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1
9 4 4
November
27th
Commissioned for
trials.
December
Contractors trials.
1
9 4 5
January
17th
Build completion
date and acceptance trials commencement.
On
completion took passage to Clyde for
work-up.
February
Work-up
in continuation.
Embarked aircraft for
work-up.
March
1st
Became Flagship of 11th Aircraft Carrier
Squadron and
prepared for service in the British
Pacific Fleet.
12th
Took passage to Malta.
Carried out exercises
with ships of Mediterranean Fleet to
prepare
for service in Pacific.
April
Deployment with Mediterranean Fleet
based at Malta in
continuation.
May
Passage to Ceylon.
June
During
stay at Trincomalee landed CORSAIR and
BARRACUDA aircraft to be modified
prior to
service in Pacific with US 3rd Fleet.
(Note:
814 and 1851 Squadrons were
embarked.)
July
Passage
to Sydney from Ceylon
to join BPF in US 3rd Fleet.
(Note:
Due to change in US Navy
administration BPF were now
designated as Task Force
37 in 3rd US Fleet
instead of Task Force 57 in 5th Fleet.)
(See
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR
WITH JAPAN
(HMSO)).
22nd
Arrived at Sydney.
(Note:
Future deployment of British
warships was being
questioned due to a lack of fuel
from British
Logistics Group. See above references.)
August
Deployed
at Sydney pending decision about future service
in 3rd US
Fleet.
Oerlikon 20mm weapons
replaced by 40mm design.
15th
Joined Task Group 112 under RN control
for operations to re-occupy Hong Kong.
Took
passage from Sydney to Subic
Bay with HM Fleet Aircraft
Carrier INDOMITABLE,
HM
Cruisers EURYALUS and SWIFTSURE, HM
Canadian Auxiliary PRINCE ROBERT,
screened by HM
Destroyers KEMPENFELT, URSA, WHIRLWIND and
Australian destroyer
HMAS
QUADRANT as Task Group 112.1
Refuelled
at British Pacific Fleet Forward Base at Manus
,
Admiralty Is.
27th
Took passage to Hong
Kong from Subic
Bay with Task
Group.
29th
Deployed with HM Battleship ANSON and
ships of Task Group at Hong Kong
Entry
delayed pending mine clearance operations.
30th
Launched air attacks on Japanese craft
in Lammas Bay.
September
Provided
support during re-occupation of Kowloon.
Nominated
for transport of Indian Nationals held as
Japanese prisoners in French
Indo China.
October
Passage to Haiphong
to embark passengers.
17th
At Haiphong.
21st
Sailed for Madras
with
Indian nationals.
27th
Disembarked passengers and sailed for
Trincomalee.
28th
Landed aircraft and Squadron personnel.
(Note:
This was to facilitate deployment
for further
personnel transport duty.)
November
Embarked
military personnel for passage to Singapore.
16th
Arrived at Singapore
and troops left ship.
Nominated
for transfer of military personnel and
stores from Bombay
to the Dutch
East
Indies for support of military operations
against
insurgents.
18th
Took passage from Singapore
to Bombay.
December
Embarked
passengers and stores for passage to Tanjong
Priok, Java.
4th
On arrival
disembarked personnel and stores.
Embarked
Dutch Nationals held as internees by
Japanese.
Took passage to Colombo.
(Note:
729 evacuees were carried including
570 women and
children.)
12th
After passengers left ship embarked
aircraft.
Took passage to Sydney.
23rd
At Fremantle for
Xmas.
26th
Sailed for Sydney
31st
Arrived at Sydney.
1
9 4 6
January
Under refit.
to
Post Refit trials.
March
Nominated
for further trooping duties.
April
Deployed
for transport of personnel.
Passage to
Trincomalee.
(Note:
Ship was required for movement of
returning personnel
from Australia
to
Colombo
and for transport of
replacements to ships and establishments
in
Singapore
and Hong Kong.
May
3rd
Disembarked 400
passengers at Singapore.
June
Trooping duties in continuation between
Penang,
Singapore, Hong Kong and Colombo.
to
September
October
Trooping
duty in continuation.
24th
Taken in hand for docking and refit at Singapore.
November
6th
On completion of
docking prepared for further service in
Far
East.
26th
Passage to Hong
Kong from Singapore.
December
Deployed
at Hong
Kong
for
exercises with ships of British Pacific
Fleet.
(Note:
These included flying operations.)
1
9 4 7
January
Hong Kong deployment
with ships of British Pacific Fleet in
continuation.
Nominated for return
to UK
to reduce
to Reserve status.
February
Fleet exercises in continuation.
14th
Sailed from Hong
Kong for Plymouth with call
at Singapore.
March
Passage
to UK
via Mediterranean.
26th
Arrived at Plymouth.
April
Paid
off and reduced to Reserve status.
May
Laid-up at Plymouth.
to
Placed on Sales List.
December
Lay-up in continuation awaiting
completion of sales negotiation.
1
9 4 8
January
Sale to Holland under
negotiation.
to
March
April
1st
Purchased by Dutch Government.
May
Prepared
for service with Royal Netherlands Navy.
28th
Commissioned as KAREL DOORMAN.
S
y
n o p s i
s
o f R o y a
l N e t h e r l a n d
s N a v
y
S e r v i c e
1
9 4 9
to 1 9 5 4
After refit
including tropicalisation
and partial air
conditioning deployed
with Royal
Netherlands Navy for service in Europe and
abroad.
1
9 5 5
to
1 9 5 8
Under
modernisation during which an Angled
Flight Deck,
Steam
Catapult, Mirror Sight and Improved Close
Range
40mm
Armament was fitted.
1
9 5 9 t
o
1 9 6 7
Fleet service
after completion of trials in late 1958.
1
9
6 8
Withdrawn from service due to
extensive damage caused
by a major fire
on 29th April.
Sold to Argentina
on 15th
October.
Under refit at Rotterdam
prior to
Argentine naval service.
S
y
n o p s i
s
o f A r g e n t i
n e N a v
y S e r v i
c e
1
9
6 9 t
o 1 9 8 4
Commissioned into Argentine Navy on
12th March as
VIENTICINO DE MAYO.
(Note: Deployed
in support of landings by Argentina
in Falklands.
No
direct action with Royal Navy has been
traced.
1
9 8 5
Taken out of
operational use.
Note:
A
proposed refit to replace turbine
machinery with gas
turbines
was being
considered in 1990 during refit by an
Italian contractor
but this was
never implemented due to lack of
funding.
More recent
report suggested that this ship was used
for
exercises
with Brazilian
Navy but her future operational use is
doubtful.
