1 9 3 9
September
3rd On passage in Atlantic to Join South American Division of 8th
Cruiser Squadron.
7th On arrival at Freetown was deployed on trade protection duty in Atlantic
became
part of Hunting Group "G" for interception of
blockade runners and commerce
raiders off east coast of South America.
11th Passage to Rio de Janeiro
Aircraft sighted
German pocket battleship GRAF SPEE and tanker ALTMARK but enemy
ships escaped interception.
15th Carried out patrol off south of Ascension Island.
25th After meeting HM Cruiser NEPTUNE and HM Destroyers HUNTER and
HYPERION
carried out joint search
for blockade runners.
October
5th After refuelling at Freetown sent to join HM Cruisers EXETER, ACHILLES and AJAX
for continuation of interception patrols as Force G.
Failed to report
'raider’ signal from ss NEWTON BEACH sunk by German warship GRAF
SPEE and sighted
by aircraft from German ship.
(Note: Ship was
maintaining radio silence to prevent enemy interception of traffic.)
15th Resumed patrol between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos
Aires
November
10th Passage to Capetown.
18th Deployed with Force "G" ships off coast of Brazil in search for GRAF SPEE.
22nd Passage to Plate estuary.
December
2nd Detached for patrol between Plate and Falklands.
5th In company with HMS AJAX intercepted
German ship USSUKUMA which scuttled.
12th Under self-refit and boiler cleaning at Port Stanley.
13th Ordered to join EXETER, AJAX and ACHILLES off Plate estuary after GRAF SPEE had
sought refuge in Montevideo following her defeat in Battle of the River Plate.
14th Joined other ships in Plate estuary awaiting departure of
GRAF SPEE.
17th At Montevideo after GRAF SPEE scuttled.
21st Passage to Port Stanley.
24th Refuelled and prepared for further interception duty in South Atlantic.
29th Sailed for patrol in Plate area.
1 9 4 0
January
8th Passage to Cape of Good Hope.
11th Under refit in HM Dockyard Simonstown.
February
13th Resumed interception patrol and trade defence in the South Atlantic.
March
1st Passage to Freetown.
4th Transferred to 6th Cruiser Squadron and continued
interception and trade defence duties.
April South Atlantic trade
defence in continuation.
May
31st Joined escort at Capetown for military convoy US3 taking ANZAC
troops to UK.
June
2nd Passage to Freetown with US3.
7th Arrived Freetown.
8th Escort Joined by HM Aircraft Carrier HERMES
10th HMS HERMES detached.
12th Escort Joined by HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE
until 14th June when replaced by
ships from Home Fleet
including HM Battleship HOOD and HM Aircraft Carrie ARGUS.
16th Detached from convoy
on arrival in Clyde.
29th Joined escort at Greenock for Middle
East convoy WS1 for passage to
Capetown.
July After arrival of WS1 at
Capetown carried out unsuccessful search for the German
commerce raider THOR
reported in South Atlantic.
Joined
Ocean Escort for military convoy WS1 during passage to Ceylon
21st HM Cruiser KENT
joined Ocean Escort for WS1 in position 34.20S 33.00E.
(Note:
WS1 comprised rms AQUITANIA, rms MAURETANIA and rms
QUEEN
MARY taking troops to join 8th Army in EGYPT.
29th Detached from WS1 on arrival in Ceylon
where troops were transferred
to smaller transports for onward passage.
(Note:
As the two liners were not required to pass through the Red Sea
they went to
Trincomalee after disembarkation.)
August Deployed on interception
patrol and trade defence in South
Atlantic.
September
13th Joined escort for military convoy on passage to Dakar with HM Cruiser CORNWALL.
14th Detached with HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE, AUSTRALIA and HM Aircraft Carrier ARK
ROYAL to
establish patrol off Cape Verde for interception of three Vichy French
cruisers attempting to reach Dakar.
15th Operation cancelled when French ships entered Dakar.
Carried out surveillance.
16th Intercepted French
mercantile POITIERS on passage to Ivory Coast.
18th Deployed in pursuit of French warships GLOIRE, GEORGES
LEYGUES and
MONTCALM with HM
Australian Cruiser AUSTRALIA
(Note: These
ships sailed from Dakar without detection
French ships
were later intercepted by HM Cruisers CORNWALL and DELHI
The cruiser
GLOIRE was persuaded to go into Casablanca but the other ships went
back to Dakar. (For details see RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W. Tute).)
21st Joined HMS ARK Royal, HM Battleships RESOLUTION and BARHAM,
HM
Cruisers DEVONSHIRE, AUSTRALIA and Fleet destroyers in support of Free French
landing at Dakar and carried out defensive patrol offshore (Operation
MENACE).
23rd Provided naval gunfire support and hit by 9.4" shell
from shore battery.
Steam pipe fracture caused loss of electrical power and ship
withdrawn from operation.
(Note: 4”
Magazine was flooded as a precaution.)
29th Returned to Freetown when operation abandoned.
October Based at Freetown for Atlantic trade defence.
9th Relieved HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD as
escort of military convoy to Middle
East.
November
24th Joined Hunting Group
in search for German battleship ADMIRAL SCHEER off Brazil.
December
9th Deployed with HM Cruiser ENTERPRISE in search for German commerce raider THOR.
18th Diverted with HMS ENTERPRISE to join HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE in renewed search
or ADMIRAL SCHEER. then reported
between Rio de Janeiro and the Plate.
Later was also
deployed to search for commerce raider PINGUIN.
1 9 4 1
January Deployed in South Atlantic
for trade protection.
to Nominated for refit.
May
June Passage
to UK.
26th Arrived at Sheerness
July Under
refit at HM Dockyard Chatham.
to Radar equipment
fitted for aircraft warning and fire control for forward main
September armament. Close range 20mm Oerlikon weapons fitted for Close Range
AA defence,
October Carried out harbour trials
11th On completion of dockyard work carried out post refit trials.
November Joined 18th Cruiser Squadron in
Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
December Home Fleet deployment for convoy
defence and interception of commerce raiders in NW
Approaches.
1 9 4 2
January Nominated for Russian Convoy
operation. and took passage to Murmansk
16th Embarked Foreign Secretary, Sir Stafford Cripps, for return
passage to UK and
escorted return Convoy QP5 from Murmansk with HM Destroyers ICARUS and TARTAR.
19th Resumed Hone Fleet duties after arrival.
February Deployed with Home Fleet.
March Under repair at Chatham.
to
April
May Rejoined 18th Cruiser
Squadron in Home Fleet
June Deployed on patrol and
convoy defence in MM Approaches.
26th Part of Home Fleet cover with HM Battleship DUKE OF YORK,
US Navy Battleship
USS WASHINGTON,
HM Cruiser NIGERIA and screen of 14 RN/USN destroyers for
passage of Russian convoy
PQ17.
July
4th After dispersal of PQ17 covered passage of returning convoy
QP13.
(Note: For
details of this ill fated operation and its repercussions see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C. Barnett, CONVOY! by P Kemp, RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by R
Woodman, CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg, THE
CONVOY IS TO
SCATTER by G Broome and Naval Staff History)
8th Returned to Scapa
Flow with combined RN/USN
covering force.
10th Covered passage of HM Battleship KING GEORGE V from Liverpool to Scapa Flow.
August Deployed with Home Fleet.
September
14th Joined HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD, SUFFOLK and LONDON to cover passage and landing
of Norwegian party at Spitzbergen
(Operation GEARBOX)
(Note: This deployment
also covered passage of Russian Convoy PQ18.).
18th Landed parties at Barentsberg with
HMS SHEFFIELD and HM Destroyer ECLIPSE.
19th Passage to Hvalfjord, Iceland and provided cover for returning Convoy
QP14.
23rd Passage to Greenock.
(Note: Details
of warships and mercantiles involved in Russian
Convoy operations are
provided in above references.)
October Deployed
on patrol and trade defence in NW Approaches.
31st Sailed from Scapa Flow with HM Cruiser NORFOLK with screen of 5 destroyers.
Nominated for support of planned allied landings in North African
(Operation TORCH.).
November
5th Deployed off Azores with HMS NORFOLK to cover US landings on
Atlantic coast.
On release
returned to Northern Patrol.
December
21st Provided distant cover with HM Battleship ANSON and HM
Destroyers FORESTER,
ICARUS, IMPULSIVE , HM Escort Destroyers BLANKNEY and CHIDDINGFOILD.
for passage of Russian Convoy JW51B.
31st Returned to Iceland
1 9 4 3
January Deployed for Northern Patrol
based in Iceland for interception of commerce raiders.
February
21st Provided additional cruiser cover with HMS BELFAST and HMS
NORFOLK during passage of
Russian Convoy JU53 and returning RA53.
28th Experienced extreme weather conditions during which HMS SHEFFIELD
had to return to
Scapa Flow after sustaining serious structural
damage.
March
9th Returned to Iceland.
14th Deployed for Northern Patrol.
April Deployed in rotation with
HM Cruiser BELFAST on Northern Patrol.
Nominated for
refit
Passage to
Sheerness
Taken in hand
for refit
May Under refit by HM
Dockyard Chatham during which additional 20mm weapons were fitted.
On completion
took passage to Scapa Flow to resume Home Fleet duties.
31st Joined HM Cruiser BERMUDA to relieve garrison at Spitzbergen
escorted by HM Destroyers
ECLIPSE and
ATHABASKAN (RCN) covered by HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS, HM
Cruiser SCYLLA screened by HM Destroyers ECHO
and MIDDLETON
(Operation GEARBOX II).
June Heavy weather on passage
to Spitzbergen forced ships to shelter at Akureyri.
7th Sailed from Iceland to Spitzbergen,
10th Arrived at Spitzbergen for GEARBOX
support operation.
Return passage
to Scapa Flow.
July Home
Fleet deployment at Scapa Flow.
Nominated for
refit in commercial shipyard prior to foreign service.
August Passage
to Tyne.
6th Commenced refit prior to transfer to Eastern Fleet.
(Note: Aircraft
facilities removed.
Changes in radar
equipment included
Surface
warning Type 273
Fire-control
Type 285 for forward 4" HA armament
Air
warning radar Type 281 with an Interrogator outfit
Close range
fire-control radar (Type 282)
20mm Oerlikon
arrangements improved and additional mountings fitted.
September Under refit
to
October
November Carried out harbour trials
29th On completion of dockyard carried out post refit trials in North Sea.
December Worked-up at Scapa Flow
for service with 4th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet
1 9 4 4
January Passage
to Ceylon via Mediterranean with HM Cruiser LONDON.
February On
passage from Alexandria with HMS LONDON.
March Prepared for service in 4th
Cruiser Squadron on arrival at Trincomalee.
21st Carried out offensive sweep in Indian Ocean
with HM Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH, VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Cruisers LONDON, GAMBIA and CEYLON screened by
Fleet destroyers. (Operation
DIPLOMAT).
27th Met US Task Group 58.5 (US Aircraft Carrier SARATOGA and 3
USN destroyers)
SW off Cocos Islands with ships of Eastern Fleet.
April
4th Joint RN/USN force returned to Trincomalee.
May Deployed
in Indian Ocean.
June Transferred to 5th
Cruiser Squadron in Eastern Fleet.
26th Deployed on petrol in Indian Ocean
and called at Fremantle.
July Rejoined Eastern Fleet
for offensive operation against targets in Sumatra with
HMS QUEEN
ELIZABETH, HMS VALIANT, HMS RENOWN, French battleship
battleship RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers NIGERIA, KENYA, CEYLON and GAMBIA
screened by five Fleet destroyers (Operation CRIMSON).
25th Bombarded Japanese positions at Sabang..
August Deployed in Indian Ocean
and prepared for future support of carrier operations.
September
8th Exercised with HM Battleship HOWE, HMS LONDON and HMS
GAMBIA.
14th Provided cover with HMS HOWE and Eastern Fleet cruisers
during air operations by
HM Aircraft
Carriers VICTORIOUS and INDOMITABLE carriers on Sigli,
Northern
Sumatra
(Operation LIGHT).
October
17th Bombarded airfields on Nicobar Islands with HM Cruisers LONDON, SUFFOLK
and Fleet destroyers as Task Group 63.2 (Operation MILLET).
(Note: This was
a diversionary operation during the US assault on Leyte
and
included attacks on Japanese positions)
19th Under unsuccessful attack by torpedo
carrying aircraft.
November Deployed in Eastern Fleet with 5th
Cruiser Squadron.
December Passage to South Africa for refit
1 9 4 5
January Under
refit by HM Dockyard Simonstown.
to
February
March
3rd Carried out Post refit trials off Capetown.
On completion
took passage to resume Fleet duties at Trincomalee
(Note: Ship
would be joined renamed East Indies Fleet. See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
April
8th Joined Task Group 63.2 with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, French
Battleship RICHELIEU and
HMS LONDON
screened by 5 Fleet destroyers to cover air reconnaissance flights by HM
Escort
Aircraft Carriers EMPRESS and KHEDIVE at Port Swettenham and Port Dickson,
Malaya.
(Operation SUNFISH).
11th Bombarded targets at Sabang during
offensive sweep against shipping in Indian
Ocean
as part
of SUNFISH.
27th Joined Task Force 63 with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, French
battleship RICHELIEU, HM
Escort Aircraft
Carriers SHAH and EMPRESS with HM Cruisers SUFFOLK, CEYLON and
Dutch cruiser TROMP escorted by five Fleet destroyers for attacks on Nicobars.
(Operation
BISHOP).
(Note:
This was a diversion during assault on Rangoon (Operation DPACULA).
29th Bombarded Car Nicobar
and Port Blair.
May
1st Continued bombardments on airfields
at Port Blair and Car Nicobar.
2nd Further bombardment of shore targets.
3rd Joined Task Force 68 with FS RICHELIEU, HMS SHAH, HMS
EMPRESS, HMS CEYLON
and three Fleet destroyers
for attacks on shipping off coast of Burma.
6th Rejoined East Indies Fleet to provide cover during air
strikes on Andamans.
10th Deployed in TF61 with HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, FS RICHELIEU, HMS
Cruiser
ROYALIST, Dutch
cruiser TROMP, HMS HUNTER, HMS KHEDIVE, HMS SHAH and
HMS EMPEROR of 21st Carrier Squadron.
Destroyer
screen comprised HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VENUS,
VERULAM, VIRAGO,
VIGILANT, NUBIAN
and ROTHERHAM (Operation DUKEDOM)
(Note: For
interception and sinking of Japanese ships evacuating forces from Burma).
11th Detached with FS RICHELIEU and destroyers to be in position
50 miles ahead of main body
of TF61 in 6 Degree Channel.
14th Detached to escort Carriers during air
search for shipping off Diamond Point.
(Operation MITRE).
(Note: This ship
was not involved 0in the later sinking of Japanese cruiser HAGURO which
was 50 miles away from the position I which she was
intercepted by Fleet destroyers.)
For details of
this and other Eastern Fleet Operations see OPERATION PACIFIC
by. E. Gray and THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH
JAPAN
(HMSO)
June Deployed with Eastern
Fleet and prepared for support of military operations in Malaya.
to (Operation ZIPPER).
July
August
15th Sailed with Eastern Fleet for Malayan
assault (Operation ZIPPER).
(Note: The
planned assault Landings were delayed due to pressure from the U S and
indecision
in London for political considerations associated with return of
service personnel from
the Far East in the PYTHON Scheme. For details see The Supreme
Commander SEAC
Report to Joint
Chiefs of Staff and above references).
16th Passage to Rangoon.
27th Deployed in Indian
Ocean off Sumatra to
assist in military operations after the Japanese
surrender.
September
4th At Singapore.
