1 9 4 0
August Contractors trials
28th Commissioned for service under the command of Captain M
Denny, Royal Navy.
(Note: 300 of the Ship’s Company were
from HM Cruiser EXETER)
This ship was fitted with Type 279
Radar Outfit to provided warning of the approach
of aircraft.
Other radar outfits were fitted later for surface cover and for fire control.
For
details of
development and use see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse and later references.)
September Storing and preparation for
Acceptance Trials
11th Commenced
Acceptance Trials after three days delay due to strike by shipyard workers
because they
wanted extra pay for attendance during sea trials !)
18th Docked at Greenock for hull inspection before Full Power Trials.
28th Sailed
for Scapa Flow from Greenock on completion of Acceptance Trials
October Deployed at Scapa Flow for work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
7th Joined
ships of military convoy WS3 as part of escort during Atlantic passage to Freetown.
19th Detached from WS3 on arrival at Freetown.
27th Sailed
from Freetown for Scapa
Flow.
November
17th Joined
10th Cruiser Squadron on arrival at Scapa Flow after
calls at Belfast and Greenock.
21st Carried
out gunnery exercises with HM Battlecruiser HOOD and HM Cruiser AURORA.
December
10th Passage to Devonport from Scapa Flow for routine docking.
25th Sailed
from Devonport with despatch following attacks on military convoy WS5A by
German
cruiser
ADMIRAL HIPPER.
(Note: WS5A dispersed and had to be
re-assembled,)
26th Sighted by German aircraft.
Ordered to provide assistance to ss EMPIRE TROOPER which had been seriously
damaged with
casualties when hit by 11” gunfire from the German cruiser.
(Note: HM Cruiser BERWICK was also
damaged by 11” gunfire.)
28th Joined
HM Corvette CYCLAMEN escorting EMPIRE TROOPER to Punta Delgado, Azores.
1 9 4 1
January Passage from Punta Delgado to Gibraltar as escort for EMPIRE TROOPER with four corvettes.
4th Arrived
at Gibraltar with EMPIRE TROOPER.
5th Sailed
from Gibraltar to join escort for HMS BERWICK
during passage to UK.
6th Joined
HM Aircraft Carrier ARGUS, HM Destroyers FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FURY
and WISHART
for escort of HMS BERWICK as relief for HM Destroyers FORESTER,
FOXHOUND and FURY which detached and
took return passage to Gibraltar.
7th Detached
from HMS ARGUS and HMS WISHART to take passage to join Convoy SL60
as escort to
UK from Freetown
13th Detached
from SL60 on arrival in Clyde and took passage to Plymouth.
15th Arrived
at Plymouth.
30th Sailed from Plymouth to Greenock for Atlantic convoy escort.
February
1st Joined
outward Convoy OB281 as Ocean Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
5th Detached
from OB281 and took passage to Freetown.
8th Arrived
at Freetown.
10th Sailed from Freetown as Ocean Escort for inward Convoy
SL65.
14th Remained
as Ocean Escort with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser BULOLO for SL63 after
it merged
with Convoy SL63 Slow for joint passage to UK.
20th Detached
from joint SL63 and took passage to Gibraltar.
22nd Arrived
at Gibraltar.
28th Sailed
from Gibraltar to join inward Convoy SL66 (Slow Section) as Ocean
Escort
during
passage in Atlantic.
March
9th Detached
from SL66 and took passage to join Fast Section of SL 66
10th Sighted by German aircraft which was engaged unsuccessfully.
Carried out attack on Italian
submarine which was sighted on surface and force to
submerge by by 6” fire. Joined SL66F.
13th Detached
from SL66F and took passage to Plymouth.
17th Sailed
from Plymouth and joined HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK
ROYAL,
in SW
Approaches to provide cover for passage of inward Convoy SL67 on passage to UK from
from Freetown.
(Note: This convoy was believed to be
under threat of attack by German battleships SCHARNHORST
and
GNEISENAU which never materialised. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
It had been attacked by U105 and U124
on 8th and post war records show a loss of five ships.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair
and ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM by A Hague.)
19th Detached
from SL67 and took passage to join escort of Convoy HG56 inward bound from Gibraltar.
(Note: Threat of attack by the German
capital ship was still considered likely.)
23rd Joined
HX56 and carried out exercises with HM Submarine OLYMPUS, part of escort.
31st Detached from HG76 on arrival in Clyde.
April
6th Sailed
from Clyde to join ships covering convoys against surface
attacks.
15th Detached
from patrol duties and took passage to Scapa Flow.
18th Arrived
at Scapa Flow and nominated for interception patrol in NW
Approaches.
24th Deployed
as Ocean Escort for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay in Northern
Barrage
(Operation SN71 in Faeroes – Iceland Gap – See Naval Staff History (Mining)..)
29th Returned
to Scapa Flow.
May
8th Joined
ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron as escort during further Northern Barrage
minelay.
(Operation SN9B)
15th Provided
escort for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during another minelay in Northern
Barrage (Operation SN9B)
22nd Sailed
from Scapa Flow with HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS,
HM Cruisers AURORA GALATEA and
HERMIONE screened by HM Destroyers INTREPID,
INGLEFIELD, PUNJABI, LANCE, ACTIVE
and WINDSOR to intercept the German battleship
BISMARCK reported on passage to attack North Atlantic convoys.
24th Detached
with HMS HERMIONE and HMS AURORA with screen of destroyers to escort
HMS VICTORIOUS
during air operations after sinking of HM Battlecruiser HOOD.
(Note: For details of the search and
destruction of BISMARCK see Naval Staff History
and
BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by Mullenheim-Rechberg..)
27th Detached
with HMS AURORA from Fleet units after sinking of BISMARCK and took passage
to Hvalfjord, Iceland to refuel
30th Sailed
from Iceland with HMS AURORA to carry out search south of Greenland for German
supply
ships.
(Note: Supply ship movements in
support of BISMARCK had been decrypted by
GCHQ at Bletchley Park from ENIGMA messages,
31st Rescued
survivors from British freighter MARCONI sunk by U-Boat on 26th.
June
3rd Intercepted
and engaged with main armament German tanker BELCHEN which was in process
of
refuelling U93. Enemy ship was set on fire and developed a list to starboard
after which
she was hit
by a torpedo from HMS AURORA.
(Note: HITLERS U-BOAT WAR records
that ship took scuttling action.
U 93 escaped and later rescued some
survivors from BELCHEN.)
16th Provided cover for minelay in Northern Barrage by ships of
1st Minelaying Squadron.
(Operation SNN66)
25th During
return from providing cover for further Northern Barrage minelay in Denmark Strait by
1st Minelaying Squadron, collided
with HM Destroyer BRIGHTON of Close Escort and sustained
damage
abreast B Turret on starboard side (Operation SN70B).
(Note: HMS BRIGHTON had to be towed
to Iceland for temporary repair of her bow structure.
before
return for permanent repair in UK.)
July Deployed at Rosyth pending repair.
28th Under
repair by HM Dockyard, Rosyth during which period Radar Type 271 was fitted to
provide
warning
against surface ships and Two 20 mm Oerlikon guns were added to improve defence
against
close range
air attacks. See above reference for radar details.)
(Note: This was fitted on platform
abaft B turret and experienced showed this site to be subject to
damage when
the mounting was fired. As a result another site was chosen for later fits in
this Class
of cruiser.)
August (Note: One source records that a 15” shell was
found in an oil fuel tank and its removal whilst
in No 3 Dock
at Rosyth presented a serious problem during removal.)
On completion resumed Home Fleet
duties at Scapa Flow.
September
4th Deployed
with HM Destroyer LIGHTNING as escort for HM Fast Minelayer MANXMAN during
minelay off Stadlandet, southern Norway.
17th Nominated
for support of planned operation to reinforce garrison in Malta
Deployed as Flagship for Vice Admiral
HM Burroughs in command of escort for the Operation
Embarked RAF ground
crew personnel for passage to Gibraltar.
19th Passage
to Gibraltar with HM Battleships NELSON, PRINCE OF WALES and RODNEY, HM
Cruisers EDINBURGH, EURYALUS and SHEFFIELD screened by destroyers
as escort
for Malta relief convoy during passage to Gibraltar (Operation HALBERD).
24th Joined
HM Cruisers EDINBURGH, EURYALUS, HERMIONE and SHEFFIELD with destroyer
screen as
Force X to provide close escort for mercantiles
during passage from Gibraltar to Malta
through Sicilian Narrows.
Cover for transit was provided by
ships of Force H and
Under air and E-Boat attacks with
threat from major Italian surface warships..
For details see Naval Staff History,
MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman , THE BATTLE FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and THE NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
by J Greene
and A Massigani.
27th Passage through Narrows.
28th Took passage from Malta with ships of Force X to rejoin covering
force west of Narrows.
30th Arrived
at Gibraltar with HMS PRINCE OF WALES and HMS SHEFFIELD screened
by six
destroyers.
October
1st Sailed
from Gibraltar with HMS SHEFFIELD to carry out search for German
supply ship
KOTA PINANG which was known to be on
passage from Bordeaux for support of U-Boat
operations.
3rd Intercepted
KOTA PINAG after air search operations and engaged with main
armament and
then by torpedo. Enemy ship was set of fire and took on list before
sinking
after a large explosion in position 43.26N 24.30W.
4th Rejoined
by HMS SHEFFIELD and took passage to UK.
8th Under
repair to weather damage at build yard.
10th On
completion took passage from Greenock to Scapa
Flow to resume Home Fleet
duties.
31st Sailed
from Scapa Flow with HM Destroyers BEDOUIN and INTREPID for
interception patrol
based in Iceland.
November Deployed off Iceland.
(Note: Threat of an attack by major
German warships on Atlantic or Russian convoys had
been
perceived.)
6th Embarked
Russian General Gromoff and staff officers at Seydisfjord for passage to Murmansk..
9th Escorted
HM Auxiliary Minelayer MENESTHEUS of 1st Minelaying Squadron for minelay in
Northern Barrage
(Operation SN 83B).
After escort of HMS MENESTHEUS back
to Iceland took passage with the two destroyers to
join Russian
Convoy PQ3 as escort in place of HM Trawlers MACBETH during passage to North Russia.
(Note: One man was lost overboard
during rough weather conditions.)
14th Joined
PQ3 as escort with HMS BEDOUIN and HMS INTREPID.
20th Detached
from PQ3 and took passage to Murmansk to disembark passengers.
For details of all Russian Convoy
operations including names of warships and mercantiles
under
escort see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by
D MacIntyre,
CONVOY ! by P Kemp and RUSSIAN CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
21st Carried
out search for enemy shipping off NE coast of Norway with Russian destroyers
GROMKI and
GREMYASHI HMS BEDOUIN and HMS INTREPID.
25th Took part in bombardment of Vardo
and Hornoy islands with other destroyers.
27th Embarked
RAF personnel for return passage to UK.
(Note: These had been giving instruction
on HURRICANE aircraft to Russian personnel
after
training Soviet airmen.)
28th Took
passage from Archangel to join HMS BEDOUIN, HMS INTREPID, HM Fleet
Minesweepers GOSSAMER as Ocean Escort
for return Convoy QP4.
December
3rd Detached
from QP4 and took passage to Rosyth.
6th Arrived
at Rosyth and taken in hand for routine maintenance and installation of steam
piping
to reduce
effects of icing on upper deck equipment..
Radar Type 284 for main armament was
fitted and Type 273 installed in place of Type 271.
8th Rating
killed by fall into dry dock.
15th On completion
took passage to resume Fleet duties and deployed for preparatory exercise prior
to providing
gunfire support during planned commando raid on Lofoten
islands by No 3 and
No 4 Commando
24th Sailed
from Scapa Flow with HM Destroyers ONSLOW, OFFA, ORIBI and
CHIDDINGFOLD
as escort
for HM Landing Ships (Infantry) PRINCE CHARLES and PRINCE ALBERT to carry out
landings at Vaagso and Malloy with air support (Operation ARCHERY)
(Note: Military commander, Brigadier
J C Haydon was embarked.)
25th Forced
to shelter at Sullom Voe in Shetlands by adverse weather conditions which had
caused
damage to
HMS PRINCE CHARLES. Operation postponed by 24 hours.
26th Resumed
passage covered against surface attack by ships of Home Fleet.
27th Royal
Marines detachment embarked in Landing Craft (Personnel) specially carried on
board
for this
operation.
Provided naval
gunfire support prior to landings by Commando units and Royal Marines.
Sustained damage
from return fire from shore battery which was then permanently silenced.
Came under sporadic air attacks/
(Note: Norwegian troops and Royal
Engineers also took part in the landings.)
For details see IN HARMS WAY by B Crabb and THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson.)
28th Arrived at Scapa Flow with 343 Norwegian citizens who wished to join Norwegian forces in UK.
1 9 4 2
January
1st Under
repair to action damage at Scapa
Flow
On completion deployed for exercises
based at Scapa Flow.
(Note: Despite stormy weather
conditions ship was not damaged.}
17th Deployed
with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD and SUFFOLK in search for German battleship
TIRPITZ reported on passage in North Sea.
On release from search took passage
to Hvalfjord, Iceland.
21st Returned
to Scapa Flow with HMS NIGERIA after carrying out interception
patrol in
NW Approaches.
22nd Took passage from Scapa Flow for BLACK patrol between Iceland and Faeroes.
27th Based
in Iceland for interception patrols with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD
and TRINIDAD.
(Note: The three cruisers were
deployed in turn.)
February Iceland patrol duties in continuation
Nominated to provide cover for
minelay off Norwegian coast (Operation EA) which was
subsequently
cancelled.
16th Provided
cover for HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and PORT
QUEBEC of 1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay in Northern
Barrage between Iceland
and Faeroes.
(Operation SN84)
21st Returned
to Scapa Flow
March Passage to Iceland and joined HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Battleship
DUKE OF YORK,
HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, ESKIMO, PUNJABI, FURY, ECHO and ECLIPSE.
3rd Sailed
from Hvalfjord with same ships to provide cover for
passage of Russian Convoy PQ12
to Murmansk and return Convoy QP8 from North Russia to UK.
See IN HARMS WAY by B Crabb.
5th Joined
QP12 during passage from Reykjavik
and sighted by KONDOR aircraft.
6th Detached
and took passage to join Home Fleet ships
(Note: HM Battleship KING GORGE V.
HMS VICTORIOUS and HM Cruiser BERWICK,
screened by
HM Destroyers ONSLOW, ASHANTI, INTREPID, ICARUS, LOOKOUT
and BEDOUIN
had sailed from Scapa Flow to join force from Iceland on 4th.)
7th TIRPITZ
reported on passage and presumed threat to convoys,.
8th Remained
with QP12
12th Detached from PQ12 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
(Note: Air attacks on TIRPITZ by HMS
VICTORIOUS were unsuccessful. See references.
These were the only attacks made by
the Fleet Air Arm
on the
German ship whilst she was at sea.
22nd Sailed
from Kola Inlet with ten tons of gold bullion and took passage to UK independently.
(Note: Intended deployment to cover
outward Convoy QP9 not carried out.)
29th Arrived
at Scapa Flow. Command change.
April Deployed at Scapa Flow for Fleet duties.
18th Provided
cover for minelay by HM Auxiliary Minelayers SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT
QUEBEC, AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS of 1st Minelaying Squadron
in Northern
Barrage between
Faeroes and Iceland. (Operation SN88).
28th Deployed
with Home Fleet covering force to provide Distant Cover for Russian Convoy
QP15 and return Convoy QP11 during
transit in Arctic Ocean.
(Note: Units deployed included HMS
KING GEORGE V, US battleship USS WASHINGTON,
HM Cruiser KENT, US cruisers USS TUSCALOOSA and WICHITA screened by
Home Fleet
destroyers and four US Navy destroyers. See references
for
details.).
May
2nd Remained
with Home Fleet covering force when HMS KING GEORGE V was involved in
collision
with HM Destroyer PUNJABI which was sunk
. (Note: HMS KING GEORGE V was serious
damaged and replaced by HMS DUKE OF YORK
and USS
WASHINGTON
On release from covering duties
resumed interception patrol duty..
June Nominated for support of planned Malta Relief
Convoy (Operation HARPOON).
4th Deployed
with HM Cruiser LIVERPOOL, HM Destroyers BEDOUIN, ESCAPADE, ICARUS,
ONSLOW, MARNE,
MATCHLESS, BADSWORTH, BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON and
and Polish
KUJAWIAK as escort for Convoy WS19Z during passage to Gibraltar.
11th Joined
HM Battleship MALAYA, HM Aircraft Carriers EAGLE and ARGUS, HM Cruisers
LIVERPOOL and CHARYBDIS, HM Destroyers ONSLOW, ESCAPADE, ICARUS,
WISHART, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER, VIDETTE,
ANTELOPE to form Force W to
provide
cover for re-designated Convoy GM4 during passage in western Mediterranean
to the Sicilian Narrows.
(Note: Force X comprising HM Cruiser CAIRO, nine destroyers and four Fleet Minesweepers
was also
formed to escort GM4 during passage through Narrows to Malta.
For details of all Malta Relief
convoys see MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman,
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D
MacIntyre, THE NAVAL WAR
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and A Massignani and the Naval Staff History.)
14th Under
heavy and sustained air attacks during which HMS LIVERPOOL was damaged by a
torpedo and
had to return to Gibraltar under tow.
15th Detached with remaining ships of Force W when GM4 took
passage into Malta.
16th Remained
west of Narrows with HMS CHARYBDIS to await return of Force Z
17th Took
passage to Gibraltar with Force W and ships of Force Z
18th Arrived
at Gibraltar with HMS CHARYBDIS, HMS CAIRO, HM Destroyers
BLANKNEY,
ITHURIEL, MARNE and MIDDLETON.
(Note: HMS BADSWORTH and HMS
MATCHLESS has remained in Malta.
Polish ORP KUJAWIAK also in Force Z
was mined and sunk on entry into Malta.)
20th Sailed
from Gibraltar to resume Home Fleet duties hat Scapa Flow with survivors from
ORP KUJAWIAK embarked.
24th Arrived
at Scapa Flow.
July
1st Escorted
HM Battleship HOWE from Tyne toi Rosyth on completion of
build.
See KING GEOIRGE V VLASS BATTLESHIPS
V Tarrant.
Deployed for
interception patrol off Iceland.
Return passage to Scapa Flow for special duties in support of Malta Relief convoy
(Operation PEDESTAL - For details see above references
29th Took passage from Scapa Flow to Clyde to join escort for convoy.
August
3rd Deployed
with HM Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS,
HM Cruisers NIGERIA, MANCHESTER*,
HM Destroyers AMAZON, ASHANTI, ESKIMO,
MALCOLM, PATHFINDER, PENN, QUENTIN, SOMALI, TARTAR, VENOMOUS,
WISHART, WOLVERINE, BICESTER,
BRAMHAM, DERWENT, LEDBURY, WILTON
and ZETLAND
as escort for |Convoy WS21S during passage to Gibraltar.
(Note: * ships
which joined later on passage.)
10th Joined
HM Cruisers CAIRO, MANCHESTER
and NIGERIA, HM Destroyers ASHANTI,
FURY, ICARUS, INTREPID, PATHFINDER, PENN, BICESTER, DERWENT, LEDBURY
WILTON and BRAMHAM, on formation of Force X as Close escort
for passage
through Sicilian Narrows after covering Force Z detached.
Deployed as Lead Ship for starboard
column during initial stage of passage from
Gibraltar until taking station astern of aircraft carriers.
11th Under
air and submarine attacks during which HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE was hit by
torpedoes
fired by U93 and sank within eight minutes with loss of over 200 of her
ship’s
company.
12th Air
attacks continued with a series of submarine attacks.
Covering
Force Z detached on arrival at entrance to Narrows.
In an attack by Italian submarine
AXUM HM Cruisers NIGERIA and CAIRO were hit
by this
submarine.
(Note: HMS CAIRO had to be scuttled
later but HMS NIGERIA had to withdraw from
the escort
and return to Gibraltar. Both these ships were fitted with VHF radio
equipment
for control of aircraft defence.
Ship took over control of convoy
after these losses.
Hit forward by one of four torpedoes
from Italian submarine ALAGI and sustained
damage to
bow structure. Ship was able to continue defence of mercantiles.
13th HMS
MANCHESTER hit during series of attacks by E-Boats and convoy under threat
of surface
attack
(Note: HMS MANCHESTER was later
scuttled but enemy cruiser squadron withdrew.
After daylight incessant air attacks
resumed with loss of one mercantile.
Near miss to stern later found to
have damaged a propeller.
Detached from escort on arrival of
the three remaining mercantiles off Malta and
took return
passage through Narrows to rejoin ships of Force Z with HM Cruiser
CHARYBDIS, HM Destroyers ASHANTI, FURY, ICARUS, INTREPID and
PATHFINDER.
See above references for details of
defence of PEDESTAL convoy.
14th Met
HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS NELSON, HMS PHOEBE, HM SIRIUS, HM Destroyers
LAFOREY, LIGHTNING,
LOOKOUT and QUENTIN off Bougie for onward passage.
Under air attacks and slightly
damaged by near miss.
15th Arrived
at Gibraltar.
17th Taken in hand for temporary repair to bow structure by HM
Dockyard.
20th Took passage to Scapa Flow.
25th Arrived at Scapa Flow having lost temporary bow structure
during passage.
Accorded well deserved welcome.
30th Passage to Tyne for repair in South Shields commercial shipyard.
31st Taken in hand for repair and refit.
August Under repair and refit
to December Work
undertaken included replacement of air warning Radar Type 279 by Type 281,
Type 281, Installation of
fire-control Radars Type 282 and 285 for anti-aircraft
mountings
and removal of aircraft facilities. Close range AA armament
increased by
addition of six twin 20mm Oerlikon mountings.
(Note: The availability of radar had
allowed this new policy which also
reduced fire
risk presented by storage of petrol.)
