully.)
