1 9 4 2
October Contractors trials.
November Commissioned
for service with 8th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
16th Build completion and
acceptance trials.
Passage
to Scapa
Flow
for work-up with Home Fleet
December Joined Flotilla
on completion of working-up.
19th Deployed with H M Destroyers QUADRANT and
MUSKETEER as screen for HM
Battleship KING GEORGE V and H M Cruiser
BERWICK providing Distant Cover
for Russian Convey
JW51A during passage to Kola Inlet.
(Note: For details
of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA
Ruegg, CONVOY! by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS
by B Schoefield and
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman.)
22nd Ceased Distant Cover and remained in area with same ships.
30th Deployed with same
ships to provide Distant Cover for passage of return Convoy RA51.
(Note: This
convoy had an uninterrupted passage as German forces were carrying out
attacks on following
inward Convoy JW51B. See references.)
1 9 4 3
January
2nd Deployed with HM Destroyers MONTROSE, MUSKETEER,
QUEENBOROUGH,
WORCESTER
and the Polish destroyer ORP PIORUN as screen for HM Cruiser
BERMUDA, HM Battleships KING GEORGE V
and HOWE to provide Distant Cover
for passage of returning Convoy RA51.
23rd Deployed with HM Destroyers ECHO, ECLIPSE, FAULKNOR,
INGLEFIELD,
QUEENBOROUGH, MONTROSE and ORP PIORUN to screen HM
Battleship
ANSON and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD during provision of Distant Cover for
passage of Russian Convoy JW52.
February Deployed
with Flotilla based at Scapa Flow for screening and patrol duties.
Nominated
for foreign service in East Indies.
Prepared
for foreign service.
27th Joined military convoy WS27 with HM Battleship
MALAYA, HM Destroyers
QUEENBOROUGH, QUAIL and WOLVERINE
as Ocean Escort during Atlantic passage.
March
8th Detached from WS27
on arrival at Freetown.
11th Rejoined WS27 with same ships for Ocean Escort
during passage to Durban.
29th Detached from WS27
on arrival at Durban.
April Deployed
at Durban for Indian Ocean convoy defence.
18th Joined military convoy WS28 with HM Destroyer
NAPIER as Ocean Escort during the
passage in Indian Ocean.
20th Detached from WS28 during passage and returned to Durban.
May Indian
Ocean convoy escort and patrol duties in continuation!).
Nominated for return to Home Fleet for support
of planned operations.
June Passage to UK to Scapa Flow. Rejoined Flotilla.
July Deployed
with Hone Fleet and took passage to Gibraltar for escort of major units
providing cover for allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
10th Deployed as screen for HM Battleships NELSON,
RODNEY, WARSPITE and
VALIANT,
HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, FORMIDABLE, HM Cruisers
AURORA,
PENELOPE, CLEOPATRA and EURYALUS with HM Destroyers
QUILLIAM,
QUEENBOROUGH, QUAIL, ISIS, FAULKNOR, ECHO, INTREPID,
ECLIPSE,
FURY, INGLEFIELD, ILEX, TROUBRIDGE, TYRIAN, TUMULT, OFFA,
ORP
PIORUN and Greek VASILISSA OLGA to provide cover during allied landings
. (Note: For details of Sicily operations see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY
by C. BARNETT, THE NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
by J Greene and A Massignani and Naval
Staff History.)
August Flotilla
duties in Mediterranean for support of military operations.
September
10th Part of screen for HM Battleships WARSPITE
and VALIANT with H M Destroyers
ECHO, FAULKNOR, FURY, INTREPID, Greek
VASILISSA OLGA AND French
LE
TERRIBLE which met Italian Fleet units on passage to Malta after Italian
surrender. See above references.
12th Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, INTREPID,
ECLIPSE, INGLEFIELD,
ILEX,
ECHO and Greek VASILISSA OLGA to provide
cover during allied landings at
Salerno. (Operation AVALANCHE. See above
references.
October Mediterranean Fleet and support
duties in continuation.
to (Note: Did not take an active part in defence
of Aegean Islands.)
November
December Nominated
for service in Eastern Fleet with 11th Destroyer Flotilla.
Took passage to join Flotilla at Trincomalee. (Note: HM Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH and VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS,
HM Cruiser SUSSEX were also on passage to join
Eastern Fleet as
part of a reinforcement agreed with USA.)
See
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by John Winton
and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
1 9 4 4
January Passage to Trincomalee.
to (Note: When complete Flotilla comprised HM
Destroyers RACEHORSE, RAIDER
March RAPID,
REDOUBT, RELENTLESS, ROCKET, ROEBUCK and
ROTHERHAM.)
Prepared for Eastern Fleet duties.
April Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
for convoy defence, interception, patrol and Fleet duties,
May Deployed
for anti-submarine operations in conjunction with aircraft and HM Sloop
FALMOUTH off coast of
East Africa.
2nd Assisted in capture of survivors from U852
which had been damaged in air attacks and
unable to dive. Submarine had been abandoned after deliberate
grounding at Banda
Beira, 50 m. south
of Cape Guardafui. See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp
and
WAR WITH JAPAN.)
June Deployed
for Fleet duties with Flotilla.
19th Deployed with HM Destroyers QUALITY, QUILLIAM,
QUICKMATCH,
ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE, RELENTLESS and ROEBUCK
as screen for HMS
RENOWN, French battleship RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers GAMBIA, NIGERIA,
KENYA and CEYLON during air
attacks en Port Blair in Andamans.
(Operation PEDAL - See WAR WITH JAPAN).
July Deployed
for anti-submarine patrol and interception duties.
8th Carried out search
for U537 with HMS RACEHORSE NE of Chagos Islands.
(Note: This submarine was on passage to Penang with stores and equipment from
Europe for use by
Japan.)
22nd Joined Force 62 with
HM Destroyers RELENTLESS. ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE,
ROEBUCK,
RAPID, QUILLIAM, QUALITY and QUICKMATCH for screening of
HMS
QUEEN ELIZABETH, VALIANT, French RICHELIEU, HM Aircraft Carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS
and VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers CEYLON, CUMBERLAND,
GAMBIA, KENYA, NIGERIA, PHOEBE and Dutch TROMP during
passage in Indian
Ocean for air strikes and bombardments at Sabang,
Sumatra.
(Operation
CRIMSON - See above references.)
Sailed
from Trincomalee
25th Deployed with HMS PHOEBE and HMS ROEBUCK
as screen for HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
and HMS VICTORIOUS during air operations.
August
19th Joined Force 64 with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, REDOUBT, ROEBUCK, RAPID,
and ROCKET as screen for HM Battleship HOWE, HM Aircraft Carriers
INDOMITABLE
and VICTORIOUS, HMS CEYLON and HMS KENYA during air strikes on
Padang and
photo-reconnaissance of the airfield.
(Operation
BANQUET. See above references.)
Took passage from Trincomalee.
24th Deployed with screen
during air operations.
(Note: During BANQUET it was discovered that HMS HOWE could not
attain designed
speed of 29 knots.)
September
14th Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, REDOUBT, RAPID, ROCKET
and RELENTLESS as screen for HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS INDOMITABLE
. HMS
HOWE, HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND and KENYA during air operations
in northern Sumatra
(Operation
LIGHT. See above references).
Sailed from Trincomalee.
17th Planned fighter sweep cancelled due to adverse
weather.
(Operation LIGHT A).
18th Deployed with screen during photo-reconnaissance
flights and air attacks
. 20th Returned to Trincomalee with Force 63.
October
15th Joined
Force 63 and allocated with HM Destroyers RELENTLESS, NORMAN,
and the Dutch VAN GALEN as Group 2 for screening of HMS CUMBERLAND,
LONDON and SUFFOLK during air attacks on shipping
by HMS INDOMITABLE
and HMS VICTORIOUS and bombardments.
(Operation
MILLET. This was an Eastern Fleet diversionary operation during the
US landings at Leyte. See WAR WITH JAPAN for details
of Groups in Force 63.)
17th Took part in bombardment of targets in Malacca
area with ships of Group 2
. Remained with HMS RELENTLESS as screen for HMS SUFFOLK and HMS
CUMBERLAND when HMS NORMAN and Dutch VAN
GALEN detached for
bombardment of Car Nicobar.
19th Carried cut bombardment of targets at Car
Nicobar with HMS RENOWN, HMS
SUFFOLK, HMS QUILLIAM
and HMS QUEENBOROUGH.
Air attack on Force intercepted by fighter aircraft from HMS VICTORIOUS.
Took passage to return to Trincomalee with Force 64 ships.
November Flotilla
duties In continuation.
22nd Transferred to East Indies Fleet with Flotilla
when Eastern Fleet reorganised on
formation of British Pacific Fleet. Continued
service at Trincomalee.
December Indian Ocean deployment
in continuation with Flotilla.
27th Allocated with HM Destroyers RAPID and PATHFINDER
as part of
Bombarding Force 61 during planned assault on Akyab, Burma.
(Operation
TALON).
(Note: Other ships in Force were HM Cruisers NEWCASTLE,
PHOEBE and NIGERIA.)
Took passage to Chittagong to join Force
61.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
at Chittagong and embarked assault troops for
passage to Akyab.
3rd Took passage with HM Destroyer NAPIER and
HM Sloop SHOREHAM for assault
landings as part of Convoy CHARLIE (Operation LIGHTNING.)
Operation
TALON cancelled as Japanese had evacuated Akyab.
5th Despatched to meet damaged submarine HMS
SHAKESPEARE escorted by
HM Submarine STYGIAN.
Took HMS SHAKESPEARE in tow until relieved by HM Destroyer WHELP.
(Note: Submarine had been badly damaged in air attacks on 2nd..
7th Returned to Trincomalee
to resume support duties with East Indies Fleet.
18th Took
passage from Trincomalee as escort for HI Escort Aircraft Carrier AMEER
to provide air
support for planned landings on the northern part of Ramree Island
(Operation MATADOR).
21st Deployed as screen for HMS AMEER during
air operations in support of landings by
4th British and 71st Indian Brigades. See above references for
details.
(Note: Ships of Bombarding Force included HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS
PHOEBE, HMAS NAPIER and HM Indian Sloop KISTNA. HMS PHOEBE
also carried out aircraft control duties.
Whole
Force designated Force 64.)
24th Provided cover during landings
26th Deployed with HMS AMEER, HMS PHOEBE, HMS
NORMAN, HM Frigates SPEY
and TEVIOT for bombardment of Cheduba Island south of Ramree
prior to landings
by Royal Marines.
(Operation
SANKEY. See above references.)
(Note: This was the only purely naval assault landing during
WW2.
HM
Cruisers NEWCASTLE, KENYA and NIGERIA escorted by HM
Destroyer
PALADIN also took part.)
30th Deployed with HMS NORMAN
to land personnel on Sagu Island south of Ramree.
February Burma coast deployment in continuation
with HM Destroyers NORMAN,
PATHFINDER and NEPAL.
4th Returned to Akyab for support duties with Flotilla.
March Flotilla
deployment for screening, support and patrol in continuation.
April Deployed
for convoy defence and patrol in Indian Ocean.
May Deployed
with Flotilla for interception of craft evacuating Japanese from Indian
to Ocean island garrisons and convoy defence.
June
July Deployed
for Fleet duties at Trincomalee.
Took part in preparatory Fleet exercises for planned landings in Malaya.
(Operation
ZIPPER).
(Note: The execution of these landings was delayed by requirements
to implement
PYTHON
Scheme for return of servicemen to UK from SE Asia Command
after the end of hostilities in Europe
See Final Report by Supreme Commander SEAC (HMSO)).
17th Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE and PALADIN as
screen for ships of Force 63 covering mine clearance operations
by the 7th
Minesweeping Flotilla off Pukhet Island (Operation
LIVERY).
(Note: Force 63 included HM Battleship NELSON, HM Cruiser SUSSEX,
HM Escort Carriers AMEER and EMPEROR.
See above references.)
24th During first day of Operation HM Minesweeper
SQUIRREL was mined and was
sunk by one of screening ships.
28th Under attack by KAMIKAZE
aircraft on last day of Operation.
(Note: HM Minesweeper VESTAL was hit by a suicide aircraft and
was sunk
by HMS RACEHORSE after survivors rescued.
Last naval operation in WW2.)
August Deployed at Trincomalee pending approval
to carry out ZIPPER landings.
8th Sailed with East Indies Fleet ships to
re-occupy Penang
(Operation
JURIST).
11th Jurist delayed at US insistence pending main
Japanese surrender.
15th Took passage to Penang with Fleet.
20th Remained off coast
of Sumatra pending approval to proceed with
occupation.
28th Deployed at Sabang
with HMS NELSON and HMS LONDON during attendance
of Japanese
representatives to provide details of minefields in Malacca Strait
September
4th At Penang with Flotilla during initial
surrender of local forces.