1
9 4 3
July
Commissioned
for trials
August
Contractor's
sea trials.
4th
Accepted for service
in 11th Destroyer Flotilla.
Passage
to Scapa
Flow
and worked-up with Hone Fleet.
September
Deployed
with Flotilla in Home Fleet
26th
Escorted
ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during
minelay in NW
Approaches.
(Operation
SN222C - For details see
Naval Staff History MINING).
October
Detached
for operations in English
Channel
based at
Plymouth.
22nd
Deployed
with HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS, HM Destroyers
GRENVILLE, TALYBONT.
LIMBOURNE,
WENSLEYDALE
and STEVENSTONE
in an operation to intercept the
German blockade runner
MUNSTERLAND off the coast of Brittany.
(Operation TUNNEL
Series).
23rd
Under
attack by German torpedo boats during
which HMS CHARYBDIS and HMS
LIMBOURNE
were sunk.
(For
details of this disastrous, ill-planned
and poorly executed operation see HOLD THE
NARROW
SEA
by Peter C Smith and TWO
HONOURABLE YEARS by Craig Leith.
Note:
TWO HONOURABLE YEARS was privately
published).
November
Nominated
for service in Eastern Fleet. Prepared for
foreign service
at Plymouth.
12th
Deployed
with HM Destroyer ULSTER
as escort for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN
during
passage
to Gibraltar
with Prime Minister embarked.
(Note:
Mr Churchill
was to attend meetings in Cairo
with other allied leaders.)
20th
Deployed at Gibraltar
for convoy escort and Fleet
duties.
December
Mediterranean
deployment in continuation.
Transferred
to Algiers
for Fleet duties with 24th
Destroyer Flotilla.
25th
Part of escort
for convoy from Algiers
to Malta.
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed
with Flotilla in Mediterranean.
Took
passage to Join Eastern Fleet.
February
Joined
11th Destroyer Flotilla at Trincomalee for
Fleet screening, interception
To patrol and convoy
defence in Indian
Ocean.
June
(For
details of Fleet activities see WAR WITH
JAPAN (HMSO), OPERATION PACIFIC by E
Gray
and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett).
July
22nd
Eastern Fleet duties
in continuation.
Sailed
with Eastern Fleet as part of screen for
HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH
and VALIANT, HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN, French Battleship RICHELIEU,
HM Aircraft
Carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS, INDOMITABLE and VICTORIOUS,
HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND,
NIGERIA,
KENYA,
CEYLON,
GAMBIA
(RNZN) PHOEBE and Dutch TROMP with
HM
Destroyers RELENTLESS, RAPID, ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE, ROEBUCK
and RAIDER of
11th Flotilla, HM Destroyers QUILLIAM,
QUALITY
and QUICKMATCH
of 4th
Destroyer Flotilla during air strikes and
bombardments
at Sabang, Sumatra as part of
Force
62.(Operation
CRIMSON)
25th
Remained with rain force on completion of
shore bombardments whilst destroyers of
4th
Flotilla
carried cut close range attacks on
harbour.
(For
details see above references.)
Air
attacks during withdrawal were repelled.
August
19th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
REDOUBT, RAIDER and RAPID as
screen for HMS
VICTORIOUS, HMS INDOMITABLE, HM Battleship
HOWE,
HMS
CEYLON
and HMS KENYA as Force 64 to carry out
photo-reconnaissance
flights over
Padang
airfield and attacks by carrier aircraft
on
targets in Sumatra.
(Operation
BANQUET)
24th
Deployed with screen
during air operations.
(Note:
Operation was delayed to enable HM
Submarine SEA
ROVER to get in position
for air-sea
rescue duties. Destroyers refuelled during
passage
on 22nd.
See
above references.
25th
Remained with Force
64 during return passage.
September
16th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE, REDOUBT, RAIDER,
RELENTLESS
and RAPID as screen for HMS INDOMITABLE,
HMS VICTORIOUS,
HM
Battleship HOWE, HM Cruisers KENYA, and CUMBERLAND
to carry out photo-
reconnaissance
flights and air strikes on airfields
and areas in Sumatra
(Operation LIGHT)
17th
Photo-reconnaissance flights over
airfields
cancelled due to weather and instead
photographed
other targets in Sumatra
and Nicobars
(Operation
LIGHT A).
18th
Air strikes carried out on railway repair
works at Sigli
(Operation LIGHT B).
(Note:
Mistakes and imperfections in flying
operation were noted
for attention.)
October
Eastern
Fleet duties with Flotilla in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
Eastern
Fleet escort and convoy defence duties in
continuation with Flotilla.
February
21st
Joined Force 68 for offensive patrols off
and bombarded Cocos
with H M Destroyers
ROEBUCK,
RAPID and ROTHERHAM
(Operation SUFFICE).
24th
Deployed off Andamans.
Later carried out
bombardment of Great
Coco
Island.
25th
Passage to Akyab
to replenish.
27th
Sailed from Akyab
to cut patrol with Force 68 (Operation
TRAINING).
March
1st
During Inshore passage between Tavoy
Island
and
Heanzay
Took
part in attacks on
coastal shipping
during which three vessels were sunk.
3rd
Bombarded Port Blair
with ships of Flotilla.
4th
Return passage to Trincomalee with ships
of Force 68.
April
1st
Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE and REDOUBT for
offensive
patrol between Mergui
and
Amherst as Force 62. Small coaster and and
Junk
were sunk
(Operation PENZANCE - See WAR WITH JAPAN.)
2nd
Ships of Force carried out reconnaissance
of Narcondam
island with a view to its
use for
replenishment of Light Coastal Force
craft.
Bombarded
Great
Coco
Island
with ships of Force.
5th
Replenished at Akyab.
7th
Sailed from Akyab
for offensive patrol off coast of Burma
between Moulmein
River
and Mergui.
10th
Several
small craft were sunk during sweep
11th
Rescued 68 personnel from Japanese Tender
AGATA MARU sunk by LIBERATOR
aircraft.
12th
Return passage to Trincomalee with Force
62.
Detached
for convoy escort duties.
May
Convoy
escort in continuation.
14th
Detached
from escort to join HM Cruiser NIGERIA,
HM Destroyers RACEHORSE,
REDOUBT.
and ROEBUCK in
Force 62 to reinforce ships of Force 61
carrying
out an operation to intercept
Japanese
warships on passage to Andaman islands.
(Operation
DUKEDOM)
For
details of this operation see WAR WITH
JAPAN, SINK
THE HAGURO by John Winton and
OPERATION
PACIFIC)
20th
Return passage to Trincomalee after
sinking
of HAGURO.
June
Eastern
Fleet duties in continuation.
July
Preparation
for landings in Malaya
with Eastern Fleet (Operation ZIPPER)
(Note: This
operation was postponed at the insistence
of the
USA
and introduction of
of the PYTHON
Release Scheme for return of servicemen
from SEAC.
SEE
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, THE
FORGOTTEN
FLEET
and The Final
Report of Supreme Commander SEAC
(HMSO)
August
Part of screen for Eastern Fleet
ships during passage in Indian
Ocean
and whilst awaiting
approval to
occupy Penang.
September
Deployed with Eastern Fleet in support
of landings in Malaya
(Operation ZIPPER
See BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser
and above references).
At Singapore
during re-occupation.
