1 9 4 4
January Contractors
trials
February
12th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up.
March Worked-up
at Scapa
Flow
with ships of Home Fleet.
On
completion took passage to Plymouth for minelaying operations in
support of planned
allied landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
(For
details of naval activities prior to and during landings see The Naval Staff Histories –
MINING and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO)
11th Embarked outfit of mines at Milford
Haven.
17th Commenced series of minelaying
operations in western approaches to assault areas in
HOSTILE Series. Part of Operation MAPLE Phase II.)
Returned to Milford Haven on completion of each and reloaded mines.
17th HOSTILE 28 off Ushant
(Note:
Escorted by HM Destroyers HAIDA (RCN), ASHANTI and HURON (RCN).).
21st HOSTILE 29 - West off Ile Vierge after delay.
(Note:
Escorted by HM Destroyers HAIDA (RCN) and ASHANTI.
23rd HOSTILE 30 - Off Ile
Vierge
(Note:
Escorted by HM Destroyers HAIDA (RCN), ASHANTI and
ATHABASKAN (RCN)).
25th HOSTILE 31 - NW of Ushant,
unescorted.
28th Under repair at Milford Haven
May
15th On completion of
repair resumed minelays (Operation MAPLE Phase III.).
HOSTILE 32 west of Ushant.
(Note:
Cover provided by HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Destroyers TARTAR, HAIDA
(RCN) and HURON (RCN).
On
arrival in minelay area had radar defect and when suspicious vessels sighted made
enemy report.
Operation
then abandoned but in subsequent confusion
came under fire
from
HMS BELLONA.
Returned to Plymouth.
17th Completed HOSTILE 32 with same support
and returned to Milford Haven.
19th Sailed from
Milford Haven in continuation of MAPLE Phase HI.
20th HOSTILE 33 - North
of Ushant.
(Note:
Destroyer escort alone as HOSTILE 32 but owing to threat of submarine attacks
HMS BELLONA
was withdrawn.
24th HOSTILE 34 off Ile Vierge
(Note:
Destroyer escort as HOSTILE 33)
25th HOSTILE 35 - NW of
Ushant.
(Note:
Escorted by HMS TARTAR and HMCS HURON.)
June Detached for NEPTUNE requirements.
7th Embarked Supreme Commander
, General Eisenhower, with staff officers from SHAEF to
visit assault areas.
(Note:
Including Admiral Commanding Naval Expeditionary Force, (Admiral Bertram
Ramsay).).
Ship
grounded and damaged propellers.
Passengers
transferred to HM Destroyer UNDAUNTED.
Took passage to Sheerness for temporary repair.
13th Passage to Tyne for repair
in commercial shipyard.
15th Taken in hand for permanent repair
July Under
refit
to
August
September
30th Completed repair.
October Worked-up
at Scapa
Flow.
On completion transferred to Western Approaches Command.
25th Deployed in SW Approaches to lay deep
trap minefields as a countermeasure to
U-Boat
activities in inshore waters.
Mines
embarked at Milford Haven.
(Operations in CF Series).
26th Field A1.
28th Field A5.
30th Field A4.
November
1st Field A3.
4th Field A2.
6th Redeployed for
Deep Field minelaying operations off Malin Head
(Operations 03).
(For
details of minelaying operations see The Naval Staff History MINING).
8th Fields CG1 and 032.
to
11th
12th Under repair at Plymouth.
17th On completion of repair deployed to lay
four deep fields on Labadie Bank in NW
Approaches (Operations CF continuation).
18th Field B1
21st Field B2
23rd Field B3
25th Field B4
28th Returned to SW
Approaches to lay three deep A/S Fields off Trevose
Head.
(Operations HW Series).
29th Field A1
30th Field A2
December SW Approaches minelay in
continuation.
3rd Field A3
4th Boiler cleaning
at Plymouth.
24th On completion transferred to Home Fleet
for minelaying duty off Norway.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
at Scapa
Flow.
10th Formed Force 2 with HM
Destroyers ZEALOUS and CARRON for minelay.
(Operation
SPELLBINDER - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett and Naval Staff History.).
11th Laid minefield off Utsira Island covered by smoke screen from
destroyers.
15th Returned to
Western Approaches for A/S minelaying in Irish Sea areas. (Operation
CH Series).
16th Carried out series of minelays off Coningbeg LV (Fields
A - E)
to
31st
February Fields
A - E in continuation.
9th Field T off Malin Head.
20th Field Z to north of Anglesey.
21st Damaged in collision with HM Corvette
CLARKIA
22nd Under repair at
Pembroke Dock.
March
4th On completion
resumed minelaying duties in Operation CH Series.
5th Field Z in continuation.
6th Field G in Calf of Man
7th Field H to west of Anglesey.
30th Carried out Trial lay for Mark XXVII
Mine prior to use in Deep A/S Fields.
April
1st Rejoined Home
fleet for minelay in Kola Inlet.
8th Minelaying operation cancelled because
of lack of agreement with USSR.
Redeployed
in continuation of Operation CH with HM Minelaying Destroyers
OBEDIENT, OPPORTUNE and ORWELL for lay of Field T off Malin Head.
11th Resumed minelaying in Nymphe Bank, St. George's Channel without escort.
(Operation
CH Field T).
13th Transferred to Home Fleet after Kola Inlet
operation agreed with USSR..
17th Formed Force 5 for Kola
Inlet minelay with HMS OPPORTUNE, HMS OBEDIENT
and HMS ORWELL.
(Operation
TRAMMEL - See above references).
20th At Kola Inlet for refuelling before
operation.
22nd After delay and embarkation of Russian
Naval observers carried out minelay.
(Note:
This was first minelay by ship of Acoustic Type of mine).
23rd Sailed with Force 5 for Scapa Flow.
24th Detached and proceeded independently to
Milford Haven.
May Rejoined Home Fleet.
Nominated for service with British Pacific Fleet.
12th Passage to Oslo from
Rosyth with HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE and
ARIADNE.
(Note:
These ships were taking the Norwegian Government and Crown Prince back to
Norway after the end of hostilities in Europe).
On
return prepared for service in British Pacific Fleet under US Navy overall command.
June Preparations in continuation including
modification to suit future use.
Visited Southampton before
final departure from Portsmouth.
24th Took passage to Mediterranean with call
at Gibraltar.
30th Arrived in Malta.
July Exercised
with Mediterranean Fleet ships.
4th Began passage to Indian
Ocean via Suez Canal.
9th Took passage to Cocos Islands from Aden with call
at Colombo.
22nd Took passage to Melbourne from Cocos with calls at Fremantle and Geelong.
August
1st Arrived at Melbourne.
(Note:
Arrival was after end of participation of British Pacific Fleet in Task Force 37 of
American
3rd Fleet during operations off Japan and minelaying was not required.
15th At Melbourne on VJ Day.
