H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field per Pale Red and Green
an elephant bearing
a
Castle Gold.
M o t t o
Fortis, fert securitatem: - 'The strong
carries safety'
S u m m a r y o f
S e r v i c e b e f o r e S e p t e m b e r 1 9 39
1 9 1 8
Deployed with Harwich
Force
1 9 1 9
Transferred to
Atlantic Fleet and joined 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron,
1 9 2 0
t o 1 9 2 3
Transferred within
Atlantic Fleet and deployed as Flagship of Flag Officer (Destroyers).
Atlantic Fleet
Flagship deployment in continuation.
(Note: During refit
in this period flying-off Platform removed.)
1 9 2 4
Transferred to Mediterranean for duty as Flagship, Flag Officer
Destroyers.
1 9 2 5
t o 1 9 2 7
Mediterranean
deployment in continuation.
1 9 2 8
Returned to Home
waters for refit.
1 9 2 9
Under refit.
1 9 3 0
Recommissioned for service as Flagship for
Flag Officer (D), Mediterranean Fleet
1 9 3 1
t o 1 9 3 4
Mediterranean Fleet
Flagship service in continuation.
1 9 3 5
Nominated for reduction
to Reserve status and returned to UK to Pay-off
Selected for
conversion to Anti-Aircraft Cruiser.
Taken in hand for
conversion by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth (September)
1 9 3 6
January Under conversion
to October
November
15th Commissioned for Trials
December Carried out First of Class Trials.
1 9 3 7
January Additional refit work undertaken
including fir of multiple barrelled 2pdr Pom Pom
to February mountings.
March Recommissioned
for service as Trials ship.
April Deployed for trials of new
design equipment including Degaussing gear and 20mm
to December Close Range Oerlikon
guns.
1 9 3 8
Trials deployment in
continuation.
(Note: One source
records ships was held in Reserve.)
1 9 3 9
January Trials deployment in continuation
to July War Station in Mediterranean
allocated
August Embarked war stores and
additional complement.
Joined HM Cruisers
DANAE and DAUNTLESS for passage to take up
War Station.
Detached and made
independent passage to Gibraltar to join Mediterranean Fleet.
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
September
3rd Arrived at Alexandria and joined
Fleet.
18th Recalled to Home Waters and took
passage to UK.
October On arrival at Portsmouth
transferred to Humber Force for AA defence of East
Coast convoys.
20th Arrived at Immingham
21st In action against aircraft
attacking convoy. Detached from escort after defect in
steering gear.
23rd Under repair at Immingham.
November On completion resumed convoy defence.
10th During passage steering failed in
Pentland Firth in heavy weather.
11th Entered Sullom
Voe using emergency manual steering.
12th Deployed as AA Guardship for Flying
Boat base at Sullom Voe.
In action against
high flying enemy aircraft.
13th During low level attack by six
HEINKEL aircraft shot down one.
(Note: Two
SUNDERLANDS were sunk at anchor in Lerwick during this raid).
December AA Guardship duty at Sullom Voe in
continuation.
25th Joined by HM Destroyers ICARUS and
INGLEFIELD.
In action against high
flying aircraft.
1 9 4 0
January
1st In action against Dornier aircraft and
near missed.
15th Released from Guardship duty at Sullom
Voe when Army AA batteries operational.
17th Arrived Chatham for repair to steering
and machinery.
February Under refit
to (Note: Masts altered and aircraft
warning radar Type 279 fitted with Plotting Office.
April Two after 4" guns
(Nos. 6 and 7) removed. Degaussing coil fitted.
Became
Flagship of Humber Force 1st AA Squadron (CS20).
(For details
of development and use of radar see
RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
May
2nd Passage to Rosyth for radar and gunnery
trials.
7th Rejoined Fleet on completion of trials
and took passage to Sullom Voe.
8th Passage to Norway for AA defence of
Fleet units in Norwegian waters.
(For details of the
disastrous Norwegian campaign see NARVIK
by Donald MacIntyre,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and the Naval Staff History).
10th Joined HM Cruiser CALCUTTA, HM
Destroyers ZULU, CAMPBELL, WITCH and ISIS
escorting two merchant
ships and damaged cruiser HMS PENELOPE under tow from
Norway.
11th When detached deployed for patrol
and AA Guardship for RESOLUTION and damaged
HM Destroyer ESKIMO in Ofot Fjord.
13th Under sustained air attacks with
heavy expenditure of ammunition.
Barrage' firing had to be
discontinued.
14th Covered HM Cruiser AURORA, HM
Destroyers FAME and WREN during Narvik bombardment.
16th Embarked troops at Narvik with HM
Cruisers CAIRO and EFFINGHAM.
Passage to Bodo escorted
by HM Destroyers ECHO and MATABELE.
17th After HMS EFFINGHAM grounded troops
transferred by HMS EFFINGHAM and operation
abandoned. Returned to
Harstad.
18th Replaced CURLEW as AA Guardship at
Lavangs after she had been sunk in air attack.
One aircraft destroyed by
pom-pom fire.
19th Guardship duty in continuation.
Under sustained attacks. 75 attacks since 11th.
to Later transferred to Harstad to
relieve HM Cruiser AURORA as AA Guardship.
25th.
27th Provided naval gunfire support to
military operation at Narvik with HM Cruisers
SOUTHAMPTON, and five
destroyers. Withdrew after HMS CAIRO was
in air attacks and
returned to Narvik with two destroyers.
29th Deployed as AA Guardship for convoy
assembly in Ofot Fjord until 4/6/40.
June Arrived at Glasgow and detached
for passage to Tyne.
4th Escorted Group II evacuation convoy
from Narvik area with HM
Cruiser
SOUTHAMPTON, HM
Destroyers BEAGLE, DELIGHT,
FAME,
FIREDRAKE
and HAVELOCK during
passage to UK,
(Note: Convoy included
troopships ORONS AY, ORMONDE,
ARANDORA
STAR,
ROYAL
ULSTERMAN, ULSTER PRINCE, ULSTER MONARCH,
DUCHESS OF
YORK, Troopship VANDYK was sunk by air attack and
failed to
join convoy.)
16th Began refit and docking in Tyne
shipyard at Wallsend. Gun barrels replaced..
30th Rejoined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
and deployed as AA Guardship.
July
6th Covered HMS SOUTHAMPTON and six
Fleet destroyers escorting HM Submarine SHARK
from Stavanger area as submarine unable to dive.
Under air attacks.
7th Escorted damaged destroyer HMS FAME
to Rosyth and returned to Scapa Flow.
Encountered Dutch
mercantile adrift and unmanned in North Sea.
10th Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying
Squadron for minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation SN1-For
details of all minelaying operations see Naval Staff History).
Detached after U-Boat
attacks.
12th Deployed at Plymouth for convoy
defence
28th Docking and repair at Devonport prior
to transfer to Mediterranean Fleet.
August Nominated for service in Mediterranean
to supplement available AA defences.
21st Joined KM Cruiser BONAVENTURE at
Greenock for escort of Atlantic convoy.
23rd Detached from convoy and took passage
to Gibraltar.
28th Embarked troops for passage to Malta.
30th Joined W Battleship VALIANT, HM
Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS and HM AA Cruiser
CALCUTTA for transit of
Mediterranean to join Fleet at Alexandria, escorted by H M
Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM
Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD
screened by destroyers of
Force "H" to Sicilian Narrows (Operation HATS).
September
1st Landed embarked troops in Malta and
joined Mediterranean Fleet. Under air attacks.
2nd Detached to escort convoy for Greece
in Kithera Channel with HMS CALCUTTA.
Sustained air attacks
continued.
3rd Joined HM Cruisers GLASGOW, LIVERPOOL and SYDNEY (RAN) for passage to
Alexandria.
6th Transferred to Red Sea Escort Force
for AA defence of convoys.
7th Sailed from Alexandria for Red Sea
convoy escort
Joined slow convoy at
Port Tewfik as escort for passage to Aden.
11th Detached from southbound slow convoy
to escort Convoy BS4 on
passage to Aden in view
of threat of Italian air attacks.
13th
Detached from BS4 at Aden and took
passage to join military convoy
WS2A off Perim.
14th Deployed with HM Cruiser HOB ART
(RAN), HM Destroyers
KANDAHAR and KINGSTON as
escort for Fast Section of WS2A
during passage in Red
Sea to Suez.
(Note: This section
comprised troopships ANDES, EMPRESS OF
BRITAIN and EMPRESS OF
CANADA.)
16th Detached from Fast Section of WS2A
after air threat no longer likely
and took passage to join southbound convoy for
AA defence during
transit of threatened
area.
19th Under air attack on arrival at
Aden.
20th Escorted northbound convoy to Bab
el Mandeb.
26th
Escorted rms EMPRESS OF JAPAN,
rms ORION and rms ORONSAY to Port Tewfik.
27th Passage to Alexandria through Suez
Canal with HM River Gunboat GNAT and rejoined
Mediterranean Fleet.
October
2nd Joined HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, H
M Battleships MALAYA and RAMILLIES with H M
Cruiser AJAX and
destroyers in unsuccessful search for Italian convoy to Libya.
8th Provided AA defence during passage
of Malta supply convoy ME6.
12th Under air attacks with HMS CALCUTTA
off Crete.
27th Joined HMS EAGLE, HMS MALAYA and
ships of Fleet for offensive sweep in the Eastern
Mediterranean.
30th AA Guardship
for passage of HMS AJAX, HM Netlayer PROTECTOR, minesweepers and
tankers to
Suda Bay, Crete.
November
1st Under low level air attacks at Suda
Bay.
2nd Passage to Alexandria with HMS AJAX
and under air attacks.
5th Covered passage of
convoy MW3 to Malta and convoy AN6 to Greece with HMS AJAX,
HMS CALCUTTA and HMAS
SYDNEY.
7th Joined Fleet units after HMS
CALCUTTA detached with AN6 to Suda Bay.
10th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet
units covering passage of HM Battleship BAHRAM,
HM Cruiser BERWICK, HM
Cruiser GLASGOW and three destroyers transferred from Home
waters (Operation COAT).
(For details of all
Mediterranean operations in 19HO-U1 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY, THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by Donald MacIntyre and the
Naval
Staff History.)
15th Escorted Suda Bay convoy and
returned on 20/11/4O.
23rd Escorted Suda Bay convoy and on
arrival took passage to Malta.
27th Joined Force "D" (HMS
RAMILLIES, HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE and HM Cruiser BERWICK
being transferred to
Force "H". After rendezvous with Force "H" ships briefly
engaged a superior
Italian force south of
Cape Spartivento which promptly withdrew. Provided additional AA
support for passage of
HM Cruisers MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON and other
ships joining
Mediterranean Fleet (Operation COLLAR)
28th Returned with Fleet units to
Alexandria.
December
11th Provided AA protection for HMS
BARHAM and Fleet units during bombardment of Mersa
in support of military
advance by 8th Army.
12th Operation abandoned due to weather
(snowstorm !)
13th Hit forward by torpedo fired by
Italian submarine NAIAD off North African coast.
Submarine sunk during
counter-attack by HM Destroyer HYPERION. Steamed stem first
to Alexandria.
14th Under temporary repair at
Alexandria.
27th During trials new bow structure fell
off.
28th Docked again and heavier steel
structure filled with concrete.
1 9 4 1
January
20th Resumed service with bow down
attitude and maximum speed restricted to 23 knots.
Escorted ULSTER PRINCE,
LANARKSHIRE and CITY OF PRETORIA to Pireaus.
23rd Returned with convoy to Alexandria.
31st Escorted convoy to Pireaus.
February
Supported military
operations at Tobruk (Operation AC1).
Escorted HM Monitor
TERROR, minesweeping corvettes and petrol carrier.
17th Under air attacks on passage to
Benghazi.
19th Passage to Tobruk with convoy until
detached 120 miles east of Malta.
21st Escorted convoy to Alexandria.
27th Escorted Greek ships on passage to
Pireaus.
March
1st Storm conditions off Greek coast
forced convoy to scatter.
Returned to Alexandria
because of possible damage to weaken bow structure.
5th Escorted Convoy AN17 with HM
Destroyer STUART (RAN), HM Destroyer HEREWARD
and HM Corvette HYACINTH
during passage to Pireaus (Operation LUSTRE).
12th Returned to Alexandria..
14th Joined Pireaus convoy off Crete but
had to return to Suda Bay because of weather.
19th Deployed with HMS CALCUTTA for AA
defence of troop convoys to Pireaus.
Under air attacks.
21st Covered passage of Malta convoy with
Fleet units.
22nd Detached with HMS CALCUTTA to assist
AA defence of Pireaus convoy.
25th During refuelling at Suda Bay HM
Cruiser YORK attacked by Italian Explosive Motor Boat
and seriously damaged.
26th Attacked by 24 Ju88's when escorting
convoy from Pireaus. 6 aircraft destroyed.
29th Escorted Crete and Pireaus convoys
until 10/4/41.
April
11th Joined 3 destroyers for escort of
fast merchant ship into Aegean Sea.
In action with Rumanian
manned DORNIER aircraft.
16th Escorted storeship GLENGYLE with HM
Australian Destroyers WATERHEN, STUART
and VOYAGER and for raid
by 7 Cdo at Bardia which was cancelled due to sea state
19th Deployed for Bardia landing
operation which was not a complete success.
23rd Detached from escort of two
mercantiles with HM Destroyers DIAMOND, GRIFFIN
and WRYNECK to provide
defence for Convoy ANF29 during allied evacuation from
Greece (Operation DEMON).
25th Embarked troops at Megara for
passage to Suda Bay with HM Destroyers DECOY, HAVOCK
and HASTY. Under
sustained air attacks.
26th Sailed for Suda Bay with same ships
plus the destroyers HMS DECOY, VENDETTA (RAN)
HMS WATERHEN (RAN) and HMS
WRYNECK. During AA action against heavy air
attacks 4" shell
exploded prematurely killing one PO and injuring other ratings. Use of 4"
gun
mountings had to be
restricted to emergencies only because of barrel wear.
27th Escorted Convoy GA14 to Alexandria
with HMS CALCUTTA and HMAS STUART.
29th Gun barrels replaced.
May
6th Deployed with Fleet units to escort convoy
bringing tanks to Middle East.
9th Joined close escort for convoy
(Operation TIGER).
16th Carried 700 troops of Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders to Tintokioun, Crete with
HM Sloop AUCKLAND, HMAS VOYAGER and
HMAS WATERHEN
17th Deployed on patrol in Kaso - Leros
area.
19th Joined HM Cruisers DIDO and PHOEBE,
HM Destroyers JUNO, KANDAHAR and
KINGSTON for attacks on invasion
craft.
Detached with HMS PHOEBE
to assist the hospital ship mv ABBA being bombed
despite international Red
Cross markings.
20th Petty Officer A. E. Sephton,
Director Control Officer mortally wounded during the
defence of ABBA and
posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
21st Landed wounded at Alexandria.
22nd Deployed with HM Sloops AUCKLAND and
FLAMINGO to reinforce squadron off
Timbakion but recalled.
26th Escorted troopship GLENROY taking
reinforcements to Timbakion with HMS JAGUAR
and HMAS STUART. Ordered
to return because air attacks made landing impossible
before daylight
. (For details of Tobruk
support operations see LEADER OF THE CROCKS by LE Clifford.
28th Deployed with HM Cruisers PHOEBE,
PERTH and CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers HASTY,
JANUS and JERVIS to evacuate
troops from Sphakia.
29th Provided AA defence with HMS
CALCUTTA against sustained air attacks.
30th During return came under heavy air
attacks but reached Alexandria unscathed.
June
1st Returned to assist AA defence of
Spakhia evacuation convoy with HMS CALCUTTA.
Near missed during
further air attacks during which HMS CALCUTTA was sunk.
Rescued 255 survivors.
5th Deployed in support of military operations
in Syria and escorted ss GLENGYLE from
Port Said for Commando
attack on bridge over Litani river to delay retreat of the
Vichy French forces
(Operation EXPORTER).
7th Patrolled off Tyre when landing
delayed because of weather. Covered landings later.
8th Joined HMS AJAX, HMS PHOEBE, HM
Destroyers JACKAL, JANUS, KANDAHAR
and KIMBERLEY for patrol
and support of shore operations.
9th In action against Ju 88 attacking
pipe line at Tyre and fighter aircraft at Haifa.
14th During patrol escorted by HM
Destroyers ILEX and ISIS engaged two Vichy destroyers
at long range and
followed them to Beirut. Under fire from shore batteries and
later drove off air
attacks.
20th AA Guardship
duty at Haifa for 7 days. Periodic air raids during day and night.
27th Rest and Recuperation period at
Alexandria. Regular night air raids during stay.
July
10th Aircraft mine exploded near ship
whilst in harbour without causing damage.
16th Resumed operations and escorted
convoy to Beirut.
18th AA Guardship at Beirut with HMS
CARLISLE.
August
13th Returned to Alexandria.
18th Escorted HMS BARHAM after Durban
refit from Port Said to Alexandria.
19th Escorted troopships HE DE FRANCE,
NIEUW AMSTERDAM and ORION to Port Tewfik.
21st Deployed to provide AA protection
to troops ships during passage from Anchorage
area in Gulf of Suez
to Port Tewfik. Air raids kept at high level by 4" barrage.
29th Relieved as AA Guardship by HMS
CARLISLE. Deployed for convoy defence.
September
7th Rescued crew of US freighter
sunk 50 miles south of Suez in Red Sea.
16th Returned to anchorage area for
Guardship duty but had to return to Port Tewfik to
carry out repair to
radar equipment.
29th On completion took passage to
anchorage area
October
3rd Escorted two troopships to Suez
and during passage through Canal to Alexandria shot
down minelaying
aircraft.
8th Escorted southbound convoy
through Red Sea to Aden.
13th After refuelling in Aden escorted
Norwegian tanker into Aden.
15th Passage to Bombay with Greek
destroyer
19th Began refit at Bombay.
November Under refit. Boilers re-tubed and new
Bows fitted.
to December
1 9 4 2
January Under refit.
to April
May On completion embarked gold
bullion and took passage to Alexandria.
Off loaded gold for
oil sheik into dhow off Jiddah and called at Port Sudan.
June After arrival in Alexandria two
20mm Oerlikon guns fitted.
11th Escorted convoy to Tobruk with
three destroyers as diversion for Malta relief convoy.
(Operation VIGOROUS
- For details of this ill fated attempt which was very poorly
controlled from
shore, see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and THE BATTLE
FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN and Naval Staff History).
12th Detached to join Fleet units
escorting VIGOROUS convoy).
13th Covered convoy passage with
ships of 4th and 15th Cruiser Squadrons, escorted by
Fleet destroyers.
14th Under heavy air attacks by high
level and dive bombers during daylight.
HMS NEWCASTLE was
damaged and HMS HASTY had to be sunk after E- Boat and
U-Boat
attacks.
15th Under threat from superior
Italian forces and continuing air attacks convoy.
Instructed to
return to Alexandria and operation abandoned.
17th Resumed AA Guardship
duties in Gulf of Suez and deployed at
Abu Zenima.
July Escorted HM Battleship
QUEEN ELIZABETH for part of Red Sea transit on
passage to refit in
USA.
On completion
resumed AA defence duties off Syria.
August AA Guardship
at Haifa. Detached to join Mediterranean Fleet units in diversionary
sweep during
passage of PEDESTAL convoy from Gibraltar.
On completion
returned to Guardship duty in Gulf of Suez.
(See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, PEDESTAL BY P. Smith THE
BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and The
Naval Staff History.
September
3rd Returned to Alexandria to prepare for
assault on Tobruk. Owing to poor security
enemy defences were
forewarned of the planned attack (Operation AGREEMENT).
12th Passage with HM Destroyers BELVOIR,
CROOME, DULVERTON and HURSLEY
to provide AA cover
during Tobruk raid
13th Joined HM Destroyers ALDENHAM,
BEAUFORT, EXMOOR, HURWORTH, SIKH
and ZULU.
Under dive bomber
attacks after attempt by HMS SIKH and HMS ZULU to enter port.
After sinking of HMS
SIKH and damage to HMS ZULU the remaining ships became
prime targets. Two
aircraft were destroyed and 5 by RAF Beaufighters.
Sustained four direct bomb hits that gave
little opportunity to take effective damage
control action.
Ship had to be abandoned
but HMS BEAUFORT was able to
close
ship forward to
embark survivors and HMS
DULVERTON rescued men in the water.
(Casualty
List - note on casualties)
(For details of war
service and loss see HMS COVENTRY ANTI-AIRCRAFT CRUISER
by George
Slums - Privately published
1972).
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS COVENTRY
by Don Kindell
Date convoy Joined
convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
30/08/40 12/09/40 WS 002A 14/09/40 14/09/40
12/09/40 13/09/40 OA 213 13/09/40 unknown
15/09/40 15/09/40 BS 004C 18/09/40 19/09/40
22/08/40 20/09/40 AP 001/1 21/09/40 23/09/40
22/08/40 22/09/40 AP 002/1 23/09/40 26/09/40
19/09/40 25/09/40 BN 005A 28/09/40 29/09/40
08/10/40 08/10/40 MF 003 11/10/40 11/10/40
11/10/40 11/10/40 MF 004 13/10/40 13/11/40
04/11/40 04/11/40 MW 003 unknown 10/11/40
10/11/40 10/11/40 ME 003 13/11/40 13/11/40
23/11/40 23/11/40 MW 004 26/11/40 26/11/40
19/01/41 19/01/41 AN 013 unknown unknown
24/01/41 24/01/41 AS 013/1 27/01/41 27/01/41
08/03/41 08/03/41 AS 017/1 12/03/41 12/03/41
18/03/41 18/03/41 AS 020/1 20/03/41 22/03/41
18/03/41 18/03/41 AN 021 20/03/41 22/03/41
22/03/41 24/03/41 AN 022 25/03/41 25/03/41
04/04/41 04/04/41 ASF 023 07/04/41 07/04/41
10/09/41 unknown WN 179 unknown 13/09/41
25/09/41 unknown WN 185 unknown 28/09/41
09/10/41 unknown WN 191 unknown 12/10/41
11/06/42 11/06/42 MW 011 16/06/42 16/06/42
(Note on Convoys)
