1 9 4 0
September
Contractors trials
30th
Build completion and commenced acceptance
trials
October
4th
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa
Flow to work-up
with ships of
Home Fleet.
Nominated for duty
with Home Fleet in NW Approaches on
completion
of work-up.
November
Deployed with HM
Battlecruisers HOOD, RENOWN,
REPULSE, HM Cruisers DIDO
arid
NAIAD in Bay at
Biscay to block entry by German pocket
battleship SCHEER after attacks
on
Atlantic convoys and
loss of HM Armed
Merchant
Cruiser
JERVIS
BAY.
(For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett).
December
Transferred to Mediterranean
6th
Routine docking at Clyde
shipyard.
11th
Rejoined Home Fleet.
Detailed for
escort of military convoy WS5B with HM
Battleship RAMILLIES,
HM Cruisers AUSTRALIA
(RAN) arid NAIAD during passage to Alexandria.
1
9 4 1
January
12th
Joined military convoy WS5B in Clyde
as part
of Ocean Escort during passage in NW
Approaches with
HM Battleship RAMILLIES, HM Cruisers AUSTRALIA
(RAN), NAIAD
and EMERALD
.
15th
Detached from WS5B to continue working-up
for operational
service and for Atlantic convoy
defence.
February
18th
Joined military convoy WS6A in Clyde
as
Ocean Escort with HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM
and HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser CATHAY during passage to
Freetown.
(Note: HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier
ARK ROYAL, HM Battleships
RODNEY and MALAYA
also
provided cover at different times during
passage.)
March
1st
At Freetown
with WS6A.
8th
Sailed from Freetown
with joint military convoy WS6A and WS6B
as Ocean Escort
during
passage to Cape
of
Good Hope
with HMS BIRMINGHAM
and HMS CATHAY
21st
Detached from convoy with four mercantiles
as escort for passage into
Capetown.
22nd
Sailed from Capetown as escort for same
ships during passage to Durban.
28th
Detached from mercantiles
on
arrival at Durban
and took independent passage
to
Suez
via Aden.
April
Joined 7th Cruiser
Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
18th
Joined Convoy
ME7 with HM Cruiser CALCUTTA covered by HM
Battleships
WARSPITE, BARHAM,
VALIANT and HM Aircraft Carrier
FORMIDABLE.
as escort
during passage to Malta
from Alexandria.
21st
Took part in bombardment of Tripoli
with HM Battleships WARSPITE, BARHAM
VALIANT, HM
Cruisers CALCUTTA
and GLOUCESTER
(Operation MD2 -
For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY, THE
BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
and The Naval
Staff History).
23rd
Detached with HMS CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers
VOYAGER and STUART
(RAN)
for escort of
Convoy AG13 to coast of Greece
to begin evacuation of allied troops
To be based at Suda
Bay
during evacuation.
(Operation DEMON
- See above references and Naval Staff
History).
24th
Patrolled in Kithera
Channel
with HM Cruiser PERTH
(RAN) and
supported the
passage of convoy
AG13
Deployed at Nauphlia
with HMAS STUART and
HMAS VOYAGER.
(Note 2,500
troops were embarked.)
25th
At Nauphlia
with HM Cruisers AJAX,
ORION and PERTH (RAN) for evacuation
27th
Covered passage of Convoy GA14 taking
troops from Nauphlia
with HM Destroyers
DECOY and HASTY during
passage south of Crete.
28th
Took part in evacuation of 7,000 troops
from Kalamata
with HMS PERTH which could not be
completed due
to enemy capture of area.
29th
Deployed with HMAS PERTH, HMS CARLISLE and
HM sloop AUCKLAND
to cover
passage of
evacuation
convoy GA15.
30th
Relieved by m Battleships BARHAM, VALIANT
and HM Aircraft
Carrier FORMIDABLE.
May
6th
Deployed for escort of two convoys to Malta
with HM Cruisers DIDO, CALCUTTA,
CARLISLE
and COVENTRY
screened by three destroyers.
9th
Joined Fleet units covering passage of
convoy carrying tanks to Middle
East.
(Operation TIGER
- See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
12th
Deployed en defence of military convoys to
Crete.
14th
During cover of convoy with HM Cruiser
NAIAD, HM destroyers
GREYHOUND and
HASTY
as Force D.
Developed defect
and returned to Alexandria
after being relieved by
HMAS
PERTH.
18th
After repair deployed on patrol off Crete
with HM
Cruiser DIDO and three destroyers.
Assisted HMS COVENTRY
in defence of Hospital Ship ABBA against
air
attacks.
(See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History)
19th
Deployment for patrol and Interception of
invasion convoys In
continuation.
30th
Assisted Sphakia evacuation with HM
Cruisers PERTH, COVENTRY,
CALCUTTA
and HM
Store Ship
GLENGYLE as Force D.
(See THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre).
31st
Took part in final evacuation at Sphakia
with HM Cruisers
ABDIEL and COVENTRY,
HM Destroyers KIMBERLEY,
HOTSPUR and JACKAL.
June
1st
Sailed overnight and in action against
aircraft with HM
Destroyer ISIS during the return passage
to Alexandria.
(Note: HM
Cruiser CALCUTTA
was lost after air attacks during this
passage.
See Naval Staff
History for details of evacuation
operations which were carried out
under incessant
air attack.
8th
Deployed with HM Cruisers AJAX, COVENTRY
and HMS GLENGYLE in support of military
operations in Syria
against Vichy French (Operation EXPORTER).
(For details see
RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W
Tute).
9th
Covered landings near Litania
and
bombarded Australian troops in error.
Attack by Vichy
submarine failed.
15th
Deployed with HM Cruisers LEANDER and COVENTRY
screened by three destroyers in a
search for
Vichy French convoys north of Beirut
19th
On relief by HM Cruiser NAIAD returned to
Alexandria.
July
Nominated for support
of garrison at Tobruk.
3rd
Unsuccessfully attacked by Italian
submarine MALACHITE in Eastern
Mediterranean.
August
Deployed for Tobruk support
and embarked stores and personal for
passage.
Covered passage
of HM Cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA taking
troops to Tobruk for the
replacement of
the Australian Brigade.
27th
Damaged by torpedo during Italian air
attack off Bardia
whilst engaged in Tobruk support
duty.
Hit on starboard
side forward with major underwater damage
which caused flooding of some
compartments.
September
1st
Under temporary repair in Alexandria.
Arrangements
made for permanent repair in USA
.
October
Took passage to New
York.
November
On
passage.
21st
Taken in hand for repair at Brooklyn
Navy Yard, New
York.
(Note: Work done
during refit included replacement of 4in
mounting forward by Quadruple
40mm mounting in order
to reduce top-weight and increase of
20mm AA
armament.
December
Under repair
1
9 4 2
January
Under repair
to
March
April
Post
Refit trials.
27th
Took passage to Plymouth.
May
On
arrival taken in hand by HM Dockyard
Devonport for completion of work on
Alterations and
Additions (A
and A's)
which could not be completed
in
USA.
(Note: This
included British radar equipment.)
June
On
completion of dockyard work and trials
preparation for operational service.
July
Rejoined Fleet and
deployed for convoy defence in Atlantic
after further repair
period at Scapa
flow.
Escorted convoy to Freetown.
August
Passage
to Gibraltar
with HM Aircraft Carrier INDOMITABLE.
5th
During passage joined HM Aircraft Carrier
EAGLE,
VICTORIOUS, FURIOUS ARGUS,
HM Cruisers
CHARYBDIS and SIRIUS for exercises in
fighter direction and operation
of several
aircraft carriers together in preparation
for
defence of a Malta
relief convoy.
(Exercise
BERSERK - See RADAR AT SEA.
by D House)
9th
Joined escort for Malta
convoy WS21S off Gibraltar.
10th
Deployed in Force 2 covering passage of
convoy to
Skerki Channel
with HM Battleships
NELSON, RODNEY, HM
Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS,
INDOMITABLE and
EAGLE.
HM Cruisers SIRIUS and
CHARYBDIS.
(Operation
PEDESTAL - See PEDESTAL by P. Smith,
THE BATTLE
FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
by C. Barnett,
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman and Naval Staff
History)
20th
Passage from Gibraltar
to Freetown
with HM Cruiser SIRIUS, HM Destroyers
QUENTIN
and VANSITTART
for Atlantic convoy defence.
24th
Escorted rms
QUEEN ELIZABETH to USA
with HMS SIRIUS, HM Destroyers QUENTIN,
VANSITTART,
PATHFINDER and VIMY
September
Deployed on convoy defence in
southern Atlantic
and Indian
Ocean.
Detached with
HMS SIRIUS to assist South African Naval
Force to establish patrols
for
interception of blockade runners.
October
Resumed convoy defence duty in
South
Atlantic.
23rd
During passage to Freetown
hit abreast Q turret on port side forward
by
torpedo
fired by U161
off Pointe Noire, Belgian
Congo.
Sustained major
structural damage and flooding.
All forward
turrets unusable.
Escorted to Pointe
Noire by HMS SIRIUS. Speed
reduced to 6
knots.
25th
While tied up at a jetty, temporary
repairs included the
removal of B turret.
December
Repair arranged in USA.
Took passage via Takoradi
and Trinidad
escorted by HM Sloop BRIDGEWATER.
1
9 4 3
January
On
passage.
15th
Taken in hand for repair at Brooklyn
Navy Yard.
February
Under
repair.
to
May
June
Post
refit trials.
14th
Passage to UK
with call at Bermuda.
July
Under
repair by Vickers Armstrong shipyard at
Barrow in Furness.
(Note: Work done
included
Replacement of A
turret.
Installation of
Fire control radar for HA mountings,
Modified warning
surface radar Type 272 and IFF
Interrogation outfits fitted.
(For details of
development and use of radar see RADAR AT
SEA
by
D Howse).
8th
On completion prepared for operational
service
August
Nominated for work-up with
Home Fleet
2nd
Took passage to Scapa
Flow
Worked up with Home
Fleet.
September
2nd
Attached to
Plymouth Command for interception
operations
against French coastal convoys.
(TUNNEL
Operations - See HOLD THE HARROW
SEA
by P Smith).
October
Transferred to Mediterranean
for service with 15th Cruiser Squadron.
Passage to Join
Squadron for deployment in support of
military operations in Aegean
and
for
interception of German invasion craft.
(For details see
FIGHTING DESTROYER by G. Cornell).
15th
Unsuccessful search with W Destroyers FURY
and FAULKNOR for
invasion convoy.
18th
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers
BELVOIR, BEAUFORT, HM
Destroyers FAULKNOR,
and FURY
in defence of
Aegean islands and support of garrisons.
19th
Bombarded enemy positions at Port Kalymos
and took stores to Casteloriso
with HM
Escort Destroyer
HURWORTH.
24th
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers
ALDENHAM and HURSLEY for
diversionary sortie
when Leros
garrison was being reinforced.
26th
Escorted HM Destroyer FAULKNOR, HM Escort
Destroyers BEAUFORT
and BELVOIR
carrying troops
to Leros.
Patrolled SE of Rhodes..
27th
Returned to Alexandria
when relieved by m Cruiser AJAX.
November
3rd
Escorted HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, ECHO,
PENN
and PATHFINDER taking 1st Battalion
KOYLI to Limassol.
(Note: Troops
were taking onward passage in these
destroyers to Leros.
Refuelled
destroyers which left
independently.
12th
Escorted HM Destroyers ECHO,
DULVERTON and BELVOIR for passage to Kos
to
relieve
HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, BEAUFORT and the Greek
destroyer PINDOS.
Withdrew on arrival at
Kos.
13th
Under sustained air attacks in Aegean.
(For details of
operations in defence of Aegean
islands see WAR IN THE AEGEAN by
P Smith and E
Walker).
December
,After
loss of Aegean
Islands
returned to Malta
for support of operation off the Italian
coast
with ships of
Squadron
1
9
4 4
January
Deployment
in support of military operations in Italy
in continuation.
25th
Provided naval gunfire support during Anzio
landings with HM Cruisers DIDO, DELHI,
ORION, PENELOPE,
MAURITIUS,
US
cruisers USS BROOKLYN and USS
PHILADELPHIA
.
(Operation
SHINGLE – For details see
Naval Staff History).
(Note: During
the period up to 10th
March 1944
sustained U-Boat attacks were made off
Beach Head.
February
Support of military operations
at Anzio.
March
Nominated for duty with
Eastern Fleet and to be converted for
specialist use as a Fighter
Direction Ship.
Under repair in Alexandria
including conversion work for new role.
April
Conversion
work in hand.
May
Passage
to Ceylon.
June
2nd
Arrived at Trincomalee and Joined 4th
Cruiser Squadron,
Eastern Fleet.
Deployed with Squadron
for patrol and interception in Indian
Ocean.
July
Squadron
deployment in continuation.
22nd
Joined m Battleship VALIANT, French
battleship RICHELIEU,
HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN
with ships of
Squadron to cover air attacks on Sabang
by HM Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS
and VICTORIOUS
(Operation CRIMSON).
25th
Escorted HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and HMS
VICTORIOUS screened by HM
Destroyers
ROEBUCK and
RAIDER during air
attacks on airfields at Sabang,
Sumatra.
On completion
bombarded shore targets with other
Eastern Fleet
ships.
August
Under repair in Bombay
September
Under repair
12th
On completion rejoined Squadron.
October
Deployed with Squadron in Indian
Ocean.
17th
Part of TG63.3 with HM Aircraft Carriers
INDOMITABLE,
VICTORIOUS,
HM Destroyer
WHELP, WAKEFUL, WESSEX
and WAGER during air attacks
on Nicobar
Islands
as a diversion for US landings on Leyte
(Operation
MILLET).
19th
Air operations executed and resumed
Squadron duties.
November
Deployed with Squadron on
completion of MILLET,
17th
Joined Force64 for fighter direction duty
in support of Arakan
landings.
(Operation AVON).
December
1st
Joined m Cruisers NEWCASTLE,
KENYA
and NIGERIA
In 5th Cruiser Squadron,
East
Indies
Fleet.
(Note: East
Indies
Fleet was formed when some ships of
Eastern Fleet were transferred to
British Pacific
Fleet.)
1
9 4 5
January
2nd
Part of Task Force 61 for cover of
landings at Akyab
by British and Indian troops with HM
Cruisers
NEWCASTLE
and NIGERIA
screened by destroyers.
Bombardment not
required as Japanese had withdrawn.
12th
Provided fighter direction facilities
during landings by the
3rd Commando Brigade between
Akyab
and Ramree
Island.
17th
Embarked troops at Chittagong
for Ramree
landings in Burma
21st
Joined Bombardment Group with HM
Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH,
HM Destroyer
RAPID, HM
Sloop FLAMINGO and HM Indian Sloop KISTNA
(BIN)
to provide naval
gunfire
support during
landings in northern part of Ramree
Island.
(Operation MATADOS -
for details see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).).
24th
Provided fighter direction facility for HM
Escort Carrier
AMEER during landings by Royal
Marines on Cheduba
Island
(Operation SANKEY).
27th
Covered 21st Carrier Squadron with HM
Cruiser ROYALIST for Rangoon
landings.
(Operation
DRACULA - Sea OPERATION PACIFIC by E
Gray).
February
Deployed with Squadron based at
Trincomalee for intercept patrol and
support of military
to
operations
March
April
Deployed at Trincomalee
and prepared for planned operations in Burma
30th
Deployed with HMS ROYALIST and ships of
21st Carrier Squadron
to cover assault landings
at Rangoon
(Operation DRACULA)
May
1st
Provided Fighter Direction during DRACULA
landings
5th
Deployed with 21at Carrier Squadron during
attacks on
Japanese bases on coast of Burma
between Mergui
and Victoria Paint.
{Note: 21st
Carrier Squadron comprised HM Escort
Carriers HUNTER, STALKER
EMPEROR and PURSUER).
11th
Supported Royal Indian Navy Sloops during
offensive patrol in
Andaman
Sea
for the
interception of
ships evacuating Andaman
Islands
and to prevent delivery of any supplies
to
garrisons
Joined Force 69
when relieved by HM Cruiser CEYLON
and patrolled between Andamans
and Burma
June
Patrol
and interception duties in continuation.
to
Carried out
exercises with East
Indies
Fleet in preparation for Fleet for planned
landings in
July
(Note: These were
delayed by US
insistence and also by implementation of
the PYTHON
Scheme to return long
serving personnel from SEAC
to UK
for release.
See
FINAL REPORT BY SUPREME COMMANDER SEAC
(HMSO) for details.
September
Deployed with Squadron in Bay
of Bengal
covering passage of assault convoys prior
to
landings in Malaya
(Operation ZIPPER)
(For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and WAR WITH
JAPAN (HMSO)
