1 9 3 9
August
Carried out
trials prior to re-commissioning.
Nominated for trade defence duties on mobilisation of
the Fleet.
September
1st - Re-commissioned
at Sydney.
10th - Deployed
with HM Australian Cruisers AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA in search off
Gabo Island for minelayers.
On completion deployed for convoy
escort.
October to
November
Convoy escort
in continuation.
Nominated
for service in Western Force based at Fremantle for ocean escort duties.
December
Joined Western
Force.
13th - Relieved
HM Australian Cruiser Sydney as escort for troopship STRATHALLAN
Returned to Fremantle.
(Note: This troopship was taking 2nd
Australian Imperial Force to Middle East.)
1 9 4 0
January
Under refit at
Sydney.
February
22nd - On
completion joined Eastern Force in place of HMAS SYDNEY.
March
Escort duty off
Eastern and Southern Australia
April
15th - Part of
escort with HM Battleship RAMILLIES for troopships ETTRICK, NEURALIA,
STRATHAIRD and DUNERA from Melbourne
to Fremantle.
21st - Detached
from troopships and returned to Sydney.
May to August
Eastern Force
escort duties in Australian waters in continuation.
September
2nd - Took
passage from Sydney with Free French minister to Vila, New Hebrides.
(Note: This representative to become
Governor of the French colony at Noumea.)
7th - Arrived
at Vila.
16th - Took passage
from Vila for Noumea as escort for Norwegian tanker NORDEN.
19th - Landed
Governor at Noumea.
Ordered
to remain at Noumea as Vichy French Sloops DURVILLE and AMIRAL
CHARNER were known to be in the
area.
20th - Carried
out patrol off Noumea.
October
Deployed at
Noumea.
5th - Took
passage to return to Sydney.
8th - Resumed
duty with Eastern Force on arrival at Sydney.
21st - Sailed
from Sydney to carry out patrol 120 miles SE of Gabo Island after commerce
raider was reported.
November
Patrol duty in
continuation.
6th - Returned
to Sydney.
8th - Despatched
from Sydney to carry out search for minelayer after sinking of ss
CAMBRIDGE.
10th - Returned
to Sydney after fruitless search.
(Note: Mines were laid by German commerce raider
ORION.)
Deployed as escort for mail steamer
during initial part of passage to Vancouver.
December
2nd - Transferred
escort duty to HM Australian Cruiser ACHILLES off North Cape.
Took passage to Sydney.
On arrival taken in hand for refit.
1 9 4 1
January to
March
Under refit.
On completion
of post refit trials resumed duties with Eastern Force.
April to August
Deployed for
escort of convoys between Brisbane and Rabaul, New Guinea.
September
Convoy escort
in continuation.
25th - Escorted
steamer from Melbourne to Chatham Island.
30th - Arrived
in Auckland after detaching from steamer.
October
Return passage
to Sydney.
Resumed
duties in Eastern Force.
November
Convoy escort
in Australian waters in continuation.
December
14th - Escorted
troop convoy from Darwin to Ambon, Java.
17th - Detached
on arrival and returned to Sydney.
1 9 4 2
January
3rd - Escorted
trans-Tasman Sea convoy from Sydney to meet RNZN trawlers
8th - Detached
after transfer and returned to Sydney.
(Note: Only two such convoys were carried out.)
29th - Transferred
to ANZAC Force with HM Australian Cruisers AUSTRALIA,
CANBERRA, HOBART and PERTH, HM
Australian Destroyers STUART,
VOYAGER, VENDETTA, HM Australian Sloop MORESBY, HM
Australian Armed
Merchant
Cruisers KANIMBLA, MANOORA and WESTRALIA, HM New Zealand
Cruisers ACHILLES and LEANDER.
(Note: This was in implementation of
a decision made at a conference in Washington
to establish a naval force in the
north eastern part of the Australia Station.
See WAR WITH JAPAN Volume III
(HMSO).)
February
Nominated for
escort of tanker convoy and took passage to Tanjong Priok, Java
3rd - Deployed
as escort for Convoy MS4 during passage from Java to Fremantle.
On arrival at Fremantle took passage
to Java for duty with ANZAC Force.
22nd - Met HMAS
VENDETTA off Java as escort of convoy during passage to Fremantle.
March to May
ANZAC Force
deployment for convoy escort in Australian waters. (Note: Evacuation of allied troops from
Dutch East Indies involved escort of convoys
search for individual ships making
independent passage.)
Nominated for duty with SW Pacific Area Force.
June to October
Deployed for
escort of convoys in area during passage between USA and Australia.
November
Transferred for
convoy escort in Indian Ocean.
(Note: German blockade runner RAMSES was known to be
on passage from Japan.)
24th - Escorted
military Convoy OW1 with Dutch cruiser HEEMSKERCK during passage in
Indian Ocean from Fremantle.
26th - Intercepted
RAMSES in position 23.20S 99.13E (700 miles south of Cocos Islands).
Engaged enemy ship which was
scuttling and sank her with gunfire.
28th - On
relief by HM Cruiser GAMBIA as escort for OW1 took passage to return to
Fremantle.
December
Indian Ocean
and Australia waters convoy escort in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January
Deployed at
Fremantle for convoy defence.
February
Passage from
Fremantle to meet military convoy from Aden.
(Note: PAMPHLET Convoy included rms
QUEEN MARY, AQUITANIA, QUEEN
OF BERMUDA, French liner ILE DE FRANCE and Dutch liner
AMSTERDAM. It was carrying 9th
Australian Division returning from the
Middle East for service in Pacific area following the
Japanese advance through
Dutch East Indies.).
17th - Joined
escort for PAMPHLET Convoy.
(Note: Escort from Aden included HM Battleships
REVENGE, RESOLUTION and
WARSPITE, Dutch cruisers HEEMSKERCK and TROMP with
destroyers.)
18th - PAMPHLET
Convoy arrived at Fremantle
19th - Escorted
PAMPHLET Convoy during passage from Fremantle with Dutch
Cruisers HEEMSKERCK, TROMP and Dutch
destroyer TJERK HIDDES.
On arrival at Sydney detached from PAMPHLET convoy.
March to December
Coastal convoy
defence in continuation.
1 9 4 4
January to February
Coastal convoy
defence in continuation.
March
11th - Escorted
convoy from Melbourne to Albany, Western Australia.
20th - Returned
with submarine tenders as escort for passage to Sydney.
April
Coastal convoy
defence in continuation based at Fremantle.
May
Nominated for
support of Eastern Fleet operation and took passage from
Fremantle to Exmouth Gulf (Operation
COCKPIT).
14th - Deployed
as Guardship for Tanker Force assembled at Exmouth Gulf
for replenishment of Eastern Fleet
ships prior to air attacks on targets
at Sabang in Sumatra. (See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
19th - Took
passage from Exmouth Gulf to Melbourne on completion of COCKPIT
deployment.
Resumed coastal convoy defence duty.
June to November
Deployed for
coastal convoy defence
Nominated for withdrawal from operational duty.
December
Deployed at
Melbourne pending passage to Sydney
1 9 4 5
January
Passage from
Melbourne to Sydney.
Deployed
at Sydney.
February to April
Sydney
deployment in continuation.
To be Paid-off.
May
13th - Paid off
and destored.
June to August
At Sydney
awaiting decision re future use
