1 9 4 1
November Carried
out Contractors Trials.
3rd Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
15th Commissioned for
service.
16th Civic Reception by local community for
ship's company.
16th Sailed for Clyde on
completion of Acceptance.
December
3rd Commenced work-up in Clyde area before Joining Home
Fleet.
15th Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying
Squadron during minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation
SN81 - See the Naval Staff History (MINING) for details).
1 9 4 2
January Completed
work-up and deployed with Home Fleet in NW Approaches.
February Home Fleet deployment in
continuation.
March Home
Fleet deployment in continuation.
30th Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying
Squadron during minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation
SN87 - See above reference).
April Nominated
for transfer to Force H based at Gibraltar.
(For
details of operations in Mediterranean in 1941 and 1942 see Naval Staff History,
THE
BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and MALTA CONVOYS by
R Woodman.)
13th Escorted US aircraft Carrier USS WASP
with HM Battlecruiser RENOWN and HM
Cruiser CAIRO during
passage to Gibraltar.
19th Joined Force "W" with HMS
RENOWN and HMS CAIRO to escort USS WASP for Malta
aircraft delivery screened by HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD, ITHURIEL,
ECHO, PARTRIDGE
and US Navy destroyers USS LANG and USS MADISON (Operation
CALENDAR).
20th On completion escorted USS WASP for part
of passage from Gibraltar in Atlantic
23rd Returned to Gibraltar
May
6th Joined HMS RENOWN, HM Destroyers ECHO, ECLIPSE and INTREPID in
Force "W".
7th Escorted USS WASP in Atlantic for passage into Mediterranean.
8th Part of escort for USS WASP and HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE for further aircraft
delivery to Malta.
(Note : Destroyer screen included HMS ECHO, HMS INTREPID, USS LANG and
USS
STERRET
Cover
was provided by HMS RENOWN (Operation BOWERY)).
10th On completion escorted USS HASP into Atlantic before return to Gibraltar.
17th Escorted m Aircraft Carriers EAGLE and
ARGUS for aircraft delivery to Malta
screened by H M Destroyers PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL, ANTELOPE,
WISHART.,
WESTCOTT, WRESTLER and VIDETTE (Operation LB).
June
2nd Escorted HMS EAGLE for aircraft
delivery to Malta with HM Destroyers WESTCOTT,
WISHART, ITHURIEL, ANTELOPE and PARTRIDGE (Operation STYLE).
8th Escorted HMS EAGLE with HMS CAIRO for
aircraft delivery to Malta screened by
HM
Destroyers PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL, ANTELOPE, WISHART, WRESTLER and
WESTCOTT (Operation
SALIENT).
11th Joined Force "W" with HM
Battleship MALAYA, HMS EAGLE, HMS ARGUS, HM Cruisers
KENYA and LIVERPOOL to cover
passage to Sicilian Narrows of Malta convoy.
(Operation
HARPOON).
(Note : Destroyer screen comprised HM Destroyers ONSLOW,
ICARUS, ESCAPADE,
WESTCOTT, WISHART,
WRESTLER, VIDETTE and ANTELOPE
17th Returned to Gibraltar with Force
"W" and regained in Mediterranean.
July Deployed
at Gibraltar.
14th Escorted HMS EAGLE with HMS CAIRO for Malta aircraft delivery screened
by HM
Destroyers WESTCOTT, WRESTLER, ANTELOPE, VANSITTART and ITHURIEL.
(Operation PIN POINT).
20th Repeated aircraft delivery escort with
sane ships (Operation INSECT).
August
5th Joined HM Aircraft Carriers
VICTORIOUS, INDOMITABLE, EAGLE and ARGUS with
HM Cruisers
PHOEBE and SIRIUS in Atlantic for exercise in fighter direction and
'Cross-Deck’
multi-aircraft carrier operations (Exercise BERSERK).
(For
details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Hawse).
9th Joined Force "Z" west of Gibraltar with HH Battleships NELSON,
RODNEY, HMS
VICTORIOUS,
HMS INDOMITABLE, HMS EAGLE, HM Cruisers SIRIUS and PHOEBE
with 12 destroyers to cover passage of supply convoy (WS21S) to Sicilian Narrows.
(Operation
PEDESTAL - See above references and PEDESTAL by P Smith).
12th Stood by HMS
INDOMITABLE to provide AA defence after action damage.
13th Detached from Force "Z" after
nightfall to replace H M Cruiser MANCHESTER In
Force
"X" during passage through Sicilian Narrows.
(Note : HMS MANCHESTER had been torpedoed and had to be
sunk).
14th Rejoined Force
"Z" and in action with aircraft.
15th Arrived at Gibraltar.
September Deployment at Gibraltar in
continuation.
Carried
out patrol between Azores and Cape Finisterre to intercept enemy ships
attempting passage from Far East to French ports.
October Atlantic patrol duty in
continuation including refuelling in Azores.
28th Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS
with HM Cruiser AURORA for Malta aircraft
delivery screened by HM Destroyers WESTCOTT, WISHART,
ACHATES, VANOC,
VERITY,
Polish destroyer ORP BLYSKAWICA, HM Escort Destroyers COWDRAY and
BRAMHAM. (Operation TRAIN).
November Nominated
for support of allied landings In North Africa (Operation TORCH).
6th Joined convoy KMF1 with HMS ARGUS, HM
Escort Carrier AVENGER.HM Cruisers
SCYLLA and SHEFFIELD for final stage of passage
to Gibraltar..
Part of Eastern Task Force covering assault landings at Algiers.
(For details see Naval Staff History and above references).
10th Escorted military convoy for landings at
Bougie and Bone with HMS SCYLLA.
Under
periodic air attack and provided naval gunfire support during assault.
12th Engaged aircraft after unsuccessful
torpedo attack.
13th Escorted troopships during passage to Gibraltar with HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier AVENGER.
25th Embarked British
and US military personnel for passage to Algiers.
27th Deployed with HM Cruisers AURORA,
ARGONAUT, SCYLLA and SIRIUS to intercept
French warships approaching North African coast.
30th At Mers-el-Kebir
December Deployed
with unite of Force "H" for exercises in Western Mediterranean.
11th Nominated for
refit in UK.
12th Took passage to
Barrow for refit.
(Note:
Three German POW were embarked for this trip).
15th Taken in hand for
refit.
1 9 4 3
January Under refit.
February Post refit trials.
20th Passage to Liverpool for routine docking
March
7th Joined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow for work-up.
Present
during visit by HM King George VI to Home Fleet.
21st Provided cover for ships of 1st
Minelaying Squadron during minelay in Northern
Barrage
(Operation SN90A).
28th Transferred to Plymouth Command for duty
in SW Approaches and took passage for
Plymouth.
Diverted for search operation in Faeroes area.
April
4th Arrived at Plymouth.
7th Carried out unsuccessful patrol for
interception of blockade runners in Bay of
Biscay
19th Escorted Military
convoy to Gibraltar.
25th Return passage to Plymouth
May
5th Escorted rms
QUEEN MARY taking Prime Minister to USA with HM Cruiser UGANDA.
8th Detached when relieved by two US Navy
destroyers.
12th Deployed on interception patrol duty In Bay of Biscay and provided cover for UK – Gibraltar
convoys prior to allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
June Bay of Biscay deployment in continuation.
July
22nd Joined Joint military convoy WS32 (For Middle East and Bombay) and KMF20 (For Gibraltar
and Algiers) in SW Approaches to provide
cover during passage in the Bay of Biscay.
(Note : This was required in case of attack by German
destroyers from French bases.)
25th Detached from convoy when it divided for
separate passages to Freetown (WS22) and Gibraltar
(KMF20).
August Bay
of Biscay and SH Approaches convoy defence in continuation.
11th Transferred to Gibraltar for convoy defence duties in
Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean
Sailed
from Plymouth for Bay of Biscay convoy defence during
passage to Gibraltar
(Note : The actor Noel Coward was a passenger).
22nd Joined military convoy WS33 (For Middle East and Bombay) and KMF22 (For Gibraltar
and Algiers during passage to Gibraltar to provide cover during transit of Bay of Biscay.
23rd Detached from WS33/KMF22 and resumed Bay Of
Biscay patrol
(Note
Joint convoy separated on arrival at Gibraltar)
31st Arrived at Gibraltar to join Fleet
September Transferred
to Bizerta for support of military operations
10th Joined Support Force East (TF88) with HM
Cruisers EURYALUS and SCYLLA.
(Note : The two cruisers were deployed to provide defence for
HM Escort Carriers UNICORN,
HUNTER,
BATTLER, ATTACKER and STRIKER against air attack during allied
landings at Salerno
(Operation
AVALANCHE – See above references.)
11th Detached and took passage to Palermo.
Embarked General Eisenhower for passage to Salerno for visit.
12th Sailed from Beach Head to Bizerta.
13th Diverted on
passage to embark soldiers and military stores at Tripoli.
14th Joined HMS EURYALUS and HMS SCYLLA at Tripoli for transfer operation.
Sailed for Salerno.
15th Disembarked
soldiers and stores off Beachhead.
(Note : Much publicity has been given since 1945 to the
transfer of units of the 8th Army for
service In Italy - See TWO HONOURABLE YEARS by Craig Leith).
18th Released from AVALANCHE and resumed
patrol and convoy cover in Bay of Biscay.
October Transferred
to Plymouth Canard and continued deployment.
11th Joined escort for inward convoy from Gibraltar in SW Approaches.
12th Detached and took passage to Plymouth
20th Nominated for operation to intercept German mercantile MUNSTERLAND
in Bay
of Biscay
(Operation TUNNEL Series).
(Note : This vessel was known to be on passage in the area.)
22nd Sailed from Plymouth with HM Destroyers
GRENVILLE, ROCKET, LIMBOURNE,
TALYBONT, STEVENSTONE and
WENSLEYDALE.
23rd In action with
German Torpedo Boats escorting coastal convoy off Brittany.
Hit
on port side by two torpedoes fired by T23 and sank within 30 minutes.
426 of the ship's
company lost their lives and 107 were rescued.
(A
detailed analysis of this ill planned and poorly executed TUNNEL operation is available
in
HOLD
THE NARROW SEA by Peter Smith and a privately published novel TWO
HONOURABLE YEARS by Craig Leith).
