1 9 4 1
January
Contractor's
trials
February
3rd - Commissioned
for service in Royal Australian Navy as HMAS NESTOR.
12th - Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
March
1st - Sailed
from Clyde on completion of trials and storing to Scapa Flow for work-up with
ships of Home Fleet.
4th - Worked-up
with Home Fleet ships. (Note: During work-up deployed as
part of escort for HM Battlecruiser HOOD for passage from
Rosyth to Scapa Flow after refit.)
On completion of work-up joined 6th
Destroyer Flotilla for Fleet duties. (Note:
Although to be part of 7th Flotilla this ship was deployed with 6th Flotilla
pending completion of build of sister ships HMAS
NAPIER and HMAS NIZAM .)
April
Passage to
Clyde for essential repairs, boiler clean and installation of Type 285 Gunnery Control radar equipment (For
details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse,.)
9th - Taken in
hand by Fairfield yard at Govan.
May
1st - Passage
to Scapa Flow on completion of trials of radar.
3rd - Joined
6th Destroyer Flotilla for Fleet duties
5th - Deployed
with HM Destroyers SOMALI, ESKIMO and BEDOUIN as screen for HM Cruisers EDINBURGH, MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM to intercept and
capture German Weather Ship MUNCHEN to obtain an ENIGMA
coding machine with associated documentation. (Home
Fleet Operation EB) (Note: This operation had been
planned to enable GCHQ at Bletchley Park in their work on reading enemy wireless traffic For details see BRITISH
INTELLIGENCE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR Ed FH Hinsley
(HMSO).)
7th - Remained
with screen during boarding of vessel and embarked captured equipment. Detached and took passage to Scapa Flow with all
despatch. (Note: Vital information was
obtained which enabled enemy radio signals to be decrypted at GCHQ for some weeks. See also BREAKING THE ENIGMA by D
Kahn.)
23rd - Deployed
with screen for Home Fleet major units during search for German battleship BISMARCK.
25th - Detached
to Iceland to refuel during search for enemy ships.
27th - Present
at sinking of BISMARCK (For details of search and sinking
of BISMARCK see BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by Mullenheim Rechberg,
PURSUIT by L Kennedy and Naval Staff History.)
28th - Deployed
as part of escort for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and RODNEY during return passage to Loch Ewe.
June
Passage to
Clyde from Loch Ewe.
8th - Taken in
hand for installation of 4in AA gun in place of after set of torpedo tubes.
13th - On
completion took passage to resume Home Fleet duties with Flotilla.
July
Flotilla duties
with Home Fleet in continuation. Nominated for detached service with
Home Fleet ships as escort for Malta relief convoy (Operation
SUBSTANCE).
12th - Deployed
with HM Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, LIGHTNING and SIKH as screen for HM Battleship NELSON, HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and
ARETHUSA providing Ocean Escort for military convoy
WS9C during passage from Clyde to Gibraltar.
17th - Detached
from WS9C to escort troopship PASTEUR with HMS LIGHTNING and HMS MANCHESTER to Gibraltar (Note:
HM Destroyers AVONVALE, ERIDGE and FARNDALE joined WS9C from Gibraltar to supplement escort during passage in
western Mediterranean.)
19th - Arrived
at Gibraltar with PASTEUR.
21st - Deployed
with screen for HMS NELSON, HMS MANCHESTER, HMS ARETHUSA and HM Cruiser MANXMAN with HM Destroyers COSSACK,
MAORI, SIKH, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, ERIDGE,
AVONVALE and FARNDALE as Force X to provide the escort for
passage to Malta of relief convoy.
22nd - Drove
off Italian submarine DIASPRO which had fired torpedoes at ships of Force''H" providing cover for passage in Mediterranean. The
attacks failed.
23rd - Under
air attacks during which HMS MANCHESTER and HMS FEARLESS hit. (Note: HMS FEARLESS was disabled and later had to be
sunk. HMS MANCHESTER had to be escorted
back to Gibraltar.) Under further air attacks after
covering force detached during which HMS
FIREDRAKE was disabled and had to be towed back to Gibraltar.
24th - Under
attack by Italian MTB and mercantile SYDNEY STAR was hit and unable to remain with convoy. Detached
to assist SYDNEY STAR. Embarked 467 troops and some crew. Escorted ship which was able to restore propulsion to
Malta.
Took passage from Malta with ships
of Force X for return to Gibraltar after disembarking over
500 passengers.
27th - Arrived
at Gibraltar. Joined HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
FORESIGHT, FURY, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, COSSACK,
MAORI, ENCOUNTER and ERIDGE as screen for HMS NELSON, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN and HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL
to provide cover for passage of HM Cruisers HERMIONE, ARETHUSA
and MANXMAN, HMS LIGHTING and HMS SIKH during passage from
Gibraltar to Sicilian Narrows. (Note: These ships were carrying
troops and stores to Malta from the troopship LEINSTER which
had been part of SUBSTANCE convoy but which had run aground off Gibraltar.)
31st - Remained
with screen for ships of Force H west of Sicilian Narrows when ships carrying stores and personnel detached with escort by Force X
to pass through dangerous waters off Sicily.
August
1st - Deployed
with screen for Force H ships when Force X rejoined and took return passage to Gibraltar.
4th - Arrived
at Gibraltar with Force H ships. Retained at Gibraltar for convoy
escort duties.
10th - Part of
escort for Convoy HG70 during initial part of passage to UK from Gibraltar with HM Sloop DEPTFORD, HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
ENCOUNTER and AVONVALE.
12th - Under
attack U-Boat attacks during passage. (See
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Volume 1 by C Blair.)
(Note: This convoy was subjected to extensive attacks coordinated by U-Boat HQ but none of these successful. See reference.)
On release from HG70 returned to Gibraltar.
22nd - Deployed
with HM Destroyers ENCOUNTER, FORESTER, FORESIGHT and FURY
as screen for HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL, HM Battleship NELSON and HM Cruiser HERMIONE screen during air strikes on
Tempio, Sardinia as cover for minelay off Livorno by HM Cruiser
MANXMAN (Operation MINCEMEAT.)
26th - Returned
to Gibraltar with ships of Force H.
31st - Deployed
with HM Destroyer ENCOUNTER as part of screen for HM Battlecruiser REPULSE and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser DERBYSHIRE to
provide Ocean Escort for military convoy WS11 during Atlantic
passage to Freetown from Clyde.
September
4th - Deployed
with HMS ENCOUNTER and HMS REPULSE as Ocean Escort for Convoy WS11 (Fast) when WS11 divided into Fast and Slow
sections.
13th - Sustained
damage from premature explosion of depth charge and detached from escort of WS11 Fast. Took
passage to UK after call at Gibraltar.
October
Taken in hand
by HM Dockyard Devonport for refit and repair.
November
Under refit
including fit of additional 20mm Oerlikon weapons to improve close range AA defence. Nominated
for escort of military convoy to Gibraltar.
December
5th - Sailed
from Devonport to Clyde to join military convoy.
9th - Joined HM
Destroyers FOXHOUND and GURKHA as part of Ocean Escort for military convoy WS14 during part of Atlantic passage from
Clyde.
13th - Detached
from WS14 with HMS FOXHOUND and HMS GURKHA and
took passage to Gibraltar.
14th - Deployed
with HM Destroyers FOXHOUND, CROOME and GURKHA for anti-submarine search west of Gibraltar following intelligence report
of U-Boat deployments to enter Mediterranean.
15th - Sighted
U127 on surface and carried out depth charge attacks with the other ships
sinking the submarine in position SE Cape St
Vincent. There were no survivors from U127.
20th - Transferred
to Mediterranean Fleet to join Flotilla based at Alexandria.
22nd - Took
passage from Gibraltar to Malta through Sicilian Narrows with HM Cruiser DIDO, HM Destroyers ARROW, FOXHOUND, GURKHA and ZULU
24th - Arrived
at Malta.
26th - Sailed
from Malta with HM Cruisers AJAX and DIDO, HM Destroyers ARROW, FOXHOUND, GURKHA, LANCE, LIVELY and ZULU as escort for
four empty merchant ships during passage to Alexandria
as Convoy ME8 (Operation MF1)
27th - Under
sustained air attacks.
29th - Arrived
at Alexandria with out loss of any ship in convoy. Joined
ships of 7th Destroyer Flotilla.
31st - Bombarded
Bardia with HMAS NAPIER and HMAS NIZAM.
1 9 4 2
January
1st - Returned
to Alexandria on completion of bombardment.
3rd - Transferred
with HMAS NAPIER and HMS NIZAM for service in Indian Ocean and took passage to Aden
7th - At Aden.
9th - Deployed
for escort of HM Aircraft Carrier INDOMITABLE during passage from Port Sudan in Red Sea for delivery of aircraft to Singapore
(Operation OPPONENT.)
26th - After
call at Addu Atoll, remained with the other two ships as escort for HMS INDOMITABLE during first launch of aircraft near Cocos
Islands. (Note: In view of the deterioration
of events in Singapore these HURRICANE aircraft were
diverted to land at Batavia.)
27th - On
completion of second aircraft launch remained with HMS INDOMITABLE.
as escort with same ships during passage to Trincomalee.
28th - Further launch of aircraft.
(See WAR WITH JAPAN, Volume II (HMSO) for details.)
February
2nd - Arrived
at Trincomalee and joined Eastern Fleet with same ships.
Passage to Port Sudan with HMS INDOMITABLE as escort
with same ships.
24th - Arrived
at Port Sudan for embarkation of aircraft on carrier for further delivery to Batavia and sailed on completion.
March
3rd - Delivery
cancelled and took passage to rejoin Eastern Fleet (See above reference).
Deployed with Eastern Fleet for screening of major
warships.
31st - Part of
screen for HM Battleship WARSPITE, HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE and FORMIDABLE, HM Cruisers CORNWALL, DORSETSHIRE,
EMERALD and ENTERPRISE with HM Destroyers FOXHOUND,
NAPIER, PALADIN, PANTHER and HOTSPUR deployed as
Force A.
April
4th - Arrived
at Addu Atoll with Force A after unsuccessful search for Japanese force on passage to carry out air attacks at Colombo.
5th - Sailed
with screen of Force A to carry out further search. (During
the search which was carried out too far west, HMS CORNWALL and HMS DORSETSHIRE which had been detached were sunk in heavy
air attacks.)
8th - Returned
to Addu Atoll with Force A.
9th - Passage
to Bombay with Force A to provide protection for shipping between Indian ports and the Red Sea.
11th - Detached
from screening duties and took passage to Bombay with HMS NAPIER for routine docking and essential repair.
May
On completion
took passage to rejoin Eastern Fleet at Killindini for convoy defence. Deployed at Killindini. Nominated
for transfer to Mediterranean for escort of planned Malta relief convoy from
Alexandria.
27th - Took
passage to Alexandria for detached service with HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE, HM
Destroyers NAPIER, INCONSTANT, PALADIN, HOTSPUR
and GRIFFIN.
June
Deployed at
Alexandria.
Nominated for
escort of Malta relief Convoy (Operation VIGOROUS)
12th - Sailed
from Alexandria as escort for Convoy MW11B comprising two tankers. (Note: Other escort for MW11B were: HM Destroyers HASTY, HERO, INCONSTANT, JAVELIN,
JERVIS, KELVIN, NAPIER, NIZAM, NORMAN, PAKENHAM,
PALADIN, SIKH and ZULU. HM Battleship CENTURION disguised as
a KING GEORGE V Class battleship was also part of the escort and
Destroyers FORTUNE, GRIFFIN, HM Corvettes ERICA,
DELPHINIUM, PRIMULA and SNAPDRAGON. Cover
for was provided by HM Cruisers ARETHUSA, BIRMINGHAM, CLEOPATRA,
DIDO, EURYALUS, HERMIONE and NEWCASTLE.
13th - Joined
escorts for Convoys MW11A and NW11C also destined for Malta.
14th - Covering
Force joined combined convoy. Under heavy and sustained air
attacks during which two mercantiles were sunk
15th - Convoy
ordered by CinC Mediterranean at Alexandria to reverse course because of threat from an Italian battle Squadron known to be on passage
to intercept the convoy. Under attack by German Motor Torpedo
Boats during which HMS NEWCASTLE was hit and
had to be withdrawn from covering duty. HMS HASTY was also hit and had to be sunk. Convoy ordered to resume westward
passage after optimistic reports of successful air and submarine
attacks on Italian ships. Order by CinC rescinded and convoy
again reversed passage. Following later reports this order
was cancelled but ignored and convoy maintained course to
return to Alexandria.
Under heavy and sustained air
attacks during which she sustained serious damage by three near misses causing flooding of Boiler Rooms which
completely disabled ship. Taken in tow by HMS JAVELIN and
escorted by three other destroyers from escort. (Note:
Several other warships including HMS ARETHUSA, HMS BIRMINGHAM and HMS AIREDALE were also damaged.). Owing to heavy expenditure of AA ammunition, local
command decided to disregard the order from CinC to reverse course
yet again. HMS AIREDALE had to sunk by HMS ALDENHAM.
16th - Tow
broke when ship became unstable due to ingress of water. Ship's company taken off by HMS JAVELIN which then
sank this ship using shallow set depth charges. (For details of this disastrous attempt to pass a
convoy to Malta from Alexandria and its conflicting
orders from CinC ashore see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by Donald Macintyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C Barnett, THE NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
by J Greene and A Massignani . MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and the
Naval Staff History.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMAS NESTOR
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/08/41
|
12/08/41
|
OG 070
|
30/07/41
|
12/08/41
|
11/08/41
|
13/08/41
|
HG 070
|
09/08/41
|
23/08/41
|
14/06/42
|
15/06/42
|
MW 011
|
11/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)