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1 9 3 9
September
3rd Worked-up
after embarking mines at
Portsmouth.
Laid Field GR in Straits of
Dover with the Auxiliary
Minelayers HMS HAMPTON and
SHEPPERTON.
(Note: U12 was sunk in this Field on
8th October 1939, U400 on13th October 1939 and U16
on
24th October 1939).
16th Withdrawn from this operation because of manoeuvring problems
in
Dover harbour.
October
4th Embarked
mines at
Portsmouth for laying Deep Field off Flamborough Head to give
anti-submarine
protection of convoys (Operation AD).
25th After
delay because of lack of escorts completed first lay.
27th Second
lay of Operation AD.
30th Laid
Dummy mines off East coast when on passage to Rosyth.
November
8th Returned
to Humber for lay in
Tees
Bay but this was
cancelled because no escort ships
were available.
11th Transferred to Portsmouth prior to minelaying operation off Dutch coast.
Escorted on passage
by HM Destroyers BLANCHE and BASILISK.
13th Detonated
magnetic mine near Tongue Light Vessel.
Sustained extensive damage and considerable
flooding
24
of ship's company killed or missing and 69 wounded.
HMS BASILISK took off survivors.
HMS BLANCHE was mined whilst standing
by and later sank in tow.
16th Under temporary repair at Chatham.
December
19th Took
passage to
Plymouth for refit
20th Paid
off and taken in hand for refit at
Plymouth
1 9 4 0
January Under
refit.
to
August
September
18th Carried
out post refit trials and prepared for service.
October Worked-up at
Scapa Flow.
17th Joined
1st Minelaying Squadron at Kyle of Lochalah (Port ZA)
on completion.
November
8th Laid
Deep Anti-Submarine minefield in NW Approaches with BM Auxiliary Minelayers
SOUTHERN PRINCE,
PORT NAPIER,
PORT
QUEBEC and MENESTHEUS
(Operation SN44).
Detached on completion
for duty at Milford Haven.
15th Deployed in SW Approaches to reinforce existing A/S minefield.
to Laid Field ZME 1 - 3 in
St. George's Channel, unescorted.
24th
25th Nominated for special duty in Bay of Biscay.
December
2nd Laid
Anti-submarine Field GQ1 in undeclared area on Little Sole Bank, West of Lorient.
Destroyer escort provided.
3rd Returned
to Milford Haven and progressed ZME Field pending suitable weather in
Bay of Biscay for continuation of Field GQ2.
5th Laid
Fields ZMS 4 - 9 in
St George's Channel.
29th Returned to complete work in Bay of Biscay.
30th Laid
Field GQ2 on Little Sole Bank with destroyer escort.
Returned to Milford
Haven on completion to continue 2MS work.
1 9 4 1
January
5th Laid
Fields ZME 10 -14 in
St. George's Channel.
14th Diverted for duty as AA Guardship at
Liverpool.
During passage activated Ground Mine
in
Liverpool
Bay and extensively damaged.
Taken in hand for examination
and repair at
Liverpool.
February Under
repair.
to
April
May Under
repair.
7th Damaged
during air raid when ship alongside (HMS MAPLIN) was hit.
June Repair
work in continuation.
July On completion detached from Squadron for duty
with Home Fleet for Operation EF.
Embarked mines and other stores for passage
to
Murmansk
Took passage with Home Fleet ships providing
cover for air attacks on Tromso and
Kirkenes.
30th Detached to complete passage, escorted by HM Destroyer ANTHONY.
August
1st Arrived
Murmansk.
4th Took
passage to Kyle of Lochalsh without escort.
Speed limited by defects.
11th Rejoined Squadron.
25th Laid
Field SN70A in Northern Barrage, East of
Iceland with HMS SOUTHERN PRINCE
and HMS
PORT
QUEBEC.
(Note: HMS SOUTHERN PRINCE was torpedoed
on return passage).
30th Withdrawn for service for examination of turbine machinery.
September Distortion of turbines confirmed.
Taken in hand for repair in
Liverpool
October Under repair
to
November
December Carried out post refit trials and prepared for service.
1 9 4 2
January
2nd Rejoined
ML1 at Kyle of Lochalsh for minelaying duty.
9th Laid
Field SN15A in East Coast Mine Barrier with Auxiliary Minelayers SOUTHERN
PRINCE, MENESTHEUS and
AGAMEMNON.
16th Lay of
Field SN15B in continuation with same ships.
February
2nd Laid
Field SN17 in East Coast Barrier with HM Auxiliary Minelayers SOUTHERN
PRINCE, HMS PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS and HMS AGAMEMNON.
3rd Detached
to embark British Trade Mission for passage to Murmansk.
On departure from Clyde damaged in collision with HM Landing Ship TASAJERA.
Sustained serious structural damage and consequential flooding.
Withdrawn from duty
for repair.
13th Under emergency repair in Clyde shipyard.
March Passage to
Southampton for permanent repair
Under repair at Southampton.
(Note: ASDIC Type 128 for mine detection
fitted.)
April Under repair
30th Rejoined
Squadron on completion.
May
8th Laid
Field SN3A in Northern Barrage off Faeroes Bank with other ML1 ships.
(Note: US Navy officers embarked for this
operation.)
15th Laid Fields SN16D, E and F in East Coast Barrier without escort.
June
1st Laid
Field SN72 in
Denmark Strait for Northern Barrage with HMS SOUTHERN
PRINCE, HMS
AGAMEMNON, HMS MENESTHEUS and
PORT QUEBEC escorted
by three destroyers
from 1st Minelaying Squadron.
Ocean escort was provided by HM Cruiser
MANCHESTER and an escort with Distant
Cover by ships of Home Fleet off
Iceland.
11th Laid
Field SN3B in Northern Barrage off Faeroes Bank with other Squadron ships.
19th Laid
Field SN16F in East Coast Barrier, unescorted.
21st Detached for duty with Home Fleet.
Formed part of Decoy convoy as a diversion
to protect Russian convoy PQ17.
(Operation ES)
22nd Deployed
for Operation ES.
July
2nd Resumed
minelaying duties with Squadron.
11th Laid
Field SN3C in Northern Barrage off Faeroes Bank with other Squadron snips.
31st Laid
Field SN82 in Northern Barrage with other Squadron ships escorted by four
destroyers.
August
7th Laid
Field SN16G in East Coast Mine Barrier, unescorted.
21st Laid
Field SN73 in
Denmark Strait for Northern Barrage with other Squadron ships
escorted by HM
Destroyers CASTLETON,
BRIGHTON,
CHARLESTOWN and
NEWARK.
Ocean Escort was provided by HM Cruiser
AURORA and three Home Fleet destroyers.
September
2nd Laid
Field SN89 in Northern Barrage with other Squadron ships.
15th Laid
Field SN65A In Northern Barrage, south of Faeroes with
other Squadron' ships,
18th Laid
Field SN3E in Northern Barrage after weather hold-up.
October Deployed with Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
November
1st Laid
Field SN3F in Northern Barrage.
12th Completed
East Coast Mine Barrier by lay of Field SN17A.
Detached for duty in
support of Mediterranean operations.
15th Embarked
2000 aircraft depth charges and mines at
Plymouth.
20th Passage to
Gibraltar.
December
1st Returned
to Milford Haven for minelay duties in SW Approaches.
9th Diverted
from minelaying duty for further
Mediterranean support.
12th Passage to
Gibraltar with RAF personnel and stores.
27th Taken
in hand for docking at
Plymouth to repair weather damage..
1 9 4 3
January
5th Passage
to rejoin Squadron.
6th Redeployed
at Milford Haven for minelaying duty in SW Approaches.
15th Laid
Deep A/S Field HS1 at the western end of existing minefield in
St. George's
Channel.
On completion detached for further support
of Mediterranean operations.
Embarked mines and other
associated stores for minelaying use in Mediterranean.
21st Took passage with stores for Gibraltar and Oran.
February
4th Transferred
mines to HM Cruiser Minelayer ABDIEL at
Oran.
Returned to Milford Haven.
19th Sailed with cargo of mines in company with HMS ABDIEL for Oran.
28th Remained at Algiers to re-stock ABDIEL after minelay.
March
14th Passage to Milford Haven for further mine delivery.
18th Embarked
mines
. 23rd Passage
to
Oran.
April
8th At
Gibraltar during return passage to UK.
10th Diverted to intercepted German Blockade Runner IRENE on passage
from
Japan.
Sighted enemy vessel and fired two rounds.
Ship scuttled in position 375 miles West of Vigo.
Rescued 157 survivors
including 101 naval personnel.
12th Arrived at Milford Haven with machinery defects.
15th Under repair.
Diesel Engine removed.
May Under
repair.
22nd Further
deliver of mines for storage at Mers el Kebir.
29th Collected
Coastal Forces stores in
UK for use in
Mediterranean.
June Completed deliveries in
Mediterranean
Return passage to
UK
July Nominated use as Depot and Repair Ship during
future operations.
3rd Taken
in hand for repair at Devonport.
26th Passage to Milford Haven on completion.
August
4th Involved
in collision with HM Trawler LUNDY and sustained structural damage.
8th Under
temporary repair at Milford Haven.
18th Further
machinery defects required dockyard attention.
September
14th Taken in hand for repair to machinery at Devonport.
October Under repair.
November
2nd On
completion of trials resumed operational duty.
11th Future
conversion to suit future use arranged in
Liverpool.
25th Taken
in hand for conversion to Landing Ship (Engineering),
December Conversion
in hand.
(Note: AA armament to be increased.)
1 9 4 4
January Shipyard work in continuation.
to Nominated for duty in support of
Normandy landings (Operation
NEPTUNE).
February
March Carried out post refit trials.
31st On completion
deployed at
Portland as an Accommodation Ship.
April Transferred to
Portsmouth
May Deployed
for duty with Allied Naval Commander Expeditionary Force.
(For details of naval activities before
and after the
Normandy landings in LANDINGS
IN
NORMANDY, JUNE 1944 (HMSO)
and OPERATION
NEPTUNE by Kenneth
Edwards).
Allocated to Force G
as for support of ships requiring repair.
June Deployed in MULBERRY B off Arromanches
for support and repair duties.
19th Repair
parties landed for extensive salvage work on landing craft which had been
damaged during
northerly gale.
July
NEPTUNE duty in continuation
August Deployed with Home Fleet on release from
NEPTUNE.
September Home Fleet support in continuation
October Passage to
Portsmouth and paid off
into Care and Maintenance.
November In Reserve under Care and Maintenance.
December
10th Re-commissioned
with reduced complement.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed for repair duties in Portsmouth Command.
to
April
May
14th Deployed with British naval units at Wilhelmshaven.
June Deployed at
Portsmouth pending review
of future role.
July
25th Paid off into Reserve and de-equipped ready for laying-up.
August Placed in Reserve at
Falmouth
