1 9 3 5
September
3rd Build completion and commissioned for
service in 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
Commenced
Acceptance Trials
On
completion took passage to Portsmouth to complete storing and
prepared for foreign service.
23rd Sailed from Plymouth to join Squadron.
25th Arrived at Gibraltar
Passage
to Malta
October Deployed
with Squadron at Malta
15th Flag of Rear Admiral (Destroyers)
hoisted.
November Deployed
with Squadron fir Exercise and Visits Programme.
to
December
19 3 6
January Under
routine Docking at Malta
Resumed
Flagship duties on completion.
February Deployed
with Squadron in Mediterranean and took part Fleet Exercises and
to
visits
Programme.
December (Note:
Planned programme was affected by outbreak of civil war in Spain.
At
one period joined German DEUTSCHLAND and Italian destroyer
in
joint observation patrol.)
Deployed
with Fleet Alexandria after Italian invasion of Abyssinia and took
part
in exercises to prepare for hostilities with newly arrive ships joining
Mediterranean
Fleet.)
1 9 3 7
Squadron
deployment in Mediterranean in continuation.
1 9 3 8
January Fleet
service as Flagship for RA(D) Mediterranean in continuation
to
Commission
had been extended in view of political situation.
February Nominated
for return to UK to re-commission after refit
March Took
part in Fleet Programme and prepared for return passage.
31st Flag of RA(D) transferred to HM Depot
Ship WOOLWICH.
April
Passage
in Plymouth.
7th Arrived at Devonport and Paid-off.
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
May
Under
refit
to
June
July
Post
refit harbour trials and prepared for re-commissioning.
30th Refit work completed and carried out
post refit sea trials.
August Re-commissioned
for service in 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
8th Sailed for Gibraltar on completion of trials and
storing.
14th Sailed from Gibraltar to rejoin Squadron in Malta.
September Rehoisted
Flag of RA(D) Mediterranean Fleet.
(Note:
Other ships in 3rd Cruiser Squadron were HMS PENELOPE and ARETHUSA (Flag CS3)
HMS
COVENTRY deployed as an AA Cruiser may have been administered
by
Squadron.
Deployed
at Alexandria with Squadron and major Fleet units during Munich crisis.
D e t a i l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 3 9
September Serving
in 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet with H M Cruisers ARETHUSA,
PENELOPE
and COVENTRY.
8th Passage to Gibraltar from UK to Join Squadron at Alexandria.
18th Deployed on contraband control and
patrol in Mediterranean with ships of Squadron
after
arrival.
October Contraband
and patrol duty In continuation.
to
(For
details of naval activities in 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
December C
Barnett).
1 9 4 0
January Contraband
and patrol duty in continuation.
Transferred
to Home Fleet for duty in 2nd Cruiser Squadron.
February Passage
to UK to Joined HM Cruisers
ARETHUSA, AURORA and PENELOPE in Squadron.
10th Diverted on passage to UK for temporary duty in
Western Approaches Command.
Deployed
on interception of six German blockade runners attempting to return from
Vigo to Germany. Three were captured, two
sank and only one arrived in Germany. March
March
4th Deployed at Scapa Flow with Squadron for Home Fleet
duties. April
April
7th Sailed from Rosyth with HMS ARETHUSA
screened by HM Destroyers CODRINGTON, GRIFFIN
ELECTRA
and ESCAPADE to join ships of Home Fleet in search for German warships in
North Sea.
9th After German invasion of Norway detached for offensive sweep
to intercept
German ships taking
reinforcement troops.
11th Returned to UK to refuel.
17th Sailed from Rosyth with HM Cruisers
ARETHUSA, CARLISLE
and
CURACOA screened by HM Destroyers ACHERON and ARROW as escort for ss ORION
taking
148th Infantry Brigade to Namsos (Operation MAURICE).
18th Diverted to Andalsnes and transferred
troops from ORION to shore.
(For
details of the disastrous naval operations off Norway see NARVIK by Donald MacIntyre
and
Naval Staff History
21st Embarked troops of 15th Infantry
Brigade at Rosyth for passage to Andalsnes.
22nd Passage to Norway with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW and 6 Fleet
destroyers.
23rd Returned to Scapa Flow after 15th Inf. Bde had
landed.
29th Sailed from Scapa Flow to support evacuation of
allied troops.
30th Assisted in evacuation of allied troops
from Andalsnes and Molde with HM
Cruisers
ARETHUSA, SHEFFIELD and SOUTHAMPTON.
May
1st Passage to Scapa Flow.
7th Transferred to Sheerness with HMS
ARETHUSA for anti-invasion duty in North
Sea
and Channel.
Escorted ships from Ymuiden including one with Dutch gold
reserves.
24th Supported military operation in defence
of Calais with HMS ARETHUSA
and
bombarded shore positions (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
and
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P. Smith).
26th Resumed patrol duties at Sheerness
June
Anti
invasion patrol duties in continuation.
17th Deployed in support of military
evacuation from ports in Bay of Biscay.
(Operation
AERIAL - See Naval Staff History).
Embarked British Ambassador to France at St. Jean de Luz from HM
Destroyer
FRASER (RCN) for his return passage to Plymouth. Returned to Bay of Biscay
to
continue evacuation. Embarked personnel from La Verdone.
On
completion rejoined Squadron at Scapa Flow.
July
Deployed on patrol duties in North Sea based on Humber.
August North
Sea Anti-invasion patrol in continuation.
25th Deployed with HM Cruiser CARDIFF in search for invasion
craft.
Met
three destroyers off Sheringham Light Vessel.
September
1st Returned to Humber after fruitless search.
6th Deployment at Sheerness in
continuation.
Damaged
by mine and taken in hand for repair at Chatham.
October Under
repair.
to
Oerlikon
mountings fitted to improve close range AA defence.
December Radar
Type 279 fitted for aircraft warning.
Fire
control radar fitted for main and AA armament.
(For
details of development and use of radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
1 9 4 1
January
9th Rejoined
Squadron at Scapa
Flow and
resumed Home Fleet duties.
February Deployed for interception patrol
and Fleet screening in NW Approaches
March
19th Provided Ocean Escort for ships of
1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay
in
Northern Barrage (Operation SN69).
April
6th Provided Ocean Escort for ships of 1st
Minelaying Squadron during Northern Barrage minelay.
(Operation SN8E - For details see Naval Staff History (MINING).)
Deployed
with AURORA and ARETHUSA on patrol in Faeroes -Iceland Gap
19th Brought to short notice at Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet
when
breakout
by German
battleship BISMARCK was anticipated.
(Note:
H M Battleship KING GEORGE V, H M Cruisers AURORA,
KENYA and HERMIONE, H M Destroyers
PUNJABI, LANCE,
INTREPID,
ACTIVE and WINDSOR)
22nd Sailed Scapa Flow to join search.
24th Joined HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS
with HM Cruisers AURORA,
KENYA and HERMIONE during Home
Fleet search for BISMARCK and
the
cruiser PRINZ EUGEN.
(See
SINK THE BISMARCK by L Kennedy).
26th Detached to refuel.
31st At Plymouth
June
Resumed
Squadron duties with Home Fleet.
Nominated
for transfer to 15th Cruiser Squadron in Eastern Mediterranean.
29th Sailed for Alexandria via Cape of Good Hope.
July
On
arrival at Alexandria deployed as AA Guardship at Suez with HM Cruiser NAIAD.
August AA
Guardship duty in continuation.
29th Joined Squadron in Mediterranean Fleet
at Alexandria.
September Deployed
with Squadron in Eastern Mediterranean
20th Bombarded targets at Tobruk in support
of military operations.
24th Repeated bombardment duty at Tobruk.
(For
further details of operations in Eastern Mediterranean see THE BATTLE FOR
THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and Naval
Staff History).
October Squadron
deployment in continuation
November Joined
Force B with HM Cruisers AJAX, NEPTUNE, EURYALUS and NAIAD of
Squadron to support on
operation by Force K from Malta to intercept an Italian
convoy
to
North Africa.
(Note:
HM Battleship BARHAM that was covering these deployments was sunk
by
a U-Boat
on 35th November - See TUBAL CAIN by DC Muskett.)
December Squadron
deployment In continuation.
8th Deployed with HM Cruisers NAIAD and
EURYALUS screened by H M Destroyers
GRIFFIN and HOTSPUR in
support of military operations and bombarded Derna.
13th Detached with HMS EURYALUS and HMS NAIAD
to join snipe of Force K from
Malta to intercept an
enemy supply convoys on passage from Taranto to North African,
(For
details of Force K operations see HMS PEPPERPOT by E Gordon and above references.).
14th Operation cancelled as convoys had been
recalled. Rejoined Force B of Fleet for
return
to Alexandria.
(See above references).
15th Hit by salvo of torpedoes fired by U557
whilst entering swept channel 30 miles NW
of
Alexandria. Sank In three minutes. 150 survivors were
rescued by HMS GRIFFIN
and
HMS HOTSPUR.
Casualty List
was published on 12th January 1943. (Casualty
List -
note
on casualties)
