1 9 3 9
September In
reserve at Portsmouth.
Selected
for re-arming and refit.
October Taken
in hand for refit at Portsmouth.
November Under Refit
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Under
refit
February Transferred to Devonport for
re-arming.
March Under
refit at Devonport.
to (Note:
Two 7.5in mountings removed and replaced by four
single 4in with
December 2pdr
Pom-Pom for Close Range AA defence against air
attack.
1 9 4 1
January Under
refit.
to (Note:
New centimetric surface warning Radar Type 271
installed abaft compass platform
November and
fire control Radar Type 285 for main armament.
An
aircraft warning Radar Type 281 using two aerials units fitted at each masthead
was also installed,
For
details of the development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by
D Howse.)
December Carried out Post Refit trials.
1 9 4 2
January Commissioned
at Devonport manned by Portsmouth Division ship’s company
Post refit trials in continuation.
February Nominated
for service in Eastern Fleet with 4th Cruiser Squadron
Completed Sea Trials and calibrations.
March Passage
to Scapa
Flow to work-up
with Hone Fleet.
4th Arrived at Scapa Flow and commenced work-up with ships of Home
Fleet..
Deployed
to meet US Battleship USS WASHINGTON and US Aircraft Carrier USS WASP
in NW Approaches During passage to Scapa Flow to reinforce Hone Fleet during allied
landings in Madagascar (Operation IRONCLAD}.
April Completed
work-up and prepared for foreign service.
19th Joined Ocean Escort for military convoy
WS18 to Durban with HM Cruiser GAMBIA, HM
Escort Destroyer TETCOTT and Dutch Destroyer VAN GALEN.)
(Note: HM Depot
Ship HECLA was one of the ships in the convoy.
Local
Escort was provided by destroyers of Western Approaches Command.
This
convoy was part of build up for landings in Madagascar.
29th Called at Freetown.
May
3rd Sailed for Capetown with WS18
(Note: HM
Seaplane Carrier ALBATROSS joined WS18 at Freetown.
6th Detached during
passage to escort merchant ship to Halvia Bay for defect repair.
15th Sailed from Walvis Bay due to boiler room
steam leak.
18th Took passage with
HM Seaplane Carrier ALBATROSS as escort for convoy.
Mat
HM Battleship RESOLUTION and four ship convoy off Durban.
27th Detached from WS18
as escort for rms LLANDAFF CASTLE to Kilindini.
(Note:
One source records ship went to Diego Suarez but this is to be confirmed)
June
1st Under repair at Durban.
2nd Escorted convoy to Kilindini.
When
released from IRONCLAD deployed with HM Aircraft Carrier INDOMITABLE
Interception of blockade runners and supply ships and convoy
defence.
25th Passage to Durban for convoy escort.
July
2nd Escorted convoy for passage from Durban to Indian ports.
7th Detached on relief by HM Battleship
ROYAL SOVEREIGN off Diego Suarez and took
passage to Kilindini with screen of 3 destroyers.
14th Escorted convoy from Kilindini to Durban.
30th Joined Ocean Escort for military convoy
WS20 as relief for HM Cruiser GAMBIA.
August
1st Detached from WS20 when convoy split
and deployed as Ocean Escort for WS20A
during passage to Aden,
6th Detached from
WS20A on arrival at Aden.
20th Escorted convoy from Aden to Persian Gulf.
24th Detached for
repair at Colombo.
27th Taken in hand for
repair.
September Under
repair
22nd Carried out trials off Colombo after completion of work
October Resumed
convoy defence duty and patrol in Indian Ocean.
Withdrawn for repair of machinery defect.
13th Arrived at
Kilindini using only one shaft.
15th Under repair.
23rd Carried out Trials
on completion.
November Convoy
defence duty in continuation.
December
6th Joined Ocean Escort for rms ATHLONE CASTLE and rms STIRLING CASTLE taking
troops to
Bombay.
(Note:
These ships were part of WS24 which had been subject to unusual routing in Atlantic
with an escort by US Navy ships.)
12th Relieved by HM
Cruiser MAURITIUS off Seychelles.
17th Joined escort in Indian Ocean for rms
HIGHLAND MONARCH and ss
EMPIRE TROOPER
taking 1st South African Division to Durban from Suez.
24th Detached to refuel at Diego Suarez and
rejoined on 25th.
31st Arrived at Durban with convoy.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy
defence in Indian
Ocean in
continuation.
to
February
March Passage
to join military convoy WS26 during transit from Capetown.
10th Joined escort, for WS26 during passage
from Durban.
11th Detached from WS26 as escort, for ships
destined for Aden and designated WS26A.
(Note:
Ships destined for Bombay were re-designated WS26B)
15th Detached from W526A on arrival off Aden and took passage to join WS27.
29th Joined military convoy WS27 during
passage from Durban to Aden.
April
9th Detached from
WS27 on relief by HM Cruiser DURBAN during passage.
Resumed Indian Ocean interception and trade
defence duties.
Passage to Simonstown.
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Simonstown
May Under
refit in Simonstown.
(Note:
Radar Type 282 for AA fire control may have been fitted by this time).
June
5th On completion carried out post refit
trials and took passage to Kilindini with HM Battleship
RESOLUTION
27th Arrived at Kilindini
July Took
part in Eastern Fleet exercises with H M Cruisers NEWCASTLE, SUSSEX and
SUFFOLK.
28th Resumed convoy defence duties in Indian Ocean.
August
4th Joined military convoy WS31 during
passage from Capetown to Bombay.
(Note:
Relieved m Cruiser DESPATCH, HM Destroyers QUADRANT and REDOUBT as
the Ocean Escort.)
13th Detached from WS31
on arrival at Bombay.
Resumed interception and trade defence duties in Indian Ocean. Indian Ocean duties based
at Kilindini.
September Indian Ocean trade defence in continuation
to
November
December
3rd Passage to
Kilindini from Seychelles.
5th Passage from Kilindini to Ceylon
5th Diverted to Addu
Atoll.
8th Despatched from Addu
Atoll to assist Free French destroyer TRIOMPHANT which was
disabled 1000 miles to the south.
10th Took TRIOMPHANT in tow until relieved by
tug PRUDENT..
16th Arrived at Diego Suarez.
24th Taken in hand for
refit at Durban.
1 9 4 4
January Under
refit
February
4th Carried out Post refit trials.
On
completion took passage to Kilindini to resume convoy defence duty.
20th Escorted convoy from Kilindini to Ceylon with HM Destroyers PATHFINDER, NORMAN,
RELENTLESS, ROTHERHAM and three corvettes.
March Withdrawn
from Eastern Fleet to return to UK for duty with 1st Cruiser Squadron Home
Fleet in support of Normandy landings (Operation
NEPTUNE).
5th Arrived at Colombo.
9th Took passage to UK with calls at Aden and Alexandria.
24th Diverted at Alexandria for escort of convoy to Salerno with HM Cruiser CALEDON and
four HUNT Class Escort Destroyers.
26th Detached from
convoy to resume passage to UK.
Called at Algiers and Gibraltar.
April Allocated for duty with
Bombardment Force D of Eastern Task Force for support
of assault on SWORD Beach (Force S).
2nd Arrived at Greenock and taken in hand for
repair.
24th On completion sailed to join Squadron at
Scapa Flow.
30th Joined HM Battleships DUKE OF YORK and ANSON, HM Aircraft Carriers
VICTORIOUS, FURIOUS and ARGUS with HM
Cruisers BERWICK, KENT, JAMAICA
and ARETHUSA for Home Fleet training exercises prior to support of Normandy landings.
May Detached
for duty with Bombardment Force D.
Allocated
to Convoy S6 with 40th Minesweeping Flotilla and ships of Force D
during
passage from Solent to SWORD Area Bombardment positions.
10th Carried out
bombardment training with HM Battleship WARSPITE.
26th Took part in joint exercises with ships
of Force D
(Note:
Other ships in Force were HM Battleships WARSPITE and RAMILLIES, HM
Cruisers
MAURITIUS, ARETHUSA, ORP DANAE (Polish) and ORP DRAGON
(Polish).
Allocated
initial target was battery of six 155mm guns at Ouistreham.
To
be re-deployed as a Depot Ship on completion of Assault Phase.
June
2nd Sailed with Bombardment Force D ships
to Assembly area off Isle of Wight.
(For
details of the naval support of allied larding operations in Normandy see
LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO) and
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K. Edwards).
5th HM Monitor ROBERTS joined Bombardment
Force D in Assembly Area.
Took
passage to SWORD Area in Convoy S6 escorted by HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ and
SWIFT,
HM Frigates ROWLEY, HOLMES, Norwegian destroyers SVENNER and STORD
6th Under attack by E-Boats when
assembling in bombardment position during which HM
Norwegian
Destroyer SVENNER was sunk.
Bombarded Ouistreham 1 Battery as part of
Fire Plan.
Provided
naval gunfire support during assault and embarked wounded.
7th Gunfire support role of SWORD BEACH assault in continuation and slightly
damaged
by splinters from return shore fire.
8th Returned to Portsmouth to replenish ammunition
after continuing gunfire support.
9th Prepared for
deployment as depot ship at Mulberry B.
(Note:
100 of ships company replaced by landing craft crews.
11th Took up depot ship
duty off Arromanches in Mulberry B with ss THYSVILLE.
July Depot
ship duty in continuation.
18th Hit by bomb on blast shield of B Turret
from single aircraft with six killed and
and 12 wounded.
23rd Transferred to new
position off Courseulles in JUNO area.
August
3rd Embarked survivors from HM Escort
Destroyer QUORN which had been attacked by an
Explosive
Motor Boat (LINSEN) off Le Havre and sunk.
8th Hit forward by long range circling
torpedo (T3D DACKEL) fired by an E-Boat.
Damage
caused anchors to be released which damaged cradle of B Gun mounting.
9th Took passage to Chatham for temporary repair.
10th Arrived at Chatham
September Transferred
to Rosyth for permanent repair.
Selected to be converted for use as Cadet training ship.
October Under
repair and conversion at Rosyth.
to December
1 9 4 5
January Under
repair and conversion.
to March
April Carried
out post refit trials.
7th On completion of
dockyard work prepared for training duties.
May Deployed
in Home waters.
