1 9 3 5
February Contractors
trials
26th Commissioned with reduced complement for trials.
March
4th Passage to Clyde for trials including measured
mile and Full Power.
19th Passage to Solent on completion
of trials.
21st Passage to Chatham
22nd Arrived at Chatham
27th Paid-off
April Repair of defects arising from
trials
May
Final dockyard work completed.
21st Commissioned for
service as Flagship, 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
(Note: Replaced HM Cruiser DELHI as Flagship.)
June
Prepared for service.
12th Completed to full complement
20th Took passage from Chatham for work-up
at Portland.
22nd Commenced work-up at Portland.
July
11th Took passage from Portland for Gibraltar
15th At Gibraltar and deployed with Mediterranean
Fleet as Flagship CS3
August
20th Grounded on arrival at Malta and refloated
with the aid of tugs.
29th Sailed from Malta with Fleet
units for Exercise and Visits Programme.
September Deployed
in eastern Mediterranean with Mediterranean Fleet units.
to December (Note: Invasion of Abyssinia by Italy resulted in re-inforcement of Mediterranean Fleet
and an
increased state of readiness for British warships.)
1 9 3 6
Flagship
duties in continuation and took part in Fleet exercises and visits programmes
including joint exercises with Home Fleet ships at Gibraltar during annual Spring visit.
Outbreak
of civil war in Spain significantly affected Fleet
requirements and included
institution of patrols in western Mediterranean.
1 9 3 7
January Fleet duties as Flagship CS3 in
continuation
February Sustained
structural damage in heavy weather and returned to Malta for repair.
March Resumed Flagship duties on
completion.
April Squadron
duties in Mediterranean.
May Passage
to Almeria, Spain with HM
Destroyer HARDY.
14th Sailed from Almeria with seriously damaged
destroyer HMS HUNTER in tow for passage
to Gibraltar escorted by HM Destroyers IMOGEN and ICARUS.
(Note:
This destroyer had been seriously damaged by a mine during Non-intervention
patrol off Spanish south coast.)
15th Arrived at Gibraltar with HMS
HUNTER in tow.
June
Deployed with Squadron in Mediterranean
to July Nominated
for return to UK to re-commission for further
service as Flagship, 3rd Cruiser
Squadron,
Mediterranean Fleet after refit.)
August
23rd Sailed from Malta for Sheerness
31st Arrived at
Sheerness to de-ammunition prior to refit.
September Paid-off
and taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Chatham.
to October
November
2nd Re-commissioned for service as
Flagship, 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
15th Sailed from Chatham for Spithead prior to returning to Malta for service.
20th Arrived at Gibraltar.
23rd Rejoined Squadron at Malta and Flag transferred.
December Deployed
with Squadron in Malta.
1 9 3 8
Mediterranean
Fleet duties with Squadron including joint exercises with Home Fleet in Spring.
Took
part in Spring and Summer Exercise and visits
programme which included preparation
for war service during the Munich crisis. Routine
maintenance periods in Malta.
1 9 3 9
January Deployed with Squadron in Mediterranean and took part in joint annual
exercises with
to April Home Fleet.
May Fleet
deployment in continuation with Squadron and Fleet visits in eastern Mediterranean.
to June
July
Took part in Fleet exercises in
anticipation of war with Italy as arranged by CinC.
August Returned to Alexandria when Black Sea ports visit cancelled and
prepared for war service.
Nominated for
contraband control patrols.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
September Deployed
with HM Cruisers GALATEA and COVENTRY for patrol duties in Mediterranean.
to October based in Alexandria
November Patrol
duties in continuation.
December Nominated
for transfer to 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet/
1st Sailed from Alexandria for patrol
during passage to Malta.
7th Under repair in Malta.
18th Resumed operational service.
23rd Sailed for patrol.
30th Returned to Malta. Relieved as Flagship by HM
Cruiser CALEDON.
31st Took passage to Gibraltar en route to UK for Home
Fleet service.
1 9 4 0
January
3rd At Gibraltar
6th Arrived at Portsmouth and prepared for service in
Home Fleet.
26th Sailed from Portsmouth to Scapa Flow for service with HM Cruisers
PENELOPE, GALATEA
and AURORA as 2nd Cruiser Squadron.
29th Arrived at Scapa Flow.
February Deployed
for interception patrol in North Sea and NW Approaches.
14th Sailed from Rosyth with HM Destroyers
COSSACK, INTREPID, IVANHOE, NUBIAN and
SIKH
to carry out search for German tanker ALTMARK which was carrying British
merchant
seamen captured by commerce raiders.
17th During deployment with HMS INTREPID and
HMS IVANHOE as separate search group
sighted enemy ship off Egro Light
For
details of search see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett.
(Note:
Boarding party from HMS COSSACK later rescued prisoners from ALTMARK
in Josing Fjord, Norway.)
March Deployed with Squadron to carry
out two offensive sweeps in Skaggerak for
interception
of enemy warships on passage to attack shipping in North Sea and NW Approaches or to
return to Germany as blockade runners.
April Deployed at Rosyth
7th Sailed from Rosyth with HM Cruiser
GALATEA, HM Destroyers AFRIDI, GURKHA, SIKH,
MOHAWK,
ZULU, COSSACK, KASHMIR, KELVIN, Polish destroyers ORP GROM. BURZA
and BLYSKAWICA to carry out search for German warships
reported on passage north of
position 58.30N 3.30E.
8th Joined by HM D4estroyers SOMALI,
MATABELE, MASHONA and TARTAR. and continued
search
operation.
9th Ordered to join ships of Home Fleet in
Bergen/Trondheim area after German invasion forces
had landed in Norway.
HMS
KELVIN and HMS KASHMIR involved in collision and detached with HMS ZULU
and HMS COSSACK as escort during return to harbour.
Detached
with HM Cruiser GALATEA, EMILE BERTIN and two French destroyers to carry
out sweep between Fejeosen Fjord
and south of Kors Fjord to prevent enemy
reinforcements
arriving in Stavanger and Bergen.
11th Took passage to Scapa Flow to refuel.
13th Sailed from Scapa Flow with HMS GALATEA to Rosyth.
14th Embarked troops for and stores planned
landings at Namsos (Operation MAURICE)
16th: Destination for landings changed to
Andalsnes but troops to be transferred to destroyers
at
Molde for onward transport (Operation SICKLE).
17th Sailed from Rosyth with HM Cruisers
GALATEA, CARLISLE and CURACOA screened by
HM
Destroyers ACHERON and ARROW as escort for troopship ORION during passage to
Molde
after delays in embarkation of AA guns and the later need to revise stowage
arrangements
and distribution of troops. For details see NAVAL OPERATIONS
OF THE CAMPAIGN IN
NORWAY, April to June 1940 (HMSO).)
18th Transferred troops at Molde with HMS
CURACOA.
(Note:
HMS GALATEA and HMS CARLISLE landed troops at Andalsnes.
20th Arrived at Rosyth
with HMS GALATEA without incident.
21st Embarked RAF
personnel and AA guns for passage to establish airfield at Lesjaskog.
22nd Landed passengers and equipment at Andalsnes.
30th Deployed at Andalsnes with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD, GALATEA and SOUTHAMPTON,
HM Destroyers MASHONA,
SIKH, TARTAR, WALKER, WANDERER and WESTCOTT
for evacuation of troops. For details of the disastrous
operations off Norway see above reference,
THE
DOOMED EXPEDITION by Adams, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY,
CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton and NARVIK by D MacIntyre.)
May
7th Transferred to Nore Command and took
passage to Harwich to assist in support of military
operations.
11th Escorted two Dutch mercantiles
carrying gold bullion to Southend from Ijmuiden, Holland.
24th Sailed from Portsmouth with HMS GALATEA to carry out
bombardment of shore batteries
near Calais. Operation cancelled as ship
could not arrive before nightfall.
25th At Sheerness
26th Carried out bombardment with HMS
GALATEA, HM Destroyers GRAFTON, GREYHOUND,
VERITY, VIMIERA, WESSEX, WOLFHOUND
and Polish ORP SLAZAK.
Under air attacks during which HMS WESSEX was sunk.
27th Returned to Sheerness.
June
Deployed in support of the
evacuation of allied personnel from France (Operation AERIAL)
17th Arrived at Le Verdon at mouth of Gironde estuary to take charge of
evacuation.
18th At Le Verdon
for meetings between British Ambassador and First Sea Lord regarding
future
policy for dealing with French naval forces.
19th Embarked officials from British Embassy.
20th Embarked President of Poland with his
diplomatic staff and took passage to Plymouth
on
relief as SNO Le Verdon by HMS GALATEA.
21st Landed 221
passengers at Plymouth.
27th At Portsmouth and nominated
for transfer to Mediterranean.
28th Embarked Admiral James Somerville, Flag
Officer Force H designate and sailed for Gibraltar.
30th Flag transferred to HM Battlecruiser
HOOD on arrival at Gibraltar.
Began service
as part of Force H based at Gibraltar.
July
2nd Sailed from Gibraltar with HMS HOOD, HM Battleships
VALIANT and RESOLUTION,
HM
Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL, HM Cruiser ENTERPRISE, HM Destroyers ACTIVE,
ESCORT,
FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, KEPPEL, VIDETTE,
VORTIGERN and WRESTLER.
3rd Deployed off Oran for operation aimed at denying
use by Germany of French warships.
(Operation
CATAPULT).
After
failure of negotiations with French Admiral Gensoul
took part in bombardment of
warships in French naval base at Mers-el-Kebir
with heavy loss of French lives.
For
details see RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute.
8th Deployed with HMS HOOD, HMS VALIANT,
HMS RESOLUTION, HM Cruisers DELHI,
and ENTERPRISE, HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, FORESTER,
ESCORT,
DOUGLAS, ACTIVE, VELOX, VORTIGERN and WRESTLER to provide cover
for HMS ARK ROYAL during planned air
attacks on Cagliari (Operation MA5).
(Note:
The air attacks were intended to prevent assistance being given to ships of the
Mediterranean
Fleet engaged in an action of Calabria with Italian warships.)
10th Operation abandoned after air attacks.
11th Returned to Gibraltar with same
ships.
22nd Deployed with Force H to provide cover
for HMS ARK ROYAL during planned air
attacks
on Bordeaux.
25th Returned to Gibraltar whilst on passage when operation
cancelled because of weather conditions
in Bay of Biscay.
31st Deployed with HMS VALIANT, HMS
RESOLUTION, and screened by HM Destroyers
ESCAPADE
and VELOX as Group 2 to cover Malta aircraft delivery from HM
Aircraft
Carrier ARGUS (Operation HURRY).
(Note:
This was coincident with Operation CRUSH – Air attacks on Cagliari from HMS
ARK
ROYAL which was being covered by other ships of Force H)
August
2nd Detached after successful launch of
aircraft and carried out unsuccessful search for French
mercantile GOUVERNEUR-GENERAL DE GUEYDON which was believed
to be taking
French
minister Edouard Daladier
from Algiers to Marseilles. Rejoined
ships of Force H.
4th On return to Gibraltar from HURRY
relieved in Force H by HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD.
7th Passage in Atlantic to Chatham for refit and
routine docking.
12th Under refit by HM Dockyard, Chatham
September At Chatham
October
9th Carried out post refit trials and took
passage to rejoin 2nd Cruiser Squadron at Scapa Flow.
Involved in collision with mercantile and sustained structural
damage.
(Note:
Source are at variance about place of repair. One
records at Chatham and another
in Newcastle.
31st Taken in hand for
repair at Newcastle. To be confirmed.
(Note:
One source records ship opened fire with AA guns whilst in dry dock at Chatham
during an air raid and that as a result ship was deployed in
Thames near Tower
Bridge to supplement shore AA defences. To be confirmed.)
November
23rd Carried out post repair trials off Tyne and resumed operational service
in Squadron for
interception
patrols in NW Approaches.
December London AA deployment to be confirmed.
8th Deployed to provide cover for minelay
in Northern Barrage by HM Auxiliary Minelayers
MENESTHEUS
and AGAMEMNON (Operation SN10A)
For
details of all minelaying operations see Naval Staff History (Mining).
1 9 4 1
January
3rd Provided cover for minelay by HM
Destroyers INTREPID and ICARUS off Egersund,
Norway with HM Cruiser AURORA and
Fleet destroyer screen (Operation DZ)
Resumed
patrol duties with Squadron on return to Scapa Flow.
February Nominated
for provision of cover for minelay in addition to patrol deployment.
1st Deployed to provide cover for planned
minelay by HMS INTREPID off Fro Havet, Norway
with HMS AURORA and Fleet destroyer screen (Operation EA)
Operation
cancelled during passage due to weather conditions and returned to Scapa Flow.
17th Provided cover for HM Auxiliary
Minelayers AGAMEMNON, PORT QUEBEC and
MENESTHEUS
during Northern Barrage minelays (Operation SN7B and
SN68A)
Detached for convoy defence.
20th (Note: One source also records
deployment as escort for military convoy on passage
to Gibraltar. No record of escort for WS Series convoy
confirms this but
routine convoy OG53 sailed from Liverpool on 18th February and arrived
at Gibraltar on 1st March)
March
1st At Gibraltar
10th Escorted ss STRATHMORE to Greenock.
13th Detached to join HM Battlecruiser RENOWN
and HMS ARK ROYAL in search for
German
battlecruisers SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU sighted by
HM Battleship
MALAYA near Cape Verde Islands.
Took passage to return to Scapa Flow when German
ships returned to Brest.
30th Resumed patrol duties with Squadron at Scapa Flow.
April Deployed for interception patrol
in Atlantic.
May Deployed
for patrol in Faeroes-Iceland Gap.
23rd Joined HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM and NEWCASTLE for interception of German
battleship
BISMARCK known to be on passage to attack Atlantic convoys.
24th Remained off Iceland to intercept BISMARCK if her return
passage was made northward.
June
3rd Returned to Scapa Flow from patrol.
25th Provided cover for HM Auxiliary
Minelayers AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS
during
Northern Barrage minelay (Operation SN70B).
30th At Scapa Flow
Nominated for support of Malta relief convoy (Operation
SUBSTANCE)
July (Note:
An RAF Air-Surface radar was installed. This had been modified for naval use
and was
designated Type 286M. It use was limited as the aerial could not rotate.
For details of development and
use of radar in the RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.)
12th Deployed
with HM Battleship NELSON, HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and HM Destroyers
COSSACK, LIGHTNING, NESTOR (RAN)
and SIKH for escort of Convoy WS9C and took
passage
from Scapa Flow to Londonderry.
13th Joined
convoy during passage in NW Approaches. For details see MALTA CONVOYS
by R
Woodman, The Naval Staff History ,ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY,
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D
Macintyre, THE NAVAL WAR IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN by J Green and A Massignani and Naval Staff History for details.)
