1 9 4 2
February
Contractors
trials.
5th - Commissioned
for service.
21st - Build
completion and commenced acceptance trials.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Rosyth for installation of 6
single 20mm Oerlikon mountings to
improve defence against close range air attack.
March
Passage to
Scapa Flow to worked-up with 18th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet for service in 4th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet. Nominated for escort of military convoy
to Indian Ocean.
April
On completion
of work-up too passage to Clyde to join military convoy WS18.
14th - Joined
HM Cruiser FROBISHER, Dutch Destroyer VAN GALEN and HM Destroyer TETCOTT as ocean
escort during Atlantic passage. (Note: Convoy also included HM Destroyer
Depot Ship HECLA.)
29th - Detached
from WS18 on arrival at Freetown.
May
5th - Rejoined
WS18 on departure from Freetown as ocean escort with same ships.
13th - Detached
when HMS HECLA was mined off South Africa and escorted damaged ship to Simonstown.
18th - Passage
to Kilindini to join Squadron in Eastern Fleet for convoy defence in Indian
Ocean.
29th - Passage
to Ceylon with HM Battleship WARSPITE, HM Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS and FORMIDABLE to re-establish Base in
Ceylon.
June
On arrival deployed on convoy escort
and interception patrol in Indian Ocean.
July
13th - Joined
SCHOONER Convoy taking ANZAC troops for part of passage from Ceylon back to Australia with HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser WORCESTERSHIRE. (Note:
Convoy included rms QUEEN MARY, rms AQUITANIA, ILE DE FRANCE. NIEUW AMSTERDAM
and rms QUEEN OF BERMUDA.)
19th - Relieved
by USS PHOENIX and returned to Ceylon.
August
Passage to
Mombasa with ships of Eastern Fleet for execution of planned landings to complete occupation of Madagascar
(Operation STREAM).
September
Took part in
Exercise TOUCHSTONE in preparation for STREAM with Madagascar Assault Force.
5th - Deployed
with HMS WARSPITE, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM, DAUNTLESS and CARADOC screened by
destroyers as Force M
13th - Escorted
transports taking 29th Infantry Brigade to Majunga for final occupation of
Madagascar with HMS BIRMINGHAM and
HM Netherlands cruiser VAN HEEMSKERCK. Cover
was provided by HMS WARSPITE and HMS ILLUSTRIOUS (Operation STREAM). (Note: HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE was
intended to take part but had been retained in Home waters. For full
details of STREAM and other operations in the re-occupation see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
October
Remained in
area until military operations completed and then went to Bombay for docking.
November
12th - On
completion of docking returned to convoy defence in Indian Ocean.
28th - Relieved
HM Australian Cruiser ADELAIDE and Netherlands cruiser HEEMSKERCK as escort for Convoy OW1.
December
Indian Ocean
convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January
Indian Ocean
duty in continuation.
February
6th - Joined
Ocean Escort off Socotra for military convoy taking ANZAC troops back to Australia from Suez with HM Cruiser
DEVONSHIRE. (Note: Cover was
provided by HM Battleships REVENGE, RESOLUTION and WARSPITE, HM Cruiser MAURITIUS and 6 destroyers. Operation PAMPHLET - Convoy included rms
QUEEN MARY, AQUITANIA, ILE DE
FRANCE, NIEUW AMSTERDAM and mv QUEEN OF BERMUDA.)
17th - Passage
to Durban from Fremantle.
March
17th - Deployed
as Flagship in 4th Cruiser Squadron for patrol and Fleet exercises in Indian
Ocean.
April
Deployed for
trade defence in Indian Ocean.
May
28th - Took
passage to UK from Capetown with call at Bathurst.
June
16th - Paid-off. (Note: During refit in Liverpool
commercial shipyard: Aircraft
facilities removed. 10cm surface
warning radar Type 272 and additional fire-control radar Type 283 fitted for barrage control. For details of development and use of
radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
July to August
Transferred to
RNZN in place of HM Cruisers ACHILLES and LEANDER approved. Under refit.
W a r S e r v i c e a s
H M N Z S
G A M B I A
September
Harbour trials
22nd - Commissioned
for service with RNZN.
October
Passage to
Scapa Flow on completion of post refit trials.
11th - Shakedown
and work-up with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
November
Deployed with
Home Fleet for convoy defence on completion of work-up.
December
Transferred to
Plymouth for service in SW Approaches.
12th - Deployed
with HM Cruiser GLASGOW NNW of Azores for interception of supply ships and blockade runners in conjunction with
RAF Coastal Command aircraft.
Refuelling
arranged in Azores (Operation STONEWALL).
23rd - Diversion
orders cancelled after blockade runner sunk by aircraft.
27th - At Fayal
in Azores and deployed to join HM Cruisers GLASGOW, ENTERPRISE, PENELOPE and ARIADNE in search for German supply
tanker ALSTRUFER, which was sunk later by HALIFAX
aircraft strike before ships could arrive. (See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
28th - Unable
to join operation in time to take part in engagement by HMS GLASGOW and ENTERPRISE against German destroyers sent
to assist ALSTRUFER. Carried out
search for survivors.
30th - Relieved
from patrol deployment by Free French FS LE FANTASQUE and FS LE MALIN and returned to Plymouth.
1 9 4 4
January
Prepared for
service with Eastern Fleet.
30th - Took
passage to join Eastern Fleet via Mediterranean
February
19th - Joined
4th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee.
22nd - Deployed
in unsuccessful search for blockade runners in Indian Ocean SW of Cocos Islands with HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruiser SUSSEX, HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM and Dutch destroyer TJERK HIDDES (Operation SLEUTH).
(For details see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
28th - Detached
to refuel in Fremantle after relieved by HMS SUSSEX.
March
2nd - At
Fremantle.
8th - Escorted
Indian Ocean convoy to Ceylon.
17th - Returned
to Trincomalee after arrival of convoy.
21st - Deployed
with HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH and VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Cruisers LONDON and CEYLON
screened by ten destroyers, for offensive sweep
in Indian Ocean (Operation DIPLOMAT).
27th - Met US
Aircraft Carrier SARATOGA and US destroyers joining Eastern Fleet Returned with Eastern Fleet ships to
Ceylon..
April
2nd - Arrived
at Trincomalee.
18th - Joined
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS VALIANT, French battleship RICHELIEU), HM Cruisers CEYLON, NEWCASTLE, NIGERIA
and Dutch cruiser TROMP in Task Force
69. Detached with HMS CEYLON to
cover air attacks on Sabang by HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA as Task Force 70. (Operation
COCKPIT).
May
6th - Joined HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS VALIANT, FS RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers
NEWCASTLE, HMS NIGERIA, and Netherlands cruiser TROMP (Task Force 65) to cover
air strikes on Soerabaya by HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA (TF66). (Operation
TRANSOM).
8th - Full
transfer to RNZN approved except for operational control.
15th - Refuelled
at Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia from Replenishment Group.
17th - Covered
flying operations from position south of Java.
27th - Returned
to Trincomalee with Eastern Fleet after refuelling in Exmouth Gulf.
June
10th - Deployed
with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and HM Escort Carrier ATHELING for offensive sweep in Bay of Bengal.
11th - Covered
carrier operations at targets in Sabang as diversion during US assault on Marianas (Operation FORAGER).
13th - Passage
to Madras to embark FAA personnel for transfer to Colombo.
17th - Rest and
Recuperation period at Colombo.
July
Carried out
exercises with Eastern Fleet.
22nd - Joined
Eastern Fleet cover for attacks by HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and HMS VICTORIOUS for bombardment of Sabang with HMS VALIANT,
HMS RENOWN, FS RICHELIEU, HM
Cruisers CUMBERLAND, KENYA, NIGERIA, CEYLON, Netherlands cruiser TROMP and destroyers (Operation CRIMSON).
25th - Bombarded
shore batteries at Sabang with HMS KENYA.
August
Carried out
Squadron exercises.
September
8th - Joined in
Eastern Fleet exercises with HM Battleship HOWE, HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND and LONDON.
10th - Under
refit at Colombo.
October
6th - Rejoined
Squadron on completion of refit.
16th - Joined
escort for convoy to Fremantle during passage to New Zealand.
November
Paid series of
call at ports in New Zealand before arrival at Wellington.
22nd - Transferred
to British Pacific Fleet on formation.
December
Taken in hand
for refit by HM New Zealand Dockyard, Auckland.
1 9 4 5
January
26th - On
completion of post refit trials carried out work-up for BPF service in Auckland
area.
February
14th - Passage
to Sydney with HM Battleship HOWE screen by HM Australian Destroyers QUALITY and QUEENBOROUGH. Carried out gunnery exercises on passage
with HMS HOWE.
March
1st - Sailed
with part of BPF for exercises prior to passage to Manus to join British Task Force 113
17th - Joined
TF113 at Manus. (For details of all
BPF operations see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by John Winton, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
23rd - Joined Task
Force 57 on formation with ships of Task Force 113 when approval was given by US Navy Commander in Chief for British
ships to be deployed with the US 5th Fleet for operations against airfields in the Sakishima Group. Designated as part of Task Group 57.5
with HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE, BLACK PRINCE and
ARGONAUT. Sailed from Ulithi for
Operation ICEBERG ONE.
27th - Covered
series of air attacks by HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS, ILLUSTRIOUS and IMPLACABLE on airfields
in Sakishima-Gunto Group with TF57.
April
1st - Under
sustained air attack including the first by KAMIKAZES.
2nd - Detached
to tow damaged destroyer HMS ULSTER to Leyte for repair, escorted by HM Destroyer QUIBERON (RAN).
4th - Joined by
minesweepers HMAS BALLARAT and LISMORE. Tow broke and replacement delayed passage.
6th - Returned
to operations from Leyte with HM Cruiser UGANDA, HM Destroyer URCHIN and URSA.
11th - Rejoined
TF57 with HMS UGANDA and deployed to cover carrier attacks on airfields in Formosa by HMS INDEFATIGABLE
(Operation ICEBERG OOLONG).
13th - Accidentally
shot down HELLCAT aircraft.
16th - Resumed
covering role for British carrier attacks on Sakishima Gunto.
20th - Took
passage to Leyte with TF57 after 6th strike by RN carriers.
23rd - Arrived
at Leyte. (Note: The ship had and
epidemic of mumps on board with 45 personnel infected).
May
4th - Deployed
with TF57 in joint operations with US TF58 for renewed air attacks and bombardments of targets in
Sakishima-Gunto (Operation ICEBERG TWO). Redesignated
as part of Task Group 57.5 with HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE, UGANDA (RCN), EURYALUS and BLACK PRINCE (See above
references).
TG57.5 detached with HM
Battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE for bombardment of the airfields on Miyako Shima. Withdrew after signal received notifying RN aircraft carriers in Task
Group 57.2 were under extensive air
attacks (See above references).
8th - Further
KAMIKAZE attacks during which HMS FORMIDABLE and HMS VICTORIOUS were hit.
23rd - Took
passage to Manus prior to R&R period at Sydney. (For full details see above references.)
27th - On
re-organisation by US Navy transferred to US 3rd Fleet in redesignated as TF37.
30th - Passage
to Sydney.
June
5th - Arrived
Sydney for repair and leave.
28th - Took
passage with ships of TF37 for Manus arriving on 4th July.
July
4th - Arrives
at Manus with TF37 ships
6th - Took
passage to join BPF ships off Japan (Operation OLYMPIC initial phase).
16th - Joined
TF 37 with HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE, VICTORIOUS, IMPLACABLE, HM
Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND, ACHILLES
(RNZN), EURYALUS, UGANDA (RCN), BLACK PRINCE and Fleet destroyers to cover joint air operations and bombardments by TF37
and TF38 off Japan.
18th - Covered
carrier group during air attacks on targets in Tokyo - Yokohama area.
August
2nd - Detached
with HM Cruisers ARGONAUT, BLACK PRINCE and NEWFOUNDLAND to provide radio communications link between
BPF and US TF38.
4th - Released
from Link duties.
9th - Detached
as Task Unit 37.1.8 to join US Task Unit 34.8.1 to carry out bombardment of Ironworks at Kamaishi, Northern Honshu
with HMS NEWFOUNDLAND, HM Destroyers
TERMAGANT and TERPSICHORE. Under air
attack and shot down one aircraft. Rejoined
TF37 on completion.
12th - Transferred
to TF38 with HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS INDEFATIGABLE, HMS NEWFOUNDLAND and nine RN Fleet destroyers of 24th Destroyer
Flotilla as TG38.5 under command of
US Admiral TF38.
13th - Covered
HMS INDEFATIGABLE during air attacks on airfields and shipping in North Honshu and Hokkaido.
14th - Covering
operations in continuation.
15th - Shot
down one aircraft attacking force at the time of official cease-fire. (For details see above references.)
31st - Entered
Tokyo Bay with HMS NEWFOUNDLAND.
September
2nd - Represented
RNZN at Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay. (For RNZN war service see AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND WARSHIPS by R. Gillett).