1 9 4 1
April Contractors trials and commissioned.
May Nominated for service in
the Mediterranean.
4th Build
completion and commenced acceptance trials.
Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
16th Took
passage to Mediterranean after embarking stores, including
20mm
Oerlikon guns badly needed in the Mediterranean for defence
against close
range air attacks.
June Passage via Cape of Good
Hope and Red Sea.
21st Joined
sister ship HMS ABDIEL at Alexandria.
22nd Deployed for support of military operations in eastern Mediterranean.
July Embarked RAF personnel for passage to Cyprus
to reinforce garrison.
(Operation GUILLOTINE).
25th Returned
to Alexandria.
August Deployed with HMS ABDIEL, HM Cruise HOBART (RAN), HM
Destroyers NAPIER (RAN) and NIZAM (RAN)
for support of Tobruk
garrison.
12th Took part in transfer of troops to and from Tobruk.
to (Note: 6,300 troops were taken to Tobruk and 6,100 evacuated.)
31st
September Tobruk support in continuation.
October Deployed for Tobruk support
25th Under air attack north of Bardia during
support of Tobruk garrison.
(Note: 1,000 Polish troops were on board.)
Sustained hit in engine room causing fire
which could not be
controlled.
Rescue work carried out by HM Destroyers
HERO and ENCOUNTER.
Remained afloat for two hours before sinking
in position 32.15N 24.14E
when after magazine
exploded.
37
of the ship’s company lost their lives. (Casualty List
-
note on casualties)