1 9 3 8
December Contractors trials and commissioned
for service as Leader of Flotilla.
7th Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
1 9 3 9
January On completion
of Acceptance Trials took passage to Portland to work-up for
Home Fleet service.
February Passage
to Lisbon to join ships of Home Fleet for courtesy visit and
escorted
HM Submarine STARFISH.
3rd At Lisbon
8th Passage to Gibraltar with Home Fleet ships prior to
joint exercises with
ships of Mediterranean Fleet
16th Damaged by Dutch liner SIBAJAK which had dragged her anchor
and collided
with this destroyer whilst anchored at Gibraltar.
On completion of temporary repair by HM Dockyard, Gibraltar rejoined the
combined Fleet exercises.
March Passage
to Portsmouth for completion of repair damage.
April Under repair by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
27th Resumed Flotilla duties
on completion of repair.
(Note: 2nd TRIBAL Destroyer
Flotilla, Home Fleet re-designated 6th Destroyer
Flotilla and comprised HM Destroyers ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO,
MASHONA, MATABELE, PUNJABI and TARTAR.)
May
3rd At Cherbourg with HM Destroyers ASHANTI, ESKIMO and MATABELE
of Flotilla for courtesy visit
8th Return passage to UK and resumed Flotilla programme.
June Diverted from programme to provide assistance in rescue operations
associated
with sinking of HM Submarine
THETIS in Liverpool Bay
Resumed Flotilla exercise and visits programme when operations
abandoned.
July Passage to Portsmouth for routine docking
3rd Taken in hand by HM
Dockyard Portsmouth.
28th On completion resumed Flotilla duties
August Deployed with 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
Deployed for Anglo-French exercises
in Atlantic.
Part of screen for major units during patrol in NW Approaches
and North
Sea
for interception of
German warships during passage for attacks on shipping.
September Home Fleet deployment in continuation.
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)
3rd Intercepted German freighter HANNA BORG
350 miles south of Iceland and placed
boarding party on board. Ship
taken as Prize
(Note: This was first enemy
mercantile to be captured during WW2)
Part of screen during further interception
operations.
26th Part of screen for Home Fleet ships covering the return of HM
Submarine
SPEARFISH
after damage during patrol in North Sea.
Escorted HMS SPEARFISH to harbour with m Destroyers MASHONA
and
MATABELE.
October Present
during visit by HM King George V to Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
14th Carried out anti-submarine search off Scapa Flow after sinking of HM Battleship
ROYAL OAK by U47 whilst at anchor.
17th Present at Scapa Flow during first
German air raid on the anchorage.
22nd Escorted HM Battlecruiser HOOD with H M Destroyers
ASHANTI, TARTAR
and FAME to cover passage of convoy from Norway.
29th Deployed with Home Fleet during search for
German battleship GNEISENAU
and cruiser KOLN reported on passage into the Atlantic.
November
15th Escorted HM Battleships NELSON and RODNEY
to Clyde with HM Destroyers
MASHONA, ASHANTI and BEDOUIN when Home Fleet major
units
were dispersed during improvement of anti-submarine
defences at Scapa Flow
after sinking of HMS ROYAL OAK.
December
6th Escorted Force W
to Ronaldshay, Orkneys.
12th Deployed with Flotilla as part of screen
for major Home Fleet units covering
the passage of first
Canadian Troop Convoy to UK (TC1).
(For details of naval activities in Home waters during
1939 see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff History.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed
with Flotilla for Home Fleet duties in NW Approaches and North Sea.
Taken in hand for repair to turbines and evaporators at
Middlesbrough by
Smiths
Dock Company.
February Under repair.
March On completion
of Post Refit trials and check on Degaussing equipment resumed
duty with Flotilla in Home Fleet.
27th Intercepted German steamer BUTT near Obrestad, Norway but failed to capture
her.
April
7th . Deployed with
AFRIDI, GURKHA SIKH, MOHAWK, ZULU, COSSACK,
KASHMIR, KELVIN, MATABELE, MASHONA and TARTAR, Polish
destroyers ORP GROM, BLYSKAWICA
and BURZA as screen for HM
Cruisers GALATEA and ARETHUSA during search for German
warships in
area north of position 48.30N
3.20E. (SOMALI, with
MASHONA, MATABELE,
TARTAR may instead of have joined Adm Forbe's main force on this date)
Operation cancelled and rejoined Home Fleet ships.
8th Search terminated and took passage to join
ships of Home Fleet deployed
in
North Sea and preparing for an attack on German warships
reported at Bergen.
9th Deployed with HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON as
screen with HM Destroyers MATABELE and MASHONA of 6th Flotilla
and
AFRIDI,
GURKHA, SIKH and MOHAWK of 4th Flotilla and took
passage to attack ships in Bergen.
Operation
cancelled and rejoined Home Fleet
10th Took passage to Scapa Flow with Home Fleet
screen.
11th Sailed from Scapa Flow with HM Destroyers MOHAWK, MASHONA,
MATABELE, SIKH and AFRIDI as screen for HMS SHEFFIELD and
HMS GLASGOW to carry out sweep of inshore
waters off Norway.
13th Carried out unsuccessful search off Alesund for German ships
15th Escorted mv CHOBRY
and ss EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA during landings at
Namsos.
Deployed at Namsos to prepare
for landings by parties from HMS SHEFFIELD
and HMS GLASGOW (Operation HENRY)
Expended all AA ammunition during intensive
air attacks.
Embarked General Carton de Wiat for passage to Lillesjona.
(Note: The General was to take command of landings. For
details see references).
16th Passage to replenish
ammunition at Scapa Flow.
21st Deployed with HMS TARTAR for interception
patrol in Trondheim Inner Leads,
to Detached as
required for convoy defence and refuelling.
28th
30th Embarked troops evacuating Andalsnes with
HM Cruisers ARETHUSA, GALATEA,
SHEFFIELD, SOUTHAMPTON, HM Destroyers MASHONA, TARTAR, SIKH,
WANDERER, WALKER and WESTCOTT.
May Deployed in support of Norwegian operations. Pennant No changed to G33.
1st At Andalsnes for further evacuation with
HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and
BIRMINGHAM, HM AA Cruiser CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD,
DELIGHT, DIANA, MASHONA and HM Auxiliary AA Ship
ULSTER PRINCE.
Damaged in air attacks and returned to Scapa Flow.
2nd Sustained slight damage when ss ISLE OF JERSEY came alongside
Embarked PRIMROSE Detachment of Royal
MARINES at Alesund.
Return passage to Scapa Flow with 250 rescued personnel
8th Escorted troopship m CHOBRY to Narvik with
HM Destroyers TARTAR and HOSTILE
12th Escorted HM Battleship RESOLUTION, HM Cruisers
EFFINGHAM and AURORA to
Ofotfjord with HM
Destroyers HAVELOCK and FAME.
13th Provided naval gunfire support for landings
at Bodo
. 14th On release from gunfire support during landings
embarked Brigadier Fraser in command of
military operations in the area
and took passage to Mo with French destroyer
FOUDROYANT
Damaged during sustained air attacks.
(For details of the disastrous operations of Norway which revealed weaknesses in defence
of ships against aircraft see
NARVIK by D Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J
Winton, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and the Naval Staff
History.
15th During return passage from Mo with Brigadier
Fraser diverted to provide AA defence
during rescue operations in Vest
Fjord after troopship CHOBRY had under air attack and
set on fire. Provided AA support during rescue operations.
Sustained damage from near miss by bombing
attacks in Traen Fjord.
Withdrawn from Norwegian operations and took return passage
to Scapa
Flow
escorted by
FOUDROYANT.
19th Repair arranged in Liverpool by Cammell Laird shipyard
Took
passage from Scapa Flow
June Under
structural repair
to August Twin 4in AA mounting fitted in
X position and degaussing gear installed..
Carried out post
refit trials
September On completion
of trials rejoined 6th Flotilla as Leader for duty with Home Fleet for
screening of major Fleet units and patrol duties In NW Approaches
and North
Sea.
October Flotilla
duties in Home Fleet continued
to December (Note: Home Fleet remained at Scapa Flow except when carrying interception
and search operations.)
1 9 4 1
January Home Fleet deployment in continuation.
February
9th Under repair
at HM Dockyard Rosyth.
Aircraft and surface warning radar Type 286 fitted.
(For details of development and use of radar by RN see
RADAR AT SEA by D House).
19th Resumed duties with Flotilla
March
1st Escorted ss
PRINCESS EMMA and ea PRINCESS BEATRIX for raid by 3 and 4
Commando on Lofoten Islands with HM Destroyers BEDOUIN, ESKIMO
and TARTAR
of 6th Flotilla
(Task Force REBEL - Operation CLAYMORE - See THE WATERY
MAZE by B
. Fergusson
and SEIZING THE ENIGMA by D Kahn)
4th During
landing operations intercepted Norwegian Trawler KREBS off Svolvaer.
(Note: This ship was being used
by German Navy as a patrol vessel. After brief
engagement the trawler was set
on fire and grounded. Boarding party discovered
rotor disks used in the ENIGMA
coding machine and some associated documents
which were found to be invaluable
when studied by the Bletchley Park
codebreakers.
KREBS was captured.
For details see BREAKING THE ENIGMA.)
24th Deployed
with HM Destroyers BEDOUIN, MASHONA and MATABELE for Local Escort
of military Convoy
WS7 during passage in NW Approaches from Clyde.
27th Detached from WS7 and resumed Home Fleet duties.
April Home Fleet deployment in continuation.
May
5th Deployed with HM Cruisers EDINBURGH, MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, HM
Destroyers
NESTOR, ESKIMO and BEDOUIN to intercept and capture the German
Weather
Ship MUNCHEN
(Note: The operation was planned in
order to obtain an ENIGMA coding machine.
Boarded enemy ship whose crew had abandoned the vessel
after throwing the
ENIGMA machine overboard in a weighted
bag. Documents were however
retrieved and found to include
latest information on use of the Machine.
(See above reference).
22nd Deployed as escort for HM Battleship RODNEY
and mv BRITANNIC with HM Destroyers
ESKIMO, TARTAR and MASHONA.
24th Detached to join rest of Flotilla as part
of screen for Home Fleet major ships during search
for German battleship BISMARCK after sinking of HMS HOOD.
(For details of the search operation and sinking of BISMARCK,
The Naval Staff
History and BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by Mullenheim-Rechberg).
June Taken in hand for refit at Southampton by John I Thornycroft
Ltd.
to Fire-control radar fitted (See above reference).
July
August On completion
rejoined Flotilla for Home Fleet duties.
4th Part of screen for HM Battleship PRINCE
OF WALES during Atlantic passage to take
Prime Minister, to Placentia
Bay, Newfoundland for 'Atlantic
Charter' Meetings.
6th Detached and returned to Scapa. Flow because
weather conditions did not allow
the ship to maintain speed without structural damage.
30th Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier ARGUS and HM
Cruiser SHROPSHIRE with HM
Destroyers MATABELE and PUNJABI for
passage to Archangel.
Embarked RAF personnel.
(Operation STRENGTH - Delivery of Hurricane aircraft and
RAF personnel).
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
CONVOY ! by
P Keep, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R. Woodman).
September On completion
of STRENGTH deployment resumed Hose Fleet duties with Flotilla.
12th Part of screen for HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS
during air attacks on Bodo.
23rd Part of screen for
HM Battleship KING GEORGE V during interception patrol.
October Home
Fleet Flotilla deployment in continuation
to
November
December
8th Embarked Soviet Ambassador at Invergordon for passage to Scapa Flow
Wore
Soviet Flag during passage
22nd Deployed with HM Cruiser ARETHUSA, HM Destroyers
ASHANTI,
. BEDOUIN, ESKIMO. HM Escort Destroyers WHEATLAND, LAMERTON,
Polish
ORP KRAKOWIAK and Polish ORP KUJAWIAK for support of raid
by No 12
Commando on Lofoten Islands (Operation
ANKLET).
Searched for shipping off Vestfjord
during landings from HM Landing Ships PRINCE
ALBERT and PRINCESS CHARLOTTE.
(See THE WATERY MAZE).
1 9 4 2
January
11th Ocean Escort for Russian Convoy PQ8 with
HM Cruiser TRINIDAD and HMS
MATABELE.
17th Carried out Anti-submarine attacks on U454
after sinking of HM Destroyer MATABELE
during the passage of PQ8. This failed because depth charge gear
was inoperative due to
ice.
25th Escorted Convoy OP6 with HMS TRINIDAD until
dispersed on 28/1/43.
28th Detached from QP6 and
resumed Flotilla duties.
February Home Fleet duties in continuation.
15th Detached to escort HM Auxiliary Minelayers
AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and PORT
QUEBEC for Northern Barrage minelay
with HM Destroyers LANCASTER, WELLS and
VANQUISHER covered by HM Cruiser KENYA.
(Operation SN84. For details of minelaying operations
see Naval Staff History (MINING)).
20th Taken in hand for refit by Amos and Smith
Ltd at Hull
March Under
refit.
30th Resumed Flotilla duties
in Home Fleet.
April
10th Part of destroyer screen for HM Battleships
KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF YORK,
HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers NIGERIA and KENT with HMS
BEDOUIN and HMS ESKIMO of Flotilla, as well as nine other
Home Fleet destroyers
to provide cover for passage
of Russian Convoy PQ14 to Kola Inlet and returning
Convoy QP10
29th Joined escort for Convoy PQ15 with HM AA
Ship ULSTER QUEEN, HM Destroyers
BOADICEA, MATCHLESS,
VENOMOUS, Norwegian ST ALBANS and HM Escort
Destroyer BADSWORTH
May
1st HM
Destroyer PUNJABI of Flotilla sunk by HM Battleship KING GEORGE V in
collision during low visibility
whilst providing cover for PQ15.
Convoy and escort attacked by Ju88 Dive
Bombers.
5th Detached from
PQ15 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
Remained in North Russian waters.
During this period had to leave Murmansk because of air raids.
13th Escorted damaged cruiser TRINIDAD returning from Murmansk after temporary repair
with HM Destroyers FORESIGHT,
FORESTER and MATCHLESS.
(See THE SHIP THAT TORPEDOED HERSELF by F Pearce).
15th Closed HMS TRINIDAD and took off survivors when ship
was abandoned.
(Note HMS TRINIDAD was sunk by HMS MATCHLESS
15th One of those rescued was Rear Admiral Bonham
Carter)
Took passage to Clyde with survivors
from HMS TRINIDAD.
19th Disembarked survivors.
June Home
Fleet duty with Flotilla in continuation
July
1st Deployed as screen for HM Cruisers LONDON
and NORFOLK, US Cruisers USS
TUSCALOOSA and USS WICHITA
with US destroyers USS WAINWRIGHT and
USS ROWAN as the cruiser covering force
for passage of Russian Convoy PQ17
and returning Convoy OP13.
(For full details of the premature Admiralty order to
scatter Convoy PQ17 and its
passage see THE CONVOY IS TO
SCATTER by J Broome ,THE DESTRUCTION
OF PQ17 by D Irving and ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
August Detached
for escort of Hone Fleet units deployed in support of relief convoy from
UK to Sicilian Narrows (Operation
PEDESTAL).
10th Part of screen for HM Cruisers NIGERIA, KENYA and MANCHESTER with H M
Destroyers
INTREPID, ICARUS, ITHURIEL, FURY, PATHFINDER, PENN,
LEDBURY, BRAMHAM, TARTAR, ESKIMO and ASHANTI in Force
X.
13th Stood by HMS MANCHESTER
after she had been torpedoed and scuttled.
Rescued some
survivors from ship but attempt to rescue more from beach
was
prevented by shore fire and had to withdraw.
AA mounting damaged in air attacks.
Rescued survivors from the mercantile WAIRANGI
sunk by bomb in earlier air attack.
17th Escorted HM Battleship RODNEY to UK with HMS ASHANTI on release from
PEDESTAL.
25th Repair of damaged AA
gun not possible because of forthcoming requirement.
September Passage to
Iceland with HM Cruiser SCYLLA and 14
Fleet destroyers for escort of
Russian Convoy PQ18 (Operation EV).
19th Joined 'Fighting Escort’ for passage
of PQ18.
Allocated
to Force A with HM Destroyers ONSLOW, ONSLAUGHT, OPPORTUNE.
OFFA, ASHANTI, ESKIMO and
TARTAR.
16th Detached with HMS
SCYLLA and other destroyers to join returning Convoy QP14.
17th Part of Ocean Escort for QP14
19th. HMS SCYLLA and HM Escort Carrier AVENGER detached in view of
submarine
threat,
20th Hit in Engine Room
by torpedo from U703 and sustained major damage.
Five of ship’s company were killed and four seriously
injured.
With high possibility of saving ship,
despite a severe list, taken in tow by HMS ASHANTI.
Eighty of ship's company first transferred to Rescue Ship
HM Trawler LORD MIDDLETON
(Note: Tow operation was screened
by HM Destroyers ESKIMO, INTREPID and
OPPORTUNE.
24th Ship broke in two after 420 mile under tow
in deteriorating weather.
77 men were lost when ship had to be abandoned.
35 rescued from the sea by HMS ASHANTI and HMS LORD MIDDLETON
included Lieutenant Cdr Colin
Maud, RN Commanding Officer
(For
full details see ARCTIC CONVOYS and Naval Staff History.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
SOMALI
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
26/10/39
|
26/10/39
|
NARVIK 1
|
31/10/39
|
31/10/39
|
04/11/39
|
04/11/39
|
ON 001/1
|
07/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
HN 001
|
10/11/39
|
10/11/39
|
10/12/39
|
unknown
|
TC 001
|
17/12/39
|
17/12/39
|
22/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
TC 002
|
30/12/39
|
30/12/39
|
31/03/40
|
02/04/40
|
ON 024/1
|
04/04/40
|
04/04/40
|
04/04/40
|
04/04/40
|
HN 024
|
07/04/40
|
07/04/40
|
08/01/42
|
11/01/42
|
PQ 008
|
17/01/42
|
17/01/42
|
24/01/42
|
25/01/42
|
QP 006
|
28/01/42
|
28/01/42
|
26/03/42
|
12/04/42
|
PQ 014
|
18/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
12/04/42
|
QP 010
|
18/04/42
|
21/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
PQ 015
|
05/05/42
|
05/05/42
|
02/09/42
|
09/09/42
|
PQ 018
|
17/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
13/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
QP 014
|
20/09/42
|
26/09/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)