1 9 4 3
June Commissioned after acceptance trials
8th Passage for work-up
at Scapa Flow.
11th Joined 23rd Destroyer
Flotilla, Home Fleet.
On arrival. commenced work-up.
July Deployed with Flotilla in Home Fleet
on completion.
8th Joined HM Battleships ANSON, DUKE OF
YORK and
MALAYA, HM Aircraft
Carrier
FURIOUS for demonstration off Norwegian coast, with Home Fleet cruisers
and destroyer flotillas. US Navy Task Force attached to Home
Fleet also took part.
Note: These were battleships USS ALABAMA and SOUTH DAKOTA, cruisers
USS AUGUSTA and USS TUSCALOOSA and five destroyers.
(Operation
CAMERA).
(Note:
This operation was intended as a diversion during the allied landings in Sicily
and was
not detected by German aircraft).
25th Joined Home Fleet ships including HM Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS
and UNICORN
for offensive
sweep off Norway (Operation GOVERNOR)
August
11th Escorted HM Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS and UNICORN, with HM Cruiser
SCYLLA and HM Destroyers SCORPION,
OPPORTUNE, OBDURATE and
OBEDIENT during
passage from the Clyde to Gibraltar.
(Note: The two aircraft carriers were being deployed in the Mediterranean to support
the allied landings at Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE).
. 18th Passage to Scapa Flow with HMS SCORPION to rejoin Flotilla.
31st Deployed in NW Approaches.
September
17th Under repair at Rosyth.
23rd On completion resumed duty in NW Approaches
October NW Approaches deployment in continuation.
7th Detached for escort of HM Battleship KING
GEORGE V from Gibraltar to Scapa
Flow after duty in Mediterranean. Took passage to Gibraltar.
13th Part of escort for HMS KING GEORGE V.
18th On arrival deployed for escort of merchant
ships left in North
Russia during the
summer months.
Took passage to
Kola Inlet with HMS SCORPION.
(For details of all Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R
Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and CONVOY ! by P Kemp
November
1st Arrived
at Kola Inlet with HM Destroyers SCORPION and SCOURGE.
3rd Joined
the Ocean Escort for returning Convoy RA54A with HM Destroyers
MAHRATTA, MILNE, MATCHLESS, MUSKETEER,
SAUMAREZ, SCORPION
and SCOURGE.
9th Detached from RA54.
23rd Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW54B with
HM Destroyers HARDY, SAUMAREZ
VENUS, SCORPION, SCOURGE, VIGILANT
and the Norwegian destroyer STORD
(Ex HMS SUCCESS)
until arrival off Archangel.
December
3rd Independent passage
to rejoin Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
Seaman
lost overboard.
8th Rejoined Flotilla on arrival at Scapa Flow.
12th Joined destroyer screen for H M Battleship
DUKE OF YORK and H M Cruiser
JAMAICA to provide Distant Cover
for Russian Convoys JW55A and JW55B.
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett).
26th In action against SCHARNHORST at Battle of
North Cape and took part with
HMS SAUMAREZ, HMS SCORPION and the
Norwegian Destroyer STORD
in the torpedo
attacks which slowed and finally stopped the enemy ship.
(For full details see FRASER OF NORTH
CAFE by Humble and Naval Staff
History)
27th Escorted damaged HMS SAUMAREZ to Kola Inlet.
28th Passage to Scapa Flow with HMS SCORPION and Norwegian
destroyer STORD.
1 9 4 4
January
1st On arrival at Scapa Flow began Boiler clean.
12th Resumed Fleet duties.
16th Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW56A with
Norwegian destroyer STORD.
21st Part of escort for JW56A from Iceland to Kola Inlet with H M Destroyers HARDY,
INCONSTANT, OBDURATE, OFFA, VENUS,
VIGILANT, VIRAGO and
Norwegian destroyer
STORD.
27th Detached on arrival
of local escort.
29th Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW56B to
reinforce defence till arrival at
Kola Inlet.
February
1st Detached from JW54B
on arrival.
3rd Joined destroyer escort for returning Convoy
RA56 with H M Destroyers
OPPORTUNE, OFFA, VENUS and VIGILANT
9th Detached from Convoy RA56 after enemy submarines
failed to intercept due to an
incorrect
sighting report by Luftwaffe.
12th Under repair in Hull shipyard.
16th Resumed Home Fleet
duties on completion.
22nd Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW57 with
HM Cruiser BLACK PRINCE and
12 other Home Fleet
destroyers. HM Escort Carrier CHASER and its escort joined
at the same
time (See above references).
28th Detached with other
escorts on arrival at Kola Inlet.
March
2nd Part of destroyer escort
with BLACK PRINCE for returning Convoy RA57.
8th Detached with HMS
CHASER and other Home Fleet destroyers.
16th Part of escort for H M Battleship DUKE OF
YORK with H M Destroyers
MATCHLESS, OFFA, OBEDIENT and Norwegian destroyer STORD.
21st Taken in hand for
refit at Immingham shipyard.
April Under refit.
May Resumed
Fleet duties with Flotilla on completion.
8th Escorted HM Aircraft Carriers FURIOUS and SEARCHER with HM Cruiser
BERWICK,
H M Destroyers WIZARD, WAKEFUL, ALGONQUIN (RCN),
Polish
destroyer PIORUN and the Polish destroyer BLYSKAWICA during two
successful air strikes on convoys off Kristandsund
North.
June Detached for duty in Dover Command with H
M Destroyers OPPORTUNE,
OBEDIENT and ORWELL for patrol duty
between Dungeness and Worthing
support
of the allied landings in Normandy.
(See Operation
NEPTUNE-See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY (HMSO) and
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards).
6th Deployed in Channel to prevent enemy surface
warship attacks during the assault
and build-up phases.
July Deployment in English Channel in continuation.
26th In action with 6th German MTB Flotilla off Dungeness with HMS OBEDIENT
and HMS OPPORTUNE which had attacked
a west bound coastal convoy.
August Rejoined Home Fleet when released
from Dover Command.
September Deployed
with Home Fleet in NW Approaches. October
24th Part of screen for HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE
and HM Cruiser BELLONA
with HM Destroyers VENUS, SCOURGE,
VERULAM, CAPRICE, CASSANDRA,
CAMBRIAN and ZAMBESI
during air attacks on Sorreisa and Bardufoss airfield.
November
3rd Independent passage to Kola with HMS SCORPION
to take Norwegian troops for
an attack on Norway with Russian troops (Operation FREEMAN)
6th Arrived at Kola Inlet.
11th Escorted ss EMPRESS
OF AUSTRALIA and ss SCYTHIA to UK (Convoy RA61A)
17th Resumed Home Fleet
duties after arrival at Greenock.
December
7th Deployed in Force 1 with HM Aircraft Carriers
IMPLACABLE, TRUMPETER and
PREMIER, HM Cruiser DIADEM and HM
Destroyers ZEALOUS, ZAMBESI,
VIGILANT, SERAPIS, SIOUX (RCN), ALGONQUIN (RCN) and the Norwegian
destroyer
STORD for a joint aircraft minelay in Karmsund and a shipping
strike
between
Bergen and Stavanger. (Operation URBANE).
14th Deployed in Force 2 with HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE, HM Aircraft Carriers
TRUMPETER and PREMIER, HM Destroyers
ZEALOUS, ZEPHYR, SIOUX (RCN),
ALGONQUIN (RCN) and SERAPIS during joint air minelay and
air strikes in
Ramosund and Skatestronmen.
(Operation LACERATE).
1 9 4 5
January
1st Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW63
with HMS DIADEM, HM Escort Carrier
VINDEX, HM Destroyers MYNGS, SCOURGE,
SERAPIS, ZAMBESI, ZEBRA,
Norwegian destroyer
STORD and HM Canadian Destroyer ALGONQUIN.
8th Arrived at Kola Inlet without enemy detection.
11th Joined return Convoy RA63
with HMS
DIADEM, HMS VINDEX and the same Home Fleet
destroyers in
addition
to H M Destroyer SCORPION.
21st Arrived at Loch Ewe
after delay by wearier and returned to Home Fleet.
February
12th Joined Force land escorted HM Cruisers NORFOLK
and DIDO for a night
shipping strike off Bud (Operation SELENIUM).
No targets found.
21st Joined escort for returning Convoy RA64
for part of passage.
(See CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA).
26th Detached and returned to Home Fleet duties.
March
12th Escorted HM Escort Carrier TRUMPETER with
HMS SCOURGE to provide
air cover
during the passage
of Russian Convoy JW65.
21st Detached on arrival
at Kola Inlet.
23rd Escorted return Convoy RA65 with HMS DIADEM,
HM Escort Carriers
CAMPANIA and TRUMPETER, HM Destroyers MYNGS, OPPORTUNE,
ORWELL, SCORPION, SCOURGE, ZAMBESI,
SIOUX (RCN) and Norwegian
destroyer
STORD.
30th Detached and returned to Home Fleet duty.
April Deployed with Home Fleet in NW Approaches.
May
4th Escorted HM Escort Carriers SEARCHER, QUEEN
and TRUMPETER with HM
Cruisers NORFOLK, DIADEM. HM Destroyers CARYSFORT, OPPORTUNE,
ORWELL, OBEDIENT, SCOURGE and ZAMBESI
during offensive strike
against
shipping west of Narvik. (Operation JUDGEMENT).
12th Escorted H M Cruiser DEVONSHIRE and H M Minelaying Cruisers APOLLO
and ARIADNE
with HMS IROQUOIS (RCN), HMS SCOURGE and Norwegian
destroyer
ARENDAL to Oslo.
(Note:
These ships had the Crown Prince of Norway and the British Flag Officer
(Norway) embarked.
June Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard,
Chatham
July Under refit
to August Nominated
for use as Firing Ship attached to HMS EXCELLENT, Gunnery School
at Portsmouth on completion.