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more ship information,
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1
9 4 0
September
Contractors
trials
Commissioned
for
service.
30th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
October
On
completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa Flow to work -up
with
ships
of
Home Fleet.
November
Deployed with
HM
Battlecruiser HOOD, HM Battleship
REPULSE, HM Cruisers NAIAD
and
PHOEBE in search for German battleship
SHEER in SW
Approaches.
Escorted
military convoy during passage to Gibraltar
and HM Aircraft
Carrier FURIOUS
taking
aircraft to Freetown.
(See
ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett.).
Carried
out sea trials on newly developed air
warning radar Type 281
December
3rd
Passage to UK
from Freetown.
10th
Under repair in Tyne
shipyard.
17th
Rejoined Home Fleet for convoy
defence
and patrol in NW Approaches to intercept
blockade
runners
and commerce raiders.
1
9 4 1
January
Home
Fleet deployment in continuation.
to
February
March
Joined
HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and NELSON,
with HM Cruiser NIGERIA
to cover
first
major Commando raid on enemy held
territory during WW2
.
(Operation
CLAYMORE - For details see COMBINED
OPERATIONS (HMSO), ENGAGE
THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and THE WATERY MAZE by B
Fergusson.)
April.
Transferred
to Mediterranean Fleet.
1st
Passage to Gibraltar
to join 15th
Cruiser
Squadron at Alexandria.
Escorted
HMS
ARK ROYAL from UK
for Malta
aircraft
delivery.
(Operation
DUNLOP)
24th
Joined Force S with HM
Cruiser ABDIEL, HM Destroyers KELLY,
KIPLING, KASHMIR
JERSEY
and JACKAL to
Join
Mediterranean fleet, covered by H.
(Operation
SALIENT - For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval
Staff
History
(HMSO- 2001.)
28th
Escorted HM
Supply. Ship BRECONSHIRE from Malta
to Alexandria
with HM
Destroyers
JANUS, JERVIS and NUBIAN.
May
6th
Joined escort for Malta
convoys from Alexandria
with HM
Cruisers PHOEBE,
CALCUTTA
and COVENTRY.
8th
Transferred to escort convoy
from
central Mediterranean taking tanks for Middle
East
to
Alexandria
Covered
by Mediterranean Fleet including the
newly joined
battleship
HMS QUEEN
ELIZABETH,
HM
Cruisers NAIAD,
FIJI
and GLOUCESTER.
(Operation
TIGER - For details see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
14th
Joined Force C for support
of defence of Crete.
Embarked
Greek gold bullion for
passage and
escorted Convoy AS1 with HM Australian
Destroyers
STUART (RAN) and VENDETTA
evacuating
non-combatant troops from Crete
to Alexandria
covered by HM
Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH and BARHAM (Force A).
(For details of
naval operations during defence and
evacuation of Crete
see THE BATTLE FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
The Naval
Staff History.).
16th
Returned to
intercept of invasion convoys off Crete
with HMS
COVENTRY.
18th
Assisted defence of Hospital
Ship ABBA
against air attacks with HMS COVENTRY.
19th
Sailed from Alexandria
with HM Cruiser
ORION, HM Destroyers
HASTY and GREYHOUND
to
join HM Cruiser AJAX
and Fleet
destroyers in Kithera
Channel (as Force D)
to intercept
German
invasion craft.
21st
Withdrew to SW of Crete after
patrol to
join HM Battleship WARSPITE and VALIANT
deployed
as Force A.
Under
sustained air attack.
Returned
north of island with Force D after
nightfall.
22nd
In night action with HM
Cruisers ORION
and AJAX
screened by four
Fleet destroyers
against
invasion
craft off Canae.
Many caiques
were
sunk as well as some larger
ships
and an Italian
escort (LUPO).
24th
Returned to patrol north of Crete
with HMS AJAX, HM Destroyers KIMBERLEY
after
refuelling.
25th
Withdrew
at
daybreak and met HM
Battleships HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and
BAHRAM, HM
Aircraft
Carrier FORMIDABLE and destroyer screen.
27th
Remained with
Force A during air attack on Scarpanto
by
HMS FORMIDABLE.
28th
Deployed with HM Cruisers
ORION, AJAX
(Force B) for
the evacuate
troops from
Heraklion.
29th
Embarked troops from
destroyers.
.Sustained
direct hit on B-turret during passage
of Kaso
Strait.
Many
casualties including soldiers of The
Black Watch.
Extensive
structural
damage made forward
armament unusable.
left
-
40mm casings on deck, and right - 5.25in
casings in a barge,
some of the shell expenditure during the
Battle for Crete. Courtesy
Paul Simpson whose grandfather Harry
Edward Simpson was killed
at
the
time
June
Under emergency repair at Alexandria
for passage to Durban.
10th
Deployed as escorted for ships
taking
allied troops for landing at Assab,
Eritrea.
On
release took passage to Indian
Ocean.
July
Permanent
repair arranged in USA.
Passage
to Durban
2nd
Under temporary repair at Durban
On
completion took passage to New
York
via Cape
of Good Hope.
August
Taken
in hand for repair in Brooklyn Navy
Yard.
September
Under repair and refit.
Post refit
trials.
to
On
completion of dockyard work carried out
harbour and sea trials.
October
Prepared
for passage to UK.
November
1st
Took passage to UK
for completion
of
alterations not possible in USA.
(Note:
British Radar and armament equipment
installation to be installed.).
December
On
arrival taken in hand for completion
of installation.
Completion
of
installation and trials.
18th
Passage to Gibraltar
to rejoin 15th
Cruiser Squadron in Mediterranean
Fleet.
22nd
Passage to Malta
with HM
Destroyers
GURKHA and NESTOR.
24th
Arrived in Malta.
25th
Deployed with escorted for
Convoy ME8
consisting of empty mercantiles
returning
to Alexandria.
28th
Rejoined Squadron.
1
9 4 2
January
4th
Deployed with Squadron to
escort HM
Supply Ship GLENGYLE taking oil supplies
to
Malta.
Returned
with HM Supply Ship BRECONSHIRE and had
air cover which provided
defence
against
air attacks during passage to Alexandria.
16th
Covered passage of four supply
ships to Malta
with Squadron.
Under
heavy air attack before air cover was
available.
20th
Air cover by 201 Naval
Co-operation Unit
provided efficient protection for rest
of
passage.
(See BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN).
February
12th
Covered MW9A/B Malta convoys
with HM
Cruisers NAIAD and EURYALUS and the
return
passage
of HMS BRECONSHIRE.
Due
to Heavy air attacks no ships arrived in
Malta.
See above
references..
March
10th
Deployed with HM Cruisers NAIAD
and
CLEOPATRA (Force B) to intercept convoy
off
Tripoli.
11th
During search for an Italian
cruiser
reported damaged HMS NAIAD was torpedoed
and sunk
off
Sollum by U565.
15th
Carried out
bombardment of Rhodes.
20th
Deployed with HM Cruiser
EURYALUS to
cover Malta
convoy MW10
(Operation MG1)
22nd
After air attacks convoy
approached by
Italian battle ship LITTORIO and three
cruisers
Took part
in
surface gun action during which enemy
withdrew.
(2nd
Battle of Sirte
- See
above references and The Naval
Staff History).
Some
ships in convoy ships eventually reached
Malta
although HMS
BRECONSHIRE was
damaged
and
later
lost after being beached
at Marsaxloxx
(See above references).
April
Deployed
in Eastern
Mediterranean
with Squadron
to
May
June
13th
Sailed from Alexandria
with H M Cruisers ARETHUSA, BIRMINGHAM,
CLEOPATRA,
EURYALUS,
HERMIONE and NEWCASTLE
screened by HM Destroyers
HASTY,
HERO, INCONSTANT, JAVELIN,
JERVIS,
KELVIN, NAPIER. NESTOR, NIZAM,
NORMAN, PAKENHAM, PALADIN, SIKH
and
ZULU to provide escort for Malta
Convoy MW11 during passage in
eastern Mediterranean
(Operation VIGOROUS).
(Note: This operation was
co-incident
with a similar relief convoy from Gibraltar
which
came
under
air, submarine and surface warship
attacks although two mercantiles
arrived
in Malta
(Operation HARPOON)
HM Battleship
CENTURION, disarmed before outbreak of
WW2 was also deployed
with
MW11 and disguised to resemble a KGV
Class battleship.
Twelve other
destroyers were also deployed as Close
escorts for MW11 for period,
prior
to arrival of Mediterranean Fleet
units.)
For details see
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D
Macintyre
ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett, HITLER'S
U-BOAT
WAR by C
Blair and the Naval Staff History.)
14th
Joined MW11 with Fleet units.
Under heavy and
sustained air
attacks.
Submarine
attack by U77 driven off by HMS
PAKENHAM.
Convoy
under
threat of attack by Italian fleet
units.
15th
Convoy ordered by CinC
ashore in Alexandria
to reverse course.
Under night
attack by German E-Boats during which
HMS HASTY was torpedoed and had
to
be sunk
by HMS HOTSPUR.
(Note: HMS NEWCASTLE was also
hit by
a torpedo and withdrawn from escort to
return
to Alexandria.
Air attacks
resumed after daylight but convoy
ordered to resume westward passage
although
later rescinded..
HMS BIRMINGHAM
and HMS CENTURION were also damage
HMS AIREDALE and
HMS NESTOR had to be sunk.
Owing to the heavy expenditure
of AA
ammunition by escorts which would have
left
insufficient
stocks to ensure safe passage to Malta
the operation was abandoned.
16th
Returned to Alexandria
with Fleet units.
July
Deployed
with HMS EURYALUS for bombardment of
enemy positions at Mersa
Matruh.
August
Docked
at Massawa
for
investigation into propeller defect
causing vibration.
(Note:
HMS DIDO was first ship of Class to be
inspected and the others of the
Class
were
similarly
checked when operational requirements
allowed).
September
Rejoined
Squadron at Alexandria.
13th
Bombarded El Daba
area by night as diversion for the
assault landings at Tobruk
(Operation
AGREEMENT - For details see
MASSACRE AT TOBRUK by P
Smith).
October
Deployed
in eastern Mediterranean
on patrol and
cover of interceptions of
enemy
convoys
to
North
Africa.
November
Deployed
in support of Malta
relief convoys
now able to transit with
air cover
because
of
advances
made by Eighth Army along coast..
(Operation
QUADRANGLE)
17th
Escorted first convoy with HMS
EURYALUS
and HMS ARETHUSA
(Operation
STONEAGE).
18th
Under air attacks
during which HMS ARETHUSA was badly
damaged.
December
Detached
for duty with Force K in Malta
for attacks on
enemy convoys.
12th
Joined Force K in Malta
13th
Sank three supply ships in
attack on
convoy off North African coast..
16th
Deployed briefly with HM
Cruiser SIRIUS
in Force Q based at Bone.
26th
Transferred to Force H at Gibraltar
28th
Escorted convoy to Benghazi
with HM
Destroyers JAVELIN and
BEAUFORT.
1
9 4 3
January
Resumed
duty with Force Q at Bone.
6th
Detached to escort HM
Minelaying
Cruiser ABDIEL with HMS SIRIUS from Gibraltar
to Bone
for
minelaying operation on Skerki
Bank. (For details see Naval Staff
History (MINING).
10th
Deployed with Force Q.
17th
Attacked convoy off Lampedusa
with HM Cruiser EURYALUS screened by HM
Destroyers
JAVELIN,
KELVIN and NUBIAN.
One ship,
D'ANNUNZIO, sunk by destroyers.
(For
details of Force Q operations see ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
February
Deployed
with Force Q for interception duty and
cover of convoys in western
Mediterranean.
March
Withdrawn
from Force Q for refit in UK.
April
Passage
to Liverpool
for refit.
May
Under
refit.
(Note:
New design centimetric
warning and fire-control
radars fitted.
For
details of development & use of
radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse).
June
Nominated
for service in 12th Cruiser Squadron in
Mediterranean).
18th
Joined Home Fleet at Scapa for
exercises
before joining Squadron at Algiers.
July
Nominated
for support of allied landings in Sicily
(Operation
HUSKY).
(For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).
9th
Deployed with HM Battleships
KING
GEORGE V and HOWE with HM Cruiser SIRIUS
in
Reserve
Group
to counter enemy surface interference
during assault
landings.
10th
Stationed south of Sardinia
with Group
screened by HM Destroyers
JERVIS, PENN,
PATHFINDER,
PANTHER, PALADIN and PETARD.
11th
Provided naval gunfire support
with
HM$ KING GEORGE V, HMS HOWE
and HMS SIRIUS
at Marsala.
26th
Deployed with HMS KING GEORGE
V, HMS
HOWE, HM Aircraft Carrier INDOMITABLE
and
HM
Cruiser EURYALUS for support and
convoy defence duties
off Sicily.
August
1st
Bombarded bridge
and harbour at Vibo
Valentia,
Italy.
9th
Bombarded targets near Castellamare.
14th
Bombarded Scalea,
SE of Naples.
15th
Bombarded Vibo
Valentia and
attacked convoy south of Cape
Bonifaci
sinking one
ship
and
two
escort craft
September
Central Mediterranean
deployment with Squadron
in
continuation.
Detached
to take troops of 1st Airborne Division
at Bizerta
with HM Cruisers AURORA,
PENELOPE
and
SIRIUS of Squadron and HM Minelaying
Cruiser ABDIEL.
8th
Embarked troops at Bizerta
and took passage to Taranto
covered by HM
Battleships
KING
GEORGE
V and HOWE (Operation SLAPSTICK)
9th
Landed troops at Taranto
(Note:
HMS ABDIEL detonated a mine was sunk by
mine.)
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval
Staff History (MINING).).
10th
Returned to Bizerta
for second echelon of 1st Airborne and
returned to Taranto.
12th
Rejoined Squadron for support
of
landings at Salerno
(Operation
AVALANCHE).
17th
Provided naval gunfire support
off Salerno,
19th. Transferred
to Aegean
for support of
military operations and
returned to Taranto.
(For
details see WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith
and E
Walker).
October
Deployed
in Aegean
with HM Cruisers
AURORA, PENELOPE and
SIRIUS to intercept
German
invasion craft and provide support for
military defence of islands.
5th
Carried out offensive sweep
through Kaso
Straits with HMS AURORA
screened by HM
Destroyers
TUMULT and PATHFINDER.
In
collision
with HMS AURORA and sustained
structural damage.
7th
Under repair in Alexandria.
November
On
completion bombarded Scalletto
prior to Commando
raid.
December
Deployed
with Force K at Malta
for defence of
military convoys.
Nominated
for
support of allied landings at Anzio
(Operation
SHINGLE).
(For
details
see Naval Staff History and above
reference).
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed
with HM Cruisers DELHI,
PHOEBE, ORION, PENELOPE,
MAURITIUS,
US
cruisers
USS PHILADELPHIA and USS BROOKLYN
screened by Fleet
destroyers to
provide
naval gunfire support during assault as
a diversion
during allied landings
at Anzio
(Operation
SHINGLE)
21st
Bombarded Civitavecchia
as a diversion during intial
assault.
29th
Rescued survivors from HM
Cruiser
SPARTAN after Glider bomb attack.
February
Damaged
in collision with US Tank Landing Ship
in Naples
Bay.
Passage to
Malta
for repair.
March
Under
repair by HM Dockyard Malta.
31st
Resumed naval gunfire support
duties
based in Naples.
April
Central
Mediterranean deployment with Squadron
in continuation.
to
June
July
Deployed
for escort and cover of military convoys
during preparation for planned
allied
landings
in South
France
(Operation
DRAGOON – formerly ANVIL)
Nominated
for support of landings and allocated to
SITKA Support Force (TF86)
with HM
Destroyer
LOOKOUT
(Note:
Operation DRAGOON was under overall
command of US Navy)
August
Joined
US Cruiser USS AUGUSTA and US
destroyers USS
SOMERS, USS GLEAVES in
TF86 at Naples.
12th
Sailed from Naples
with TF86.
14th
Met Assault Convoys SF2
(Alpha), SF2A
(Delta) and SF2B (Alpha) at designated
position
south
of Cape
Camarat.
15th
Deployed with ships of TF86 to
cover
landing by French Commando units at Cape
Negre
Provided
naval gunfire support with USS AUGUSTA
and HM Cruiser AJAX
during a
German
counter attack
(Note
HMS AJAX belonged to ALPHA Support Force
(TF85).
For
details of DRAGOON see INVASION OF THE
SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO).
17th
Carried out
bombardment on batteries between Cape
Negre
and La Lavandou
in ALPHA area.
28th
On release from DRAGOON resumed
operational control by CinC
Mediterranean.
Withdrawn
from Mediterranean service and took
passage to rejoin 10th
Cruiser
Squadron, Home Fleet.
September
Passage to Scapa
Flow.
October
Deployed
for Squadron duties in NW Approaches and
North
Sea.
Nominated
for
escort of Russian convoy.
22nd
Joined main escort of Convoy
JW61 with HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, OBEDIENT, OFFA,
OPPORTUNE.
ORIBI and ORWELL.
(Note:
HM Escort Aircraft Carrier VINDEX,
NAIRANA and TRACKER were deployed
to
provide anti-submarine air cover.)
(For
details of all Russian Convoy operations
see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
and CONVOY !
by P Kemp.)
28th
Detached from JW61
on arrival at Kola Inlet.
November
Embarked
6.5 tons Gold bullion.
2nd
Joined return Convoy RA61 with
HM
Frigates BYRON, FITZROY,
CONN,
DEANE,
REDMILL,
RUPERT and same destroyers during
passage to Home waters.
(Note:
Before departure frigates had carried
out anti-submarine operation
against an
assembly
of U-Boats off
Kola
Inlet.)
6th
Detached from RA61 during
passage and
returned to Scapa
Flow.
8th
Resumed Squadron
duties.
27th
Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier
IMPLACABLE
with Fleet destroyers during air attacks
on
convoy
north of Mosjoe,
north
of Namsos,
Norway
(Note:
Two ships in convoy were sunk, with one
carrying
Russian Prisoners of War with
many
lost. See CONVOY !)
December
Home
Fleet Squadron deployment in
continuation.
1
9 4 5
January
11th
Deployed as Senior Officer
Force 3
during escort of HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers
PREMIER
and TRUMPETER during air minelays
(Operations
GRATIS and SPELLBINDER)
February
12th
Deployed as Force 2 with HM
Cruiser NORFOLK
and Fleet
destroyers for attacks on
Norwegian
coast shipping off Bud.
(Operation SELENIUM).
Returned
to Scapa
Flow
after
unsuccessful search
22nd
Deployed as Senior Officer of
Force
4 escorting HM Escort Carriers PREMIER
and
PUNCHER
with Fleet destroyers for air minelay in
Karm Sound
(Operation
GROUNDSHEET)
(Note:
This also covered minesweeping north of
Shetland (Operation SHRE
See
above references.)
March
Deployed
with Squadron in Home Fleet for support
of Norwegian coast operations.
April
Provided
AA defence for HM Minelaying Cruiser
APOLLO and three escorting
destroyers
22nd
during lay of
special anti-submarine minefield in
Kola Inlet.
(Operation
TRAMMEL- See Naval Staff History
(MINING).
27th
Under repair at Rosyth
May
On
completion rejoined Squadron at Scapa
Flow
6th
Joined HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM
and Fleet
destroyers for passage to Copenhagen
covered by
HM
Escort Aircraft Carriers SEARCHER,
TRUMPETER, HM Cruiser NORFOLK
and Fleet
destroyers
(Operation CLEAVER)
9th
Accepted surrender of German
cruisers
PRINZ EUGEN and NURNBERG
at Copenhagen.
22nd
Escorted PRINZ EUGEN and NURNBERG
to Wilhelmshaven
with HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE.
June
Nominated
for transfer to British Pacific Fleet
after refit including latest
design of
radar
equipment.
July
6th
Embarked HM Majesty King George
VI and
HM Queen Elizabeth ay Liverpool
for passage to
visit
Isle of Man.
8th
Returned to Liverpool
with royal
passengers.
28th
Visited by HM King George VI at
Rosyth.
August
Home
Fleet deployment in continuation
