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1 9 4 2
September Contractor's
sea trials and commissioning.
October
1st Accepted into
service.
Passage
to Scapa Flow to work-up with Home Fleet for
operational service
November On
completion of work-up deployed for screening of oajcr
ir its and patrol in NW
Approaches with 11th Destroyer Flotilla.
29th Detached with HM Australian Destroyer
QUICKMATCH for escort of military
convoy KMF4 during passage to Gibraltar for allied landings in North Africa.
(Operation
TORCH - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval
Staff
History)
30th During passage in Bay of Biscay with convoy H6 (??) QUICKMATCH detached
to intercept a blockade runner sighted by aircraft and bound
from Bordeaux to
Japan.
The
ship was identified as the Italian CORTELLAZZO whose crew. including
some German nationals abandoned her on approach.
Enemy
were taken prisoner and ship was sunk by a torpedo from this ship.
.December
1st Rejoined KMF4.
On
arrival at Gibraltar took passage to Algiers.
Deployed
briefly in western Mediterranean until ordered to return to UK with
HM Destroyers QUICKMATCH (RAN) and RACEHORSE.
20th Joined HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS at
Greenock with HM Destroyers
QUICKMATCH and RACEHORSE as escort during Atlantic passage.
23rd Experienced heavy
weather. See BRITISH DESTROYERS by E March).
(Note: HMS VICTORIOUS had been loaned to US Navy for service
in the
Pacific).
26th Sustained damage in main switchboard by
flooding.
27th Attempt to take fuel from HMS VICTORIOUS
failed due to swell.
29th Detached from HMS VICTORIOUS with HMS
RACEHORSE and HMAS
QUICKMATCH.
1 9 4 4
January
1st Refuelled at Bermuda and under temporary
repair by HM Dockyard.
4th Took passage to Newport News for repair to weather
damage.
6th Taken in hand by
US Navy Dockyard for docking and repair.
12th Passage to Curacoa
with HMS RACEHORSE and HMAS QUICKMATCH
for escort of a tanker convoy to Gibraltar.
18th Passage to Mediterranean with six tankers.
(Note: Refuelled from tanker during passage).
26th Passage to join
military convoy WS26 in Atlantic during transit to Middle East.
31st Joined WS26 in Atlantic with HM Destroyers QUALITY, QUIBERON,
QUICKMATCH
and RACEHORSE
February
1st Sustained serious structural damage
below waterline by collision with a whale.
Dome
for submarine detection equipment and Pitometer Log
damaged.
Detached
from WS26 and took passage to Casablanca
3rd Under temporary
repair at Casablanca.
On
completion took passage to Gibraltar for permanent repair.
10th Docked in Gibraltar for installation of new
underwater fittings.
March Under
repair.
Nominated
for service in Indian
Ocean and took
passage to Freetown.
Retained
at Freetown for Local Escort duties pending arrival
of military convoy
WS28 in transit to Middle East.
Escorted
mercantiles to Bathurst and Pointe Noire and returned to Freetown.
30th Joined WS28 with HM Cruiser KENYA and HM Destroyer QUADRANT on
departure from
Freetown as Ocean Escort during passage to
Capetown.
April
11th Detached from WS28
on arrival at Capetown.
15th Rejoined WS28 with HMS QUADRANT and HMS
RELENTLESS on sailing from
Capetown.
20th Detached from WS28
with HMS RELENTLESS after call at Durban.
Returned to Durban for convoy defence in Indian Ocean.
May
18th Joined military convoy WS29 at Capetown
with HMS NORMAN as escort for
passage to Durban.
20th Detached from W529
on arrival at Durban.
25th Rejoined WS29 with HMS QUADRANT on
sailing from Durban as the escort for
part of passage to Aden.
29th Detached from WS29 with HMS QUADRANT and
took passage to South
Atlantic.
June
9th Joined escort for Military convoy WS30
with HM Destroyers NORMAN and
QUADRANT during passage in South Atlantic.
19th Detached from WB30 with HM Destroyers
NIZAM, NORMAN and QUADRANT
on arrival at
Durban.
Took
passage to South
Atlantic to
join military convoy WS31.
July
15th Joined escort for WS31 with HMS QUADRANT
in South Atlantic
21st Detached from WS31 with HM Destroyers
RAPID and QUADRANT at Capetown.
26th Rejoined WS31 with HMS QUADRANT as
escort for passage to Durban on sailing
from Capetown for Bombay.
August
4th Detached from WS31 with HMS QUADRANT
on relief by HM Cruiser FROBISHER
during passage to Bombay.
Resumed
convoy defence in Indian
Ocean based at Kilindini.
September Convoy
defence in continuation.
to Passage
to Simonstown.
October
November Under
refit in HM Dockyard Simonstown.
December Resumed
convoy defence duties in Indian Ocean and South
Atlantic.
1 9 4 4
January Convoy
defence in Indian
Ocean and Atlantic in continuation.
to Man
lost overboard.
March Nominated
for service in Eastern Fleet with HM Destroyers RACEHORSE,
ROTHERHAM, RAPID, RELENTLESS, RAIDER, ROCKET and
ROEBUCK
as 11th Destroyer Flotilla. Joined
Flotilla in Eastern Fleet.
April Deployed
with Flotilla for convoy defence and patrol in Indian Ocean
14th During boiler clean at Bombay present when ammunition ship exploded
causing
much devastation and loss of life in subsequent fires.
(For
details of naval activities in Indian Ocean see OPERATION PACIFIC by
Edwyn Gray , ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett
and THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by John Winton).
May Flotilla
duties in continuation.
to
July
August
24th Deployed with HM Destroyers, ROTHERHAM, RAIDER, RAPID and ROCKET as screen
for HM Battleship HOWE, HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS INDOMITABLE, HMS
CEYLON
and HMS KENYA in diversionary operation during US attacks on
Hollandia, New Guinea.
(Operation
BANQUET).
(Note: Air attacks made by carriers on targets at Padang airfield and ports in Sumatra
Photo-reconnaissance
flights were also carried out but little attention was paid
to these attacks by the Japanese.)
September
14th Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, RAPID, ROCKET, RELENTLESS,
RACEHORSE
and RA1DEB as
screen for HMS HOWE, HMS VICTORIOUS,
HMS
INDOMITABLE, HMS CUMBERLAND and HMS KENYA during air strikes
and photo-reconnaissance on targets in northern Sumatra (Operation LIGHT)
(Note: Operation LIGHT was cancelled by bad weather)
17th Provided screen during air operations
{Operation LIGHT B)
(See
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) for details of various mistakes made.).
October Fleet
duties with Flotilla in continuation.
to (Note: Did not take part in Operation MILLET, a diversion during US landings on
November Leyte Island during October.)
December Passage
to Simonstown for refit and R&R.
1 9 4 5
January On
completion of refit took passage to resume Flotilla duties at Trincomalee.
February Deployed
with Flotilla for patrol and screening duties.
to Based
at Akyab for support of military operations.
March
April
1st Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE and ROCKET as
as Force 62 for the support of inshore operations and landings in Burma.
Several
small craft were sunk off Narcondam Island and bombardment carried
out at Grand Coco.
(Operation
PENZANCE)
5th Refuelled at Akyab.
7th Deployed as Force
62 with same ships for offensive sweep off coast of Burma.
Intercepted
and sank small craft. (Operation PASSBOOK).
27th Part of screen for HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, French battleship RICHELIEU,
HM
Escort, Carriers SHAH and EMPRESS, HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND,
SUFFOLK, CEYLON and Dutch cruiser TROMP with ships of
Flotilla in
Task Force 63 providing cover for landings near Rangoon.
(Operation
BISHOP).
30th Intercepted convoy of 11 ships with
single escort evacuating troops.
Destroyed all ships and escort.
Bombarded Martaban with HMS RACEHORSE and
HMS ROEBUCK.
May
1st Bombarded Car Nicobar
with same ships.
Returned
to rescue survivors from ships sunk on 30th April some of whom refused
assistance and killed themselves
Returned to Trincomalee with Flotilla on completion of BISHOP.
13th Deployed
as screen for HM Cruiser NIGERIA with HMS ROEBUCK and
RACEHORSE
as Force 62 to reinforce Eastern Fleet ships (Task Force 61)
carrying cut a search NW of Sumatra for Japanese warships on
passage to
evacuate troops from Nicobars and Andamans (Operation DUKEDOM).
14th Remained with destroyer screen for Task
Force 61 when H M
Cruiser
CUMBERLAND, ships of 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron
and 21st Destroyer Flotilla detached to intercept Japanese
cruiser
HAGURO and destroyer KAMIKAZE.
(Note: Japanese cruiser was sunk on 16th May by destroyers
of
26th
Flotilla.
. For
full details of this brilliant night engagement see SINK
THE
HAGURO by J Winton., OPERATION PACIFIC by E
Gray and the Naval Staff History).
June Eastern
Fleet duties with Flotilla In continuation.
18th Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, RELENTLESS, ROEBUCK
and RACEHORSE as the screen for HM Escort Carriers STALKER,
KHEDIVE and AMEER, HM Cruisers
SUFFOLK and ROYALIST during air
operations in Malaya and North
Sumatra.
(Operation BALSAM).
July Eastern
Fleet screening duties with Flotilla in continuation..
Preparation
for assault landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER) ' .
(Note: This Operation was delayed at US Insistence and did
not
take place till after VJ Day - See above references).
30th Took passage from
Trincomalee to support landings in Malaya.
August Diverted on passage to Penang for support of re-occupation.
On
release took passage to Singapore and deployed with Flotilla after
support of landings.
Present
at Singapore during formal Japanese surrender of
forces in Malaya
Assisted in restoration of facilities at Singapore.
On
release took passage to Trincomalee.
