1 9 2 2
February Contractors trials and
commissioned for trials
28th Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
March On completion of trials commissioned for service
with 5th Light Cruiser Squadron on
the China Station
Took passage to Squadron.
April Joined Squadron at Hong Kong.
May Deployed with Squadron
on China Station.
(Note: Ships of
Squadron carried out trade protection and spent periods at Wei-Hei
Wei in
North China which was leased from China as a base with limited facilities.)
1 9 2 3
Squadron duties on China Station In continuation.
1 9 2 4
Squadron duties on China Station In continuation.
Offered to New
Zealand Government for service in the New Zealand Division and to
join sister ship HMS DUNEDIN which was to replace HM Cruiser CHATHAM in New
Zealand in May 1924 as Flagship of the Division
(February).
1 9 2 5
January Passage to UK and Paid-Off at Portsmouth.
to Refitted prior to
service in New Zealand Division.
August
September Carried out Post Refit Trials.
October
21st Re-commissioned at Portsmouth for service in New Zealand Division.
November Deployed in UK and prepared for foreign service.
December Took passage to New Zealand.
1 9 2 6
January
26th Joined New Zealand Division at Auckland.
February Deployed with Division in
Pacific for visits to Pacific islands and in New Zealand
to for exercises and
local visits.
December
1 9 2 7 t o 1 9 2 8
New Zealand Division deployment in continuation.
1 9 2 9
Passage to UK to Pay-Off and refit for further service
in New Zealand Division.
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Chatham.
1 9 3 0
January Under refit
to
August
September Carried out Post Refit Trials
October
16th Re-commissioned for service with New Zealand Division.
November Worked-up and prepared for foreign service.
December Passage to Auckland
1 9 3 0 t o 1 9 3 4
Deployed in Pacific and locally in New Zealand.
1 9 3 5
January New
Zealand Division deployment in continuation.
to Nominated for
detached service with East Indies Squadron.
August (Note: This deployment was
made after the Italian invasion of Abyssinia.)
September Passage
to Indian
Ocean.
October Deployed at Aden for blockade duties and protection of trade in Red Sea and
the
to Indian Ocean.
December
1 9 3 6
January Aden deployment in continuation.
February Nominated for return to UK to Pay-Off and reduce to Reserve status.
March Passage
to Chatham.
31st Paid-Off.
(Note: Ship's
Company transferred to HM Cruiser ACHILLES.)
April Reduced to Reserve status
at Chatham
to On completion Joined
Chatham Reserve Fleet.
December
1 9
3 7
January Deployed in Reserve Fleet at Chatham.
to Nominated for
training of Reservists.
June
July
29th Re-commissioned with reduced complement for training duties
August Deployed at Chatham
to
December
1 9 3 8
January Training deployment at Chatham
in continuation.
to Nominated
for transfer to Devonport for training duties
June Passage
to Plymouth.
July Deployed
at Devonport for training duties in Reserve Fleet
to Nominated for deployment at Portsmouth as tender to Signal School after refit.
December (Note: To be fitted with new design aircraft warning
radar equipment Type 79Z for
development trials.)
1 9 3 9
January Passage to Portsmouth and taken in hand for refit.
to
February
March Under refit
to Deployment as Signal
School Tender cancelled.
June (Note: Development
model, Radar Type 79Z was fitted in HM Cruiser CURLEW for
trials and became the third RN ship to be fitted with RDF equipment for
operational use.)
July Brought up to
complement with Reservists for the Review of Reserve Fleet by HM King
George VI in Weymouth Bay.
August Passage
to Portland and attended Review.
. 9th Attended Royal Review in Weymouth Bay.
Took passage to Scapa Flow to
Join 7th Cruiser Squadron for war service after
embarking ammunition and war stores.
Complement
completed.
Sailed for first Northern Patrol duty from Scapa Flow.
D e t a i 1 s o f
W a r S e r v i
c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
September Deployed on Northern Patrol based
at Scapa Flow.
(Note: This was
introduced to interception of German shipping attempting to return
to Germany and commerce raiders on passage to Atlantic Ocean.
For details of
Northern Patrol duties see THE BLOCKADERS by K Poolman)
October Transferred to Sullom Voe in
continuation of Patrol duties.
November Northern
Patrol duty in continuation.
8th Sailed from Sullom Voe.
12th Sustained weather damage.
15th Returned for repair.
17th Resumed Northern Patrol duties.
23rd Established patrol line off North Rona
during search for the German battlecruisers
SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU after sinking of HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
RAWALPINDI.
December Northern
Patrol duty in continuation.
16th Returned to Scapa
Flow from Patrol
20th Taken in hand for repair and refit at
Devonport.
1 9 4 0
January Under refit
10th On completion took passage to rejoin Northern Patrol.
16th Sailed for Patrol from Scapa Flow.
25th Transferred to 8th Cruiser Squadron in West Indies.
(Note: This
Class of cruiser had been found unsuitable for deployment in northern waters).
Took passage from Scapa Flow to Devonport.
Prepared for foreign service at Devonport.
February Took passage to West Indies
on completion.
Deployed with HM
Cruisers DESPATCH and PERTH for trade protection and interception
off east coast of Brazil and Caribbean area.
Based at Bermuda.
March West Indies
patrol and interception deployment in continuation.
to
September
October Under
refit at Bermuda.
November On completion resumed interception
and trade protection duties in West
Indies area baaed at
to Bermuda.
December
1 9 4 1
January West Indies
area trade and protection and interception patrol in continuation.
to
June
July Under refit at Bermuda
to
August
September On completion of trials transferred
to Pacific Ocean for defence of trade and patrol
to Deployed off west
coasts of North and South American continents.
November Assumed duty as Flagship of 8th
Cruiser Squadron.
December Returned to West Indies
for trade defence and Interception in Caribbean area.
9th Intercepted Blockade Runner IDARWALD after report from USS
BROOME
Enemy ship
scuttled after being boarded.
1 9 4 2
January Convoy defence and
interception duty in continuation.
February Nominated for detached duty
under US command when 8th Cruiser Squadron disbanded
Took passage to South Atlantic.
20th Joined US South Atlantic Command for deployment in defence of
Falkland Islands.
(Note: This was
an additional measure taken after Japanese entry into WW2).
Rescued
survivors of ss SCOTTISH STAR torpedoed 700 miles NW of Trinidad.
March Deployed on convoy defence
and interception in South Atlantic under US Command.
Ship adopted
by the civil community of the London Borough of Lambeth following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign.
April South
Atlantic deployment under US Command in continuation.
to
July
August Developed propulsion machinery
defect in port turbine
Withdrawn from
operational service
September Passage
to UK.
October Taken in hand for repair at
Rosyth
November Under
repair by m Dockyard, Rosyth.
to Surface warning
radar Type 273 and air warning radar Type 291 fitted.
December Close range defence improved by
fit of 20mm Oerlikon guns on the upper deck.
(For details of
development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by
D Howse).
1 9 4 3
January Under refit
to
April
May Post refit trials.
June Deployed with Home Fleet
pending decision about future use.
to (Note: Not deployed
for Fleet interception duties in view of limitations due to age
July Surface armament was
outdated, with poor armour protection).
August Nominated for training duties
at Rosyth after refit.
to Under conversion at Chatham to suit new deployment.
September Deployed as Training Ship for
Direct Entry Y Scheme officer candidates.
(Note: These
were ratings selected for promotion before sea service and who had the
necessary educational qualification for commissioned rank in
the RNVR)
1 9 4 4
January Training duties at Rosyth in
continuation.
to
July
August Under
refit at Rosyth.
to Torpedo tubes moved.
September
October Resumed training duties.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Training duties in
continuation.
to
August
