November Contractor's
sea trials and commissioned for service in 11th Destroyer Flotilla.
30th Accepted into service.
December Worked up
at Scapa
Flow
with Home Fleet.
Deployed with HM
Destroyers RAIDER, MUSKETEER, QUEENBOROUGH,
MONTROSE and Polish
ORP PIORUN as screen for HM Battleships KING
GEORGE V and HOWE, HM Cruisers KENT, BERWICK and BERMUDA during
provision of cover
for passage of Convoy RA51 from Kola Inlet to UK.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed
with Home Fleet and prepared for foreign service.
Nominated
for escort of military convoy WS26 and took passage to Greenock.
23rd Joined WS26 in Clyde with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
CANTON and CICILIA
and HM Destroyer QUADRANT as Ocean Escort during passage to Freetown..
(Note: There had
been an increased sinking by submarine attacks in this area).
February
6th Detached from WS26
on arrival at Freetown.
14th Rejoined WS26 during passage to South Africa from Freetown as Escort to Durban.
25th Detached from W326
on arrival at Durban.
March Passage
to join military convoy.
1st Rejoined WS26 as escort with HM Destroyers
BLACKMORE and CATTERICK,
. HM
Indian Minesweeper CARNATIC and Local Escort for passage in Indian Ocean
from Durban covered by HM Cruisers CERES
and BIRMINGHAM.
4th Detached from WS26 and took passage to
reinforce escort of Convoy DN21 with
HM
Destroyer QUIBERON.
Under attack by U160.
See
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair
April Deployed
for convoy defence In South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
(Note: Destroyers of
Eastern Fleet were detached for service In South Atlantic
Command because of the Increase
in U-Boat activity. See above references.)
5th Joined HM Cruiser KENYA, HM Destroyers QUADRANT and REDOUBT
with
HM
Destroyer RACEHORSE to reinforce Ocean Escort of military convoy WS28
during passage from Freetown to Cape of Good Hope.
15th Rejoined WS28 on sailing from Capetown with
HM Destroyers REDOUBT and
QUADRANT as escort during passage
to Durban.
.20th Detached from WS28 with HMS REDOUBT covered
by HM Cruiser KENYA.
(Note:
Safe passage of military convoys to support operations in Egypt and Burma
were accorded priority for deployment of naval resources).
May Passage to South Atlantic for escort of military convoy
US29 during
passage from Freetown to Cape of Good Hope.
11th Joined HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE and HM Destroyer LEWES with
HM
Destroyer RACEHORSE in escort of WS29. during passage to
Durban.
18th Detached from WS29
with HMS RACEHORSE on arrival at Capetown.
22nd Joined part of WS26 on sailing from Capetown
with HM Destroyers
RACEHORSE and ROTHERHAM as escort for
passage to Durban.
26th Detached from WS29 with HMS RACEHORSE and HMS ROTHERHAM.
June Deployed with ships of Flotilla
for convoy defence and interception patrols in
Indian Ocean.
24th Joined HM Cruisers SUFFOLK and NEWCASTLE with HM Destroyers
NIZAM
and RACEHORSE in search for German U-Boat supply tanker
CHARLOTTE
SCHLIEMANN reported to be on passage in Indian
Ocean for replenishment of submarines.
(Operation FLAYER. See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
30th Search abandoned after no sighting was made
of German ship.
July Indian Ocean deployment
in continuation.
August Passage
to Join military convoy WS32 in South Atlantic during passage
to Cape of Good Hope from Freetown.
12th Joined HM Frigates DERG, KALE and TAY with HM Destroyers
NORMAN, QUIBERON and RAPID as escort
for WS32 to Capetown.
18th Detached from WS32 on arrival at Capetown
and resumed Flotilla duties
September Convoy defence
in South
Atlantic and Indian Ocean in continuation.
to Transferred to Ceylon for service with Eastern Fleet.
December Passage
to Colombo for Fleet duties.
Convoy defence deployment in continuation.
1 9 4 4
January Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
for patrol and convoy defence duties.
February Joined
HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE in search for U-Boat supply ship in
conjunction with
Catalina aircraft based in Mauritius.
12th Intercepted German supply ship CHARLOTTE
SCHLIEMANN after
aircraft sighting.
German
ship engaged with main armament and scuttled on approach
(Note: This tanker had been supporting U-Boats of the MONSUN
Group which were based at Penang.
HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR records rescue of survivors.).
March 11th
Destroyer Flotilla comprising HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
to RACEHORSE, RELENTLESS, RAIDER, RAPID,
REDOUBT,
May ROCKET
and ROEBUCK deployed in Indian Ocean.
Fleet
duties with Convoy defence and interception patrol in continuation.
June
10th Deployed with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM, QUALITY, RACEHORSE,
REDOUBT and RAPID
for screening of HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Escort
Aircraft Carrier ATHELING, HM Cruisers
GAMBIA (RNZN),
CEYLON and PHOEBE as Force 68.
(Operation COUNCILLOR).
(Note: This was a deception operation intended to threaten attacks
on Sabang, Sumatra
by carrier aircraft.).
June
11th Operation cancelled except for deployment of HM Submarine SURF
to
transmit wireless signals from flying off position to simulate
continuation
of operation.
12th Return passage to Ceylon with Force 68.
19th Deployed with HM Destroyers QUALITY, QUILLIAM,
QUICKMATCH,
ROTHERHAM, RAIDER, RACEHORSE and ROEBUCK
as screen for
HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, French battleship
RICHELIEU,
HM Cruisers NIGERIA, KENYA and CEYLON as Force 60
during air attacks on Port Blair, Andamans.
(Operation
PEDAL).
21st On completion returned to Ceylon with Force 60.
See
following references.
July Deployed
with Flotilla for Fleet screening and patrol duties in Indian Ocean
22nd Joined HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH and VALIANT, HM
Battlecruiser
RENOWN, French battleship RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers
CUMBERLAND, NIGERIA, KENYA, CEYLON, PHOEBE, GAMBIA
and Dutch cruiser TROMP as screen with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE, ROCKET and RAPID.
(Operation
CRIMSON - For details see OPERATION PACIFIC by Edwyn
Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
(Note: This Eastern Fleet operation included air operations by
carriers and a
bombardment of targets at Sabang, Sumatra
25th Part of screen for
Eastern Fleet units during carrier operations.
Took part in bombardment
with Eastern Fleet ships on completion of air attacks.
August Deployed
with Flotilla for screening duties and convoy defence in Indian Ocean.
(Note: Did not take part in screening of major ships during Operation
BANQUET.)
14th Deployed with
HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, RAPID, REDOUBT, ROCKET,
RACEHORSE
and RAIDER as screen for HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE
and VICTORIOUS, HM Battleship HOWE, HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND
and KENYA during planned photo-reconnaissance
flights and air strikes.
(Operation
LIGHT)
17th Photo-reconnaissance flights over Pangkalan and air strikes on airfields cancelled
due to adverse weather conditions.
(Operation
LIGHT A)
18th Deployed as screen
during flights over northern Sumatra and strikes
at Sigli.
(Operation LIGHT B. See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO.)
19th Returned to Ceylon with Eastern
Fleet major ships.
October
15th Deployed with HM Destroyers RAIDER, NORMAN
(RAN) and Dutch destroyer
VAN
GALEN as screen for HM Cruisers LONDON, CUMBERLAND and
SUFFOLK in Group 2
of Force 63.
(Operation
MILLET - Eastern Fleet diversion during US landings on Leyte).
(Note: Force 63 included HMS RENOWN to provide cover during air
operations
by HMS INDOMITABLE and HMS ILLUSTRIOUS in the Nicobar
Islands.
For details see above references).
17th Carried out bombardment of shore targets
In the Nicobar Islands with other ships
of Group 2.
19th Retaliatory attacks by Japanese aircraft
repelled by the carrier aircraft.
November Flotilla deployment with Eastern Fleet
In continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Eastern Fleet deployment in continuation.
to (Note: As no Battle Honour BURMA was awarded it my be presumed
that she
May played
no significant part in support of XIV Army operations in Arakan.
She
may have continued convoy defence duties in this period.
June Nominated
for duty In Force 63 for screening duties with Flotilla.
18th Deployed with HM Destroyers REDOUBT, ROEBUCK
and RACEHORSE as
to destroyer
screen for 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron during photo-reconnaissance
20th flights over south Malaya and air attacks on airfields
and railway targets in
Sumatra (Operation BALSAM)
(Note:
Squadron comprised HM Cruisers ROYALIST and SUFFOLK, HM
Escort Carriers AMEER, KHEDIVE and STALKER).
July Eastern
Fleet duties with Flotilla in continuation.
August Deployed with Eastern Fleet In support
of planned landings at Port Swettenham.
(Operation ZIPPER).
(Note:
This operation was delayed for various reasons including pressure from
the USA and the Implementation of the
release programme for
servicemen
in the Far
East.
See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET BY J Winton,
OPERATION PACIFIC,
The Naval Staff History and Final
Report of Supreme Commander SEAC
(HMSO)
September Deployed
in support of landings In Malaya with ships of Flotilla.
8th Sailed from Penang for Singapore with HMS NELSON.
At Singapore during formal
surrender.
On release from ZIPPER returned to
Trincomalee with ships of Flotilla
HMS RELENTLESS took
passage to return to UK in October 1945. She paid off into Reserve at Chatham
on arrival in November. The
ship was laid up in the Chatham Reserve Fleet until 1947 when she was
transferred to Harwich. This
destroyer and sister ship HMS ROCKET were selected to be prototypes for
conversion to an Anti-submarine
Frigates by Royal dockyards in 1949. The ship was towed to HM Dockyard
Portsmouth for conversion to a
Type 15 Frigate as part of a modernisation programme. The upper deck structure
was completely redesigned and
two anti-submarine mortars with new design ASDIC (Sonar) outfit ware fitted.
After the ship re-commissioning
in July 1951 she served in the 3rd Training Flotilla and attended the
Coronation Review in June 1953. She was
involved in collision with m Frigate VIGILANT off the west coast of Scotland in
October 1954. When repaired by
Scotts at Greenock she was placed in Reserve at Chatham. The ship remained in
Reserve although refitted
to maintain her availability. She re-commissioned on 27th June 1964 for service
in the 29th Escort Squadron and
later transferred to the 26th Escort Squadron. Paid off in 1968 she was laid up
at Portsmouth. In 1970 after
being placed on the Disposal List this warship was sold to J W Ward on 29th
April 1971 and towed to
Inverkeithing in June that year for demolition.