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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS DAUNTLESS  -  World War 1 D-type Light Cruiser including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Dauntless (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

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DRAGON-Class light cruiser ordered under the 1916 Emergency Programme from Palmers Engineering and Shipbuilding Company, Hebburn in September 1916. The ship was laid down in January 1917 and launched on 10th April 1918. Completed in December 1918 she began operational service in 1919. Whilst serving on the America and West Indies Station in July 1928 HMS DAUNTLESS ran aground off Halifax, Nova Scotia and sustained major damage. Her subsequent refit completed in 1930. After further service in the Fleet the ship was placed in Reserve in August 1936. Laid-up at Portsmouth she was brought forward for service in 1939. In December 1942 this cruiser was adopted by the civil community of Taunton, Somerset following a successful Warship Week to promote National Savings.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

BALTIC  1854  - BLACK SEA  1855 - ATLANTIC  1939

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge:  On a Field Red a dragon, passant, Gold.

 

Motto

‘We yield but to St George'

 

 

D e t a i l 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

 

 

1 9 3 9

 

August

                9th          Commissioned from Reserve for Royal Review at Weymouth.

                                Attended Review

                                In view of the political situation she was retained in service and after storing and completion to

                                war complement sailed with HM Cruiser DANAE to join 9th Cruiser Squadron in South Atlantic

                                for trade defence.

 

September

                3rd          Escorted convoy to Capetown from Gibraltar.

                14th        Based at Freetown for trade defence and escorted convoys for part of passage to Cape of Good

                                Hope

                                (Note: Deployed for interception of German shipping which was attempting return to European

                                waters. For details of deployment of warships in Atlantic see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                                CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).

 

October                  Transferred to China Station and took passage via Mediterranean.

                10th         Sailed from Gibraltar for Singapore.

                21st         Sailed from Aden for Colombo.

                31st         Arrived Singapore.

 

November

                2nd         Deployed with 5th Cruiser Squadron for interception patrol and protection of allied shipping in

                                Singapore area.

                4th          Relieved HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM in Sunda Strait.

 

December              Continuation of duties based at Singapore.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January

                8th          Deployed in Malacca Straits.

                21st         Called at Penang.

 

February                Trade protection role in continuation.

 

March

                23rd        Transferred to British Malayan Force for surveillance of German shipping

.                               Deployed off Batavia to intercept German merchant ships, including NORDMARK,

                                RENDSBERG and VOGTLAND.

                                (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).

 

April

                26th        Passage to Hong Kong for refit.

 

May                        Under refit

 

June

                4th          Passage to Singapore to resume surveillance and trade defence duties.

 

July                         Continuation of trade defence role in Malacca Straits

to

October

 

November              Passage to Hong Kong for routine docking.

 

December

                        4th               Docking at Hong Kong.

                15th         Passage to resume duties in Singapore area.

                20th         Patrol duty in Malacca Straits.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Deployed for trade defence and interception patrol based at Singapore.

to

April

 

May                        Under refit in Singapore.

 

June

                9th          On completion resumed trade defence duties.

                15th        Slightly damaged in collision with HM Cruiser EMERALD off Singapore.

                                (Note: HMS EMERALD sustained major damage with several casualties.)

                                Taken in hand for repair at Singapore.

 

July                         On completion resumed patrol and interception duties on completion.

to

October

 

November              Withdrawn from China Station for refit in UK.

 

December              Passage to Portsmouth

                                (Note: This ship was therefore not involved in the operations against Japan).

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  On arrival taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard..

                                (Note: Work included

                                Installation of Radar Type 286 and Radar Type 271. For details of development and

                                use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.

                                AA armament improved by replacement of the after 4in gun by quadruple

                                pom-pom and addition of 20mm Oerlikon guns.

 

February

                14th        On completion carried out post refit trials.

                                Prepared for foreign service with 5th Cruiser Squadron in East Indies.

 

March                    Took passage to join 5th Cruiser Squadron in Indian Ocean.

 

April                       On arrival deployed for convoy defence and interception duties.

                27th        Joined military convoy WS17 as Ocean Escort for the passage from Capetown to Durban

                                with HM Battleship REVENGE.

 

May

                7th          Detached from WS17 on arrival at Durban and trade defence in continuation.

 

June

                5th          Deployed with HM Destroyer ANTHONY for trade defence.

                                On passage to Diego Suarez. See WAR WITH JAPAN Volume III (HMSO).

                13th        Deployed for patrol duties with HMS DANAE between Diego Suarez and Farquar Island

                                to intercept Japanese submarines and supply ships. See above reference

 

July                         Patrol duties in continuation.

                22nd       Diverted to take part in capture of Mayotte (Operation THROAT).

 

August                  Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.

                                Nominated for support of planned landings in Madagascar (Operation STREAM)

                                (Note: Practice landing Exercise TOUCHSTONE was carried out as a preliminary.)

 

September             Allocated to Force M with HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM, GAMBIA, CARADOC, MANXMAN,

                                HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Monitor EREBUS and HM Seaplane Carrier

                                ALBATROSS.

                10th        Took part in landing operations at Majunga.

                                (Note: No bombardments were required as there was no opposition

 

October                  Indian Ocean trade defence in continuation,

                                For details of naval operations in the Indian Ocean during 1942 see OPERATION PACIFIC

                                by E Gray, WAR WITH JAPAN Volume III (HMSO) and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                                CLOSELY

 

November

                9th          Joined military convoy WS23 on departure from Durban as Ocean Escort with HM

                                Armed Merchant Cruiser CARTHAGE.

                11th        Detached from WS23 on relief by HM Cruiser HAWKINS.

 

December              Indian Ocean Trade defence and interception duties in continuation

                                Passage to Simonstown for refit

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Under refit by HM Dockyard, Simonstown.

to

February

 

March                    Withdrawn from operational duty. See General Information.

 

April                       Passage to UK.

 

May                        On arrival deployed at Chatham pending decision for future use.

                                Selected for training duties.

 

June                        Under refit at Chatham by HM Dockyard

to July                    Further dockyard work to suit new role to be carried out by HM Dockyard at Rosyth.

                                (Note: Future deployment as a training ship for Direct Entry Y-Scheme personnel

                                required provision of suitable compartments for instruction and on items

                                of equipment. Ships displacement was reduced by removal of equipment not

                                required for training role.

                                Y-Scheme personnel comprised ratings selected for promotion to commissioned

                                rank in the RNVR.)

 

August                  Passage to Rosyth.

 

September             Under conversion by HM Dockyard.

                                (Note: Changes included removal of Pom-pom mounting and installation of additional

                                20mm close range weapons. Radar Type 273 was installed for training in use of

                                this Surface Warning equipment.

 

October                  Joined Training Squadron based at Rosyth on completion of conversion.

 

November              Deployed at Rosyth for harbour and sea training in Forth area.

to December.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Training duties in continuation.

to October

 

November              Taken in hand for routine inspection and essential repairs by HM Dockyard, Rosyth

 

December              Resumed duties in Training Squadron on completion.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Deployed for Squadron training duties

 

February                Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Rosyth.

to March                (Note: This may have been for repair work since ship had not been long out of dock.)

 

April                       Resumed training duties,

 

May                        Squadron training duties in continuation.

to August

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS DAUNTLESS continued service in the Training Squadron at Rosyth until February 1946 when she was placed in on the Disposal List. Sold on 13th March that year to BISCO for demolition by TW Ward the ship was towed to Inverkeithing, near Rosyth during April. This name continued the association with naval training when used for the WRNS Training Establishment at Burghfield, near Reading when commissioned as an RN establishment in 1953. It had been nameless since opening in 1947 and was used until the training was transferred to HMS RALEIGH at Torpoint in 1981.

 

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS DAUNTLESS

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

02/09/39

02/09/39

AB 001/1

11/09/39

10/09/39

14/09/39

14/09/39

SL 001

21/09/39

01/10/39

28/09/39

28/09/39

SL 003

unknown

15/10/39

08/03/41

13/03/41

BM 004/1

16/03/41

16/03/41

24/08/41

31/08/41

BM 008

03/09/41

02/09/41

03/06/42

03/06/42

KM 001

06/06/42

06/06/42

09/11/42

09/11/42

CM 034

11/11/42

21/11/42

13/11/42

13/11/42

CM 035

21/11/42

23/11/42

14/02/43

14/02/43

CM 039

21/02/43

03/03/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

 

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