1
9 4 3
December
Contractors trials
1
9 4 4
January
Commissioned for service.
6th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa
Flow.
February
Worked-up for service with 10th Cruiser
Squadron, Home Fleet.
March
On completion
deployed in NW Approaches for convoy
defence and interception.
29th
Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW58
with HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
ACTIVITY,
and TRACKER
screened by HM Destroyers IMPULSIVE,
INCONSTANT,
OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT, ONSLOW,
ORIBI, ORWELL, SAUMAREZ,
SERAPIS, SCORPION
VENUS and Norwegian STORD (Operation
FZ).
(For details of all Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
CONVOY ! by
P Kemp and RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by R
Woodman.).
April
6th
Joined escort
for returning convoy RA58 with Fleet
destroyers.
13th
Detached and rejoined Home Fleet.
20th
Independent passage to Murmansk
with HM Escort Carriers ACTIVITY and
FENCER, 16
destroyers
and 6th Escort Group to escort empty
ships returning from Russia.
28th
Escorted returning convoy RA59 with HMS
FENCER and Fleet destroyers.
May
3rd
Detached and rejoined Home Fleet
30th
Detached for support duty during Normandy
landings in Bombarding Force E.
(Operation NEPTUNE).
June
3rd
Sailed from Clyde
with HM Cruiser BELFAST escorted by HM
Destroyers ULSTER and
URCHIN as Convoy
G14.
6th
Bombarded Battery at Beny
sur Mer
in accordance with Pre-arranged Fire
Plan.
Provided naval
gunfire support as required.
14th
Deployed with Eastern Task Force on
completion of Assault Phase.
19th
Damaged in collision with RHINO Ferry
off Normandy
during gale.
26th
Bombarded Caen
area with HM Battleship RODNEY, HM
Monitor ROBERTS, HM Cruisers
ARGONAUT and BELFAST to support military operations to
break-out from coastal
areas
and move
inland.
July
Transferred to Plymouth Command for
interception of evacuation convoys in Bay
of Biscay.
(For details o Channel operations see
HOLD THE NARROW SEA
by P Smith).
August
Damaged slightly by German explosive
motor boat (LINSEN) attack off Normandy.
12th
Deployed with HM Destroyer ONSLOW and
Polish destroyer ORP PIORUN as Force 28
for
offensive
sweeps in Bay
of Biscay.
Sank German
minesweeper (SPERBRECHER 7) near La
Rochelle.
22nd
Attacked targets on Ile
d'Yeu with
HMS ONSLOW and ORP PIORUN.
September
Rejoined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
19th
Part of escort for Russian Convoy JW60
with HM Escort Carriers CAMPANIA and
STRIKER screened by Fleet destroyers
23rd
Released on arrival at Kola Inlet.
28th
Joined escort for returning convoy RA60
with HM Battleship RODNEY and escorting
ships
as JW60.
October
3rd
Rejoined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
November
Under repair at Rosyth.
20th
Senior Officer of Force 3 escorting HM
Escort Carriers PREMIER and PURSUER for
air
minelay in Karm
Sund with
Fleet destroyers (Operation HANDFAST).
(For details of all minelaying
operations see Naval Staff History
MINING).
December
7th
Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE,
HM Escort Carriers TRUMPETER and
PREMIER for joint
air minelay and shipping strikes in Karm
Sund with
eight Fleet destroyers.
(Operation URBANE)
1
9 4 5
.
January
1st
Joined Russian Convoy JW63 with HM
Escort Carrier VINDEX to reinforce anti-
submarine
defence.
(Note: HM Destroyers
, SAVAGE, SCOURGE,
SERAPIS, ZAMBESI, ZEBRA,
HM Canadian Destroyers SIOUX, ALGONQUIN
and the Norwegian destroyer
STORD were deployed as Fighting
Destroyer Escort.
HM Destroyers KEPPEL, WALKER, WESTCOTT,
HM Sloops CYGNET, LARK,
HM Corvettes ALNWICK CASTLE, BAMBOROUGH
CASTLE, BLUEBELL and
RHODODENDRON formed Closer Escort.
11th
Returned with Convoy RA63 which was
forced to shelter in Faeroes from
extreme weather.
23rd
Resumed Home Fleet duties.
28th
In action with HM Cruiser MAURITIUS
against German destroyers of 4th
Flotilla which were
attempting to
enter Baltic
Sea from Bergen. German Z31 was damaged
and enemy ships
returned to
port.
Sustained damage
abaft fore funnel from 5.9in shell.
(Note: Other 2 destroyers (Z34 and Z38)
made transit next day).
February
Under repair for two weeks.
March
Rejoined Home Fleet on completion.
12th
Joined Russian Convoy JW65 with HMS
CAMPANIA. HM Destroyers
ONSLAUGHT,
OPPORTUNE, ORWELL,
SCORPION and ZAMBESI as Ocean Escort.
(Note: Close escort included HM
Destroyer MYNGS, SIOUX (RCN),
Norwegian STORD,
HM Sloop LAPWING and
seven corvettes from Western
Approaches Command.
HM Escort Carrier TRUMPETER screened by
HM Destroyers SAVAGE and SCOURGE
joined JW65
later.)
20th
Under U-Boat attacks during which HMS
LAPWING and a mercantile were sunk.
Detached on arrival
at Kola Inlet.
23rd
Sailed from Kola Inlet as part of escort
for returning
convoy RA65
with HMS TRUMPETER,
HMS CAMPANIA and Fleet destroyers of
JW63 escort.
30th
Detached from RA65 and Rejoined Home
Fleet.
April
Provided Distant Cover during passage of
Russian Convoy JW66 and returning RA66
with
Home Fleet ships
deployed for operations off Norway.
22nd
Escorted HM Escort Carriers SEARCHER and
QUEEN with Fleet destroyers for attacks
on
shipping off
coast of Norway
May
4th
Escorted HMS SEARCHER, HMS QUEEN, HMS
TRUMPETER with HM Cruiser
NORFOLK
and Fleet
destroyers
during air attacks on shipping west of
Narvik and on shore
targets.
German Depot Ship BLACK WATCH, U711 and
a trawler were sunk.
(Operation JUDGEMENT).
5th
Recalled to prepare for re-occupation
operations in Low countries.
23rd
At Copenhagen
as Guardship.
June
Attended Oslo Victory Parade with HM Cruiser BELLONA.
28th
Deployed at Copenhagen
as Guardship.
