1 9 3 9
September Deployed
with New Zealand Division.
3rd On passage to Fanning Island in mid Pacific (Part of Gilbert
and Ellis Group, south
of Hawaii with 35 troops to protect cable
installation.
13th Landed troops with stores and returned to
Auckland.
25th Sailed to Auckland Islands and Campbell Islands in Southern Ocean to
investigate the
likelihood
of their use by Germany for bases.
October
1st Called at Wellington during return
passage to Auckland.
November Deployed
for further visit to Auckland and Campbell Islands.
December On
return remained at short notice for sea in Auckland.
24th Transferred to Wellington and remained at short notice.
Nominated for
escort of military convoy.
1 9 4 0
January
5th Escorted troopships DUNERA II and
SOBIESKI to join Convoy US1
6th Joined HM Battleship RAMILLIES as
escort for US1 during passage to Australia with NZ
Army
contingent.
(Note: mv
CANBERRA and other troops ships were in
US1)
11th On relief by HM Australian Cruisers AUSTRALIA and SYDNEY too return passage to
Auckland
February Deployed
at Auckland.
6th At Waitanga for anniversaries marking New Zealand foundation.
23rd At Auckland when HMNZS
ACHILLES arrived on return from River Plate victory.
March Deployed in New Zealand waters.
April Nominated for escort of military
convoy.
24th At Wellington waiting for departure of
military convoy
May
2nd Escorted troopships AQUTTANIA, EMPRESS
OF BRITAIN and EMPRESS OF JAPAN
during passage to Australia as Convoy US2 taking second
batch of troops of 1st NZ Army
Division for active service.
(Note:
HM Australian Cruisers AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA also escorted US2).
5th Convoy US2 joined by rms QUEEN MARY, MAURITANIA and another liner.
(Note:
HM Australian Cruiser PERTH also part of escort of redesignated convoy now
identified as US3).
Detached on arrival at Sydney.
12th Rejoined Convoy US3 to escort troopships
in Indian Ocean from Australia
after call at
Fremantle.
15th Convoy destination of Ceylon
changed.
Diverted to Cape of
Good Hope in case Italy
entered war
16th Re-deployed and transferred to
Mediterranean Fleet.
Detached from US3 and took
passage to Colombo. Arrived at Colombo.
21st Passage to Alexandria with call at Aden.
26th Arrived at Alexandria and joined HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, ORION, NEPTUNE and
SYDNEY in 7th
Cruiser Squadron.
31st Transferred to East Indies Squadron.
June
1st Took Passage to Port Sudan to join Red Sea Force.
8th During Red Sea Patrol intercepted
Italian liner UMBRIA which was being shadowed by
HM Sloop GRIMSBY.
11th Took off crew of UMBRIA which
scuttled at Port Sudan.
12th Passage to Aden and patrol.
16th Searched with
aircraft for Italian submarine off Aden.
(Note: This submarine GALILEO GALILEI
was later captured by HM Trawler
MOONSTONE and taken as Prize to Aden).
27th Deployed with HM Destroyers KANDAHAR and
KINGSTON in search for submarine
reported aground in Red Sea.
Located Italian TORRICELLI which was engaged and sunk by gunfire.
Under air attack on return passage during which two aircraft were
destroyed.
July Red Sea
Force deployment in continuation.
to Escorted convoys from Men to Port Sudan area and Suez convoys to Bombay into the Indian
August Ocean south of Men, with HM
Australian Cruiser HOBART, HM Australian Sloops YARRA
and PARRAMATTA.
September Red Sea Force deployment in continuation.
6th Under air attack
during escort of Convoy BNW with HM Sloop AUCKLAND.
Two aircraft destroyed.
20th Stood by merchant ship damaged during
attacks on Convoy BN5 with HMS AUCKLAND
One aircraft destroyed.
24th Under air attack
in Red Sea.
Deployed as
escort for Convoy BN6 44 ships).
October Escorted Convoy BN7 (32 ships)
with HMS KIMBERLEY, HMS AUCKLAND, HMAS
YARRA and HM
Indian Sloop INDUS.
20th Under air attack
without damage.
21st In action against Italian destroyers
LEONE, NULLO, PANTERA and SAURO in defence of
Red Sea convoy.
Enemy
ships escaped under cover of smoke screen.
(Note:
Italian NULLO was later intercepted by HMS HMBERLEY and sunk by torpedoes
when under fire from shore batteries off Horni Island.
HMS
KIMBERLEY hit in boiler room and disabled.
22nd Towed HMS KIMBERLEY back to convoy and transferred
tow to HM Destroyer KINGSTON.
29th Ship’s aircraft used to bomb Italian
positions at Mogadishu.
November Red Sea convoy defence in continuation.
Escorted
Convoys BN8 and BN9.
26th Relieved in Red Sea Force by HM Australian Cruiser
HOBART.
Transferred to
Indian Ocean for support of military
operations in Somaliland.
28th Deployed in Indian Ocean.
29th Aircraft launched for attack en factory
at Banda Abula, Italian Somaliland.
After recovery bombarded shore
targets firing 98 rounds of 6".
December Deployed
for trade defence in Indian Ocean.
Passage to Bombay for routine
docking.
27th On completion prepared for trade defence
duties.
28th Joined escort of Indian Ocean convoy to Aden.
1 9 4 1
January Indian Ocean trade defence in continuation.
14th Deployed on
interception patrol in Indian Ocean during
passage to Colombo.
21st Joined 4th Cruiser
Squadron at Colombo.
24th Deployed in search for ss MANADOR after distress call from position 150 miles west
of Seychelles.
30th Returned to Colombo without
success having refuelled at Addu Atoll.
31st Resumed Indian
Ocean patrol.
February
9th Returned to Colombo after patrol.
10th Joined escort of military Convoy US9 as
relief for HM Australian Cruiser CANBERRA
in
position 150 miles south of Ceylon.
(Note: Convoy included troopship
AQUITANIA, MAURITANIA and NIEUW AMSTERDAM).
22nd Deployed in search
for German warship ADMIRAL SCHEER off Maldives.
25th Escorted coastal convoy from Colombo to Bombay.
27th Resumed interception patrol and sighted
unknown vessel off Maldives.
Ship
proved to be Italian raider RAMS I that opened fire when at 3,000 yards range
and shots
fell short.
Engaged
enemy ships which was hit and them scuttled. Rescued survivors and took passage
to
Addu Atoll.
28th Landed prisoners and resumed patrol
March
2nd Joined HMAS CANBERRA for joint search.
4th Detached from HMAS CANBERRA but
rejoined to assist in rescue of survivors from two
German supply ships intercepted by CANBERRA.
On
completion continued Joint search.
(Note:
German Supply COBURG and KETTY BROVKK (captured Norwegian tanker)
scuttled on approach.).
8th At Mauritius with HMAS
CANBERRA to refuel.
10th Sailed from Mauritius with HMAS CANBERRA to meet H M
Armed Merchant Cruiser CITY
OF DURBAN for a combined search in area
400 miles SE of Madagascar for commerce raiders
and
supply ships.
20th Detached to refuel
in Mauritius.
21st Resumed search between Mauritius and Madagascar.
23rd Intercepted Vichy
French merchant ship CHARLES LD (5267 grt) and
boarded.
Scuttling
charges thrown overboard and ship taken to Mauritius by naval
party.
27th Located tanker TROCAS reported missing
and escorted her to Mauritius.
29th Passage to Colombo.
April
2nd Arrived at Colombo.
11th Escorted convoy from Madras to Singapore
12th Relieved by HM Cruiser CERES and
returned to Colombo.
14th Deployed for
support of military operations in Persian Gulf.
Escorted
convoy BM7 to Basra.
18th Joined HM Cruiser EMERALD on arrival in Persian Gulf.
19th Covered landings at Shatt
el Arab.
22nd When released from support duties took
passage to Colombo to Join Hunting Group V.
(Note: Group comprised HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Cruisers CORNWALL and
HAWKINS to
search for raiders operating in Indian Ocean).
29th Took part in
search for German raider PINGUIN south of Maldives.
May
3rd Arrived at Colombo.
6th Escorted military Convoy US10B in Indian Ocean.
(Convoy included troopships AQUITANIA, ILE DE FRANCE and MAURITANIA).
7th Detached for interception patrol duty.
14th Returned to Colombo
Nominated for
service in Mediterranean.
23rd Took passage to Aden
29th At Aden.
June
1st. Took passage to Alexandria to join 7th
Cruiser Squadron.
(Note:
This deployment was made necessary because of heavy losses sustained during
operations off Crete. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MDRE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and Naval Staff History (HMSO-2002)
4th On arrival 2 pdr
pom-pom fitted (Ex HM Cruiser LIVERPOOL)
13th Relieved HM Cruiser AJAX in support duty of military
operations in Syria.
(Operation
EXPORTER
Deployed
with HM Cruiser PHOEBE, HM Destroyers JACKAL, JANUS, KANDAHAR and
KIMBERLEY.
Bombarded
shore targets in Sidon.
14th Repeated
bombardment of shore targets.
Carried
out search to north near Beirut with HM Cruiser COVENTRY and destroyers
Intercepted two Vichy French GUEPARD Class destroyers which
withdrew at high speed.
Under
fire, liable to overtake and withdrew.
15th Resumed patrol with HMS PHOEBE, HMS
COVENTRY and destroyers.
Provided further gunfire support
to military advance.
22nd Deployed with HM Cruiser NAIAD, HM
Destroyers JAGUAR and KINGSTON in search close
inshore north of Beirut.
Engaged Vichy French destroyers GUEPARD and VALNY which withdrew.
Sustained slight damage from unexploded 6" shell.
25th Repeated offensive sweep north of Beirut with HM Destroyers DECOY.HAVOCK
and
NORMAN
26th HM Cruisers PERTH and CARLISLE joined as reliefs.
Took passage
with COVENTRY to Alexandria.
July Deployed for transfer of Army
and RAF personnel to reinforce garrison in Cyprus.
(Operation GUILLOTINE).
Took passage
to Haifa.
19th Embarked Army and
RAF personnel at Haifa for passage
to Cyprus with HMS
KINGSTON.
20th Embarked troops at Port Said for passage to Cyprus.
21st Passage to Haifa from Cyprus.
(Note:
Other ships deployed on GUILLOTINE included HM Cruiser NEPTUNE, destroyers
of 14th Flotilla, HM Sloops PARAMATTA(RAN) and FLAMINGO.
22nd Deployed with HMS AJAX, HM Destroyers
JAGUAR, JERVIS, KANDAHAR and
KINGSTON for patrol
south of Crete as part of Mediterranean Fleet
operation.
24th Detached with HMS
JAGUAR to embark troops for Cyprus at Port Said.
26th After disembarking passengers returned
to Port Said.
31st Took passage to Colombo for return to
New Zealand after
embarking RNZVR personnel.
(Note:
Signal from Admiralty to NZ Navy Board was sent in appreciation of the very
significant contribution made by this cruiser during service
with the fleet in the
Mediterranean at a very
crucial stage).
August Docked in Colombo for routine inspections.
On
completion took passage to Fremantle.
Escorted ss CERAMIC from Fremantle to Sydney.
28th On arrival in Sydney rejoined New Zealand Division.
September
September
5th Escorted troopship AQUITANIA to Wellington
Passage to Auckland.
8th Arrived at Auckland.
12th Taken in hand for
refit in HM Dockyard Auckland.
(Note: Aircraft facilities
removed and additional close range AA armament fitted.
October Under refit.
1st Royal New Zealand Navy formed and
ship became HMNZS LEANDER.
November Carried
out Post refit trials.
8th On completion deployed for escort of
ships on passage between New Zealand and Equator,
Two successive trips were made
before redeployment.
December Escorted
two military convoys to Suva.
1 9 4 2
January
10th Deployed on escort and cover of military
convoys to Suva with HMAS AUSTRALIA,
HMNZS ACHILLES
and HMAS PERTH.
19th Returned to Sydney with HMAS AUSTRALIA and HMAS PERTH.
29th Passage to Melbourne with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HMAS PERTH, HMAS ADELAIDE
and USN
ships.
31st Nominated to join ANZAC Squadron with
HMAS AUSTRALIA for joint operations in
South West
Pacific with US Navy.
February
3rd Relieved HMNZS ACHILLES in escort of
convoy to Brisbane.
On arrival took passage to Suva.
12th Joined ANZAC Squadron at Suva with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HMAS ACHILLES, HM
Australian Armed Merchant
Cruiser MONOWAI, US cruiser USS CHICAGO and two US
Navy
destroyers.
14th Deployed on patrol
between Fiji and New
Caledonia.
18th Deployed with all
Squadron to join Task Force 11 for assault on Rabaul.
20th Under intense
Japanese air attacks which seriously reduced fuel and ammunition supply.
Returned to Suva to re-arm and refuel.
March
3rd Escorted Convoy PW3034 to Brisbane from Suva with HMNZS ACHILLES and US cruiser
USS PORTLAND.
17th On return from Brisbane took passage with HMNZS
ACHILLES as escort for
ss WESTRALIA to Etape, New Hebrides with stores and personnel to
build airstrip.-
18th Remained at Etape with ss WESTRALIA during
unloading of stores and personnel.
Sailed for Noumea on completion.
28th Deployed with
Squadron as escort for military convoy to Suva.
April
1st Joined Convoy BT 201 during passage
from Panama and escorted it to Brisbane.
8th Arrived at Brisbane.
10th Took independent
passage to Noumea.
28th Joined Task Group
12.2 with USS LAMSON, HMNZS ACHILLES, US Destroyers USS
HELM and USS
HENLEY.
Escorted
Convoy PW2059 off Pago Pago for passage
to Vila.
May
5th Carried out night patrols in New Hebrides.
19th Re-deployed for support of planned
assault operations.
28th Landed troops troops
from Vila at Espiritu Santo to
