1 9 4
2
December Contractors trials.
31st Build completion
date and commissioning.
1 9 4 3
January Acceptance trials.
20th On completion took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with 10th Cruiser
Squadron Home Fleet.
22nd Worked-up with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
February On
completion of work-up deployed with Squadron in Home Fleet.
Nominated for service in Mediterranean.
March Transferred
to Plymouth Command with two Home Fleet destroyers.
17th Deployed in Bay of
Biscay for interception of blockade runners.
April Passage to Gibraltar to join
12th Cruiser Squadron.
18th Joined Squadron at Algiers for interception of North
African supply convoys.
May Transferred
to 15th Cruiser Squadron for duty as Flagship.
22nd Embarked CinC (Admiral A B Cunningham)
for passage to Malta.
24th Passage to Algiers to rejoin
Squadron.
June
3rd Deployed for
attack on Pantellaria (Operation CORKSCREW).
5th Bombarded Italian
positions on Pantellaria.
8th Repeated
bombardment.
11th Covered landing of 1st British Division
on Pantellaria with H M Cruisers AURORA,
PENELOPE,
ORION and EURYALUS screened by Fleet destroyers and MTB's.
(For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
13th Deployed with HM Destroyer NUBIAN at Linosa and accepted its surrender
16th Carried out
exercises in Suez Bay until 22nd
June.
July Transferred
to 15th Cruiser Squadron as Flagship.
5th General Montgomery visited ship in Malta.
6th Admiral Ramsay came on board.
9th Passage to Alexandria to cover passage of military
convoys for Sicilian landings
(Operation HUSKY. For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by
. C. Barnett and Naval Staff History).
11th Part of Support Force East for assault
landings with H M Cruisers UGANDA, ORION,
MAURITIUS, CARLISLE, COLOMBO and DELHI.
Provided gunfire support at Pozallo with
HM Destroyers BRISSENDEN and BLANKNEY.
12th Bombarded Syracuse and Augusta. Came under
threat of submarine attacks.
17th Bombarded coastal targets and harbour AA
defences at Augusta until 22nd July.
19th Bombarded gun positions at Catania with HM Destroyers LOOKOUT and BLANKNEY.
20th Bombarded shore positions at Lentini
and Carlentini with same destroyers.
23rd Took passage from Augusta, Sicily for Malta with HM Cruiser MAURITIUS
screened by HM
Destroyers LAFOREY, LOOKOUT and LOYAL.
Under
attack by U407 which failed.
Torpedoed by Italian submarine ASCIANGHI whilst on passage.
Sustained major damage aft to steering gear and stem structure.
One
rating was blown overboard and lost his life and six other men injured.
(Note:
One source records the torpedoes from the Italian submarine missed.
ASCIANGHl was sunk during the subsequent anti-submarine
operations by HM
Destroyers LAFOREY and ECLIPSE.
24th At Malta.
August Temporary
repair carried out before taking passage to USA.
(Note:
Only two shafts were available and steering possible only by main engines.)
8th Sailed for Gibraltar.
12th Sailed for USA.
22nd Taken in hand for repair by US Navy Yard.on arrival at Boston
September Under repair at Boston Navy Yard.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Repair
at Boston Navy Yard in continuation.
February
14th Captain R W Ravenhill
joined ship to take command.
Commissioned for Trials and passage.
20th Completed refit.
March Carried
out post refit trials.
April Passage to Norfolk, Virginia.
20th Took passage to St. Johns, Newfoundland
29th At St. Johns.
May
3rd Took passage to UK.
Re-commissioned for service after
arrival.
June Under
further refit in Clyde shipyard to completion installation of British radar equipment
units not available in USA.
(Note:
Replacement of main armament fire control radar Type 284 by a new design
of centimetric wavelength, Type
274.
Replacement of surface warning Radar Types 272 by new design Type
293.
Replacement
of air warning Radar Type 281 using both masts by new design Type 281B
using only an aerial on the mainmast.
Installation of new design radar Type 277 for control of
aircraft and for surface
warning.
For
details of development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D. Howse).
Improved
Close Range AA weapons were also fitted.)
July Under
refit
to (Note: Following the addition of new
radars and weapon equipment displacement at Full
October Load
had increased to 11,058 tons compared with 10,840 on build).
November
3rd Refit work completed and commenced
harbour and sea trials.
22nd Prepared for
passage to Scapa Flow to rejoin
Fleet.
Nominated for service as Flagship,
4th Cruiser
Squadron in British Pacific Fleet.
December Deployed at Scapa Flow to work-up for operational
service with ships of the Home Fleet.
21st Passage to Mediterranean.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
in eastern Mediterranean.
February
2nd Sustained major damage after an
explosion in port torpedo tube mounting Alexandria.
There
were some casualties.
Taken
in hand for repair during which an additional 40mm Close Range AA Armament was
fitted.
(Note:
This work delayed the planned deployment).
March
26th Took passage to Sydney via Colombo, Cocos Island and
Fremantle.
April
20th Arrived at Sydney and prepared for service in
British Pacific Fleet.
27th CinC British Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sir
Bruce Fraser addressed ship's company.
May
4th Sailed to join HM Australian Cruiser
HOBART, HM Australian Destroyer ARUNTA and
HM
Australian Destroyer WARRAMUNGA to support military operations in New Guinea.
10th Bombarded Cape Hoem with HMAS
ARUNTA.
11th Bombarded Dove Bay before
landings (Operation DELUGE).
12th Provided naval gunfire support at Wewak with HMAS HOBART during landings by 6th
Australian Division.
On
release from DELUGE took passage to join British Pacific Fleet at Manus.
19th Took passage to Auckland, New
Zealand.
24th Arrived at Auckland for
R&R and minor repairs.
June
6th Took passage to
Manus to rejoin BPF.
Nominated for duty in Task Group 111.2 for attack on Truk Operation INMATE).
12th Joined HM Aircraft Carriers IMPLACABLE
and RULER with HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE,
ACHILLES
and UGANDA to cover flying operations
on Truk, screened by HM Destroyers
TROUBRIDGE,
TENACIOUS, TERPSICHORE and TEAZER (Operation INMATE).
Deployed as Task Unit 111.2.5 with HMS UGANDA (RCN) and HMS
ACHILLES (RNZN).
Carried out bombardment exercises on passage.
13th Detached with HMS SWIFTSURE and HMS
UGANDA screened by HM Destroyers
TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS and
TEAZER as Task Unit 111.2. to cover flying
operations.
14th Deployed in designated area during air
attacks by HMS IMPLACABLE which continued
after nightfall.
15th Rejoined main force at dawn.
Detached with HMS TROUBRIDGE to shell shore batteries on island of Uman.
Carried out bombardment.
(Note:
The other two cruisers carried out bombardment of other targets.
One
source suggests that this was not a total success owing to confusion with
aircraft
spotting reports which covered bombardments by all ships).
16th Task Group reformed for return passage
to Manus.
17th Arrived at British Forward Support Base,
Manus with TG111.2.
Returned
to Sydney with major units of Task Unit 112.3
28th Took
passage from Sydney with HM Battleships KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft
Carrier,
FORMIDABLE, HM Cruisers UGANDA and
EURYALUS screened by eight Fleet Destroyers.
July
4th Arrived
at Manus
6th Took passage from Manus with HM
Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft Carriers
FORMIDABLE,
VICTORIOUS and IMPLACABLE, HM Cruisers UGANDA (RCN) and
ACHILLES
(RNZN) screened by RN destroyers of BPF as Task Force 37, part of US 3rd Fleet.
(Note: Destroyer screen comprised HM Destroyers GRENVILLE,
ULYSSES, UNDINE,
URCHIN
URANIA, UNDAUNTED, QUIBERCN (RAN), QUICKMATCH (RAN),
QUALITY
(RAN), QUADRANT (RAN) of 4th Destroyer Flotilla and H M Destroyers
TROUBRIDGE,
TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT, TERPSICHORE and TEAZER of 24th
13th Replenished from Fleet Train.
16th Deployed with TF37 to join Task Groups
38.1, 38.3 and 38.4 of 3rd Fleet for joint
RN/USN
bombardments and carrier air strikes against targets in the
Tokyo-Yokohama area.
17th Bombarded Hitachi Works north of Tokyo with HMS KING GEORGE V, HM
Cruiser BLACK
PRINCE and HM Australian Destroyer QUALITY.
18th Covered operations by H M Aircraft
Carriers FORMIDABLE, VICTORIOUS and IMPLACABLE
against targets on Japanese mainland until 27/7/45.
(For
details see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and Naval Staff History).
27th Replenished from
US Navy tankers of Task Unit 30.18.1 with HMNZS ACHILLES.
(Note:
This was necessary because of shortage of fuel from British Fleet Train).
31st Deployed with HM Escort Carrier RULER,
HM Cruisers ARGONAUT and ACHILLES.
Acted as voice radio communications link between British TF37 and
American TF38.
August
4th Released from radio link duty and
rejoined TF37.
9th On re-organisation of allied Task
Forces by US, detached with HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS
GAMBIA
and HM Destroyers TERPSICHORE, TENACIOUS and TERMAGANT to form
TG37.1.8
in 3rd US Fleet. Bombarded Kamaishu
in North Honshu with Task Unit 34.8.1.
12th Retained with HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS
INDEFATIGABLE, HMS GAMBIA and nine
RN
and RAN destroyers as TG38.5 to continue service when remainder of BPF had to
return to
Sydney because of
lack of fuel available from British Fleet Train tankers.
13th Covered HMS INDEFATIGABLE during air
attacks on Tokyo.
15th Joined US Task Group 38.4 for entry into
Japanese waters.
23rd Took passage to Tokyo Bay
27th In Sagami Wan
awaiting formal surrender ceremony.
31st Entered Tokyo Bay with HMS
GAMBIA.
(For
details of operations by British Pacific Fleet see OPERATION PACIFIC by E.
Gray,
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J. Winton and Naval Staff Histories).
September
2nd Present in Tokyo Bay when Japanese Delegation
signed the Instrument of Surrender on board the
American battleship USS MISSOURI.
Resumed service in 4th Cruiser Squadron under RN control.
3rd Deployed in Japanese waters to assist
in evacuation of allied POW who were taken to hospital
ships and Escort Carriers in Tokyo Bay.
(Note:
Later deployed as Guardship at Yokosuka after other RN and
Commonwealth ships
sailed. Landed Royal Marines to take over Japanese Naval
Base
During
war service ship had steamed 122,490 miles.)
October
1st Took passage
from Yokohama for Sydney with call
at Manus.
7th Arrived in Sydney flying at the masthead
inferior to the White Ensign, the Japanese
Ensign
captured by the Landing Party at the Yokosuka
Ease.
Captain
Ravenhill left ship. Captain C C
A Allen assumed command.
29th Deployed for Goodwill Tour of New
Zealand including calls at Milford Sound, Port Chalmers,
Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland.
November New
Zealand deployment in continuation.
14th On completion took passage to Sydney.
December Deployed
at Sydney.
1 9 4 6
January Deployed
with 2nd Cruiser Squadron, British Pacific Fleet.
to
February
March During
passage in Malacca Straits in stormy weather Commander Liddell was killed on
deck.
April Squadron deployment in continuation.
Visited
Shanghai
May Passage
to Nanking with Admiral Fraser embarked for visit to Chinese Nationalist
Leader,
General Chiang-Kei-Shek.
Grounded in Yangtse River on
sandbank.
June Refit and docking at Hong Kong.
July
15th On completion rejoined Squadron for duty
in Far
East.
Deployed in Japanese waters.
August British Pacific Fleet duties with Squadron in
continuation.
to
September
October Nominated
for reduction to reserve and prepared for return passage.
28th Scuttled Japanese
heavy cruiser TAKAO, 11,350 tons.
(Note:
This cruiser had been damaged at Singapore by limpet mines and
explosive charges
placed by HM Submarine XE3 on 30th
July 1945.
Lieut.
Ian Fraser and Leading Seaman J J Magennis
were both awarded the Victoria
Cross
for this gallant service. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET and FROGMAN VC by
Ian
Fraser).
November Left
Squadron and took passage to Devonport.
December
On
arrival paid off and taken in hand for refit.
S u m m
a r y o f P o s t W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 7
January Reducing
to Reserve status.
to
February
March
10th Deployed as Tender
to HMS RALEIGH for training of Stoker ratings.
April Training deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 8 t o
1 9 4 9
Training deployment in continuation.
1 9 5 0
January Training
deployment in continuation.
to
June
July On
reversion to Reserve status laid up in Reserve Fleet at Devonport.
to Nominated for modernisation by HM
Dockyard, Devonport.
December
1 9 5 1
January Laid-up
at Devonport awaiting modernisation.
February Taken
in hand for modernisation and reconstruction under Dockyard Control.
March Under
dockyard control at Devonport.
to (Note: See Appendix for Notes on
Modernisation)
December
1 9 5 2
January Under dockyard control at
Devonport.
to Nominated to re-commission for service
4th Cruiser Squadron, East Indies.
May
June Advance
party of 25 officers and ratings joined from RN Barracks, Devonport.
July Modernisation in continuation.
to
September
