Exercise and visits programme including Italy (March).
Mediterranean service in continuation.
Returned to UK to re-commission (October).
Resumed Mediterranean Fleet deployment.
1 9 3 0
January to August
Mediterranean service including Fleet exercises and
visits
Spring and Summer Cruiser Visits and Exercise
programme including Joint exercises at Gibraltar with Home Fleet ships.
September
Second Summer Cruise
October
31st - Returned to Malta from Cruise
November to December
(Presumably deployed in Malta.)
1 9 3 1
January to February
Deployed in Malta
March
14th - Sailed for Gibraltar
19th - Carried out exercises with Home Fleet ships.
April
4th - Took passage to Marseilles.
6th - Arrived at Marseilles
7th - Visited St Raphael, France
14th - Visited Golfe-Juan, Vallauris, South of France
21st - Passage to Malta
24th - Returned to Malta.
May
Deployed in Malta
June
Sailed from Malta to refit and re-commission
July to September
Under refit.
October to December
Re-commissioned during refit. Carried out post refit harbour and sea trials
1 9 3 2 to 1 9 3
3
Mediterranean Fleet service in continuation
Nominated for major refit and modernisation
1 9 3 4
January to April
Deployed with Mediterranean Fleet based in Malta.
May
Passage to Devonport for refit.
Paid-off and taken in hand for modernisation by HM
Dockyard, Devonport.
June
Taken in hand for modernisation. Work included:
Fitting of improved bulge system for protection
against submarine torpedo attack.
Installation of improved secondary armament for AA
defence. The four single 4in HA were replaced with four twin 4in HA Mk16 AA guns.
On a platform either side of the funnel was fitted an eight barrelled 2 pounder pom pom, also fitted were two quadruple 0.5 inch MGs - one each side of the
conning tower.
Improved armour protection.
Redesign of bridge structure.
Removal of submerged torpedo tubes and fit of four
torpedo tube mountings on upper deck.
Improved W/T installation.
Fit of new catapult on X Turret.
1 9 3 5
At Devonport under dockyard control.
(Note: This ship was the most fully modernised of the
Class.)
Suspected sabotage inquiry (December 1935)
1 9 3 6
January to July
Under dockyard control. Post refit trials.
August
Re-commissioned for service in Mediterranean.
September to October
Trials and shakedown in Home waters.
Flagship of 2nd Battleship Squadron (October).
November to December
Home waters deployment.
1 9 3 7
January
19th - Took passage to Gibraltar to resume
Mediterranean Fleet service.
24th - Arrived at Gibraltar.
31st - Deployed at Gibraltar for joint Fleet exercises
February
On completion of Fleet exercises she sailed from
Gibraltar for a visit to Palma, Majorca.
14th - Sailed from Majorca for Valencia, Spain.
(Note : Involved in Spanish civil war incident and
came under air attack)
25th - Return passage to Gibraltar.
March
Deployed at Gibraltar.
18th - Sailed from Gibraltar on 18th for passage to
Plymouth
22nd - Arrived at Plymouth.
April
24th - Sailed from Plymouth for visit to Bay of Biscay
ports.
(Note : This was part of National policy to provide
defence for British flagged mercantiles and to enforce blockade)
26th - At La Rochelle, France
27th - At St Jean de Luz on 27th.
(Note : These ports were near Spanish border)
May
4th and 7th - At St Jean de Luz.
10th - At La Pallice, France.
15th, 19th and 20th - At St Jean de Luz.
23rd - At La Pallice.
24th - Sailed for Bay of Biscay patrol
27th, 29th and 31st - At St Jean de Luz
June
Carried out Bay of Biscay patrol
1st - Called at La Pallice
2nd - Sailed for Plymouth.
4th - Returned to Plymouth.
July to December
Visited Liverpool.
Home Fleet deployment.
1 9 3 8
January to November
Deployed in Home Fleet FS of 2nd Battle Squadron
Took part in Exercises and Visits Programmes
Carried body of Queen Maud of Norway back to Oslo.
December
Re-commissioned for Home Fleet Service.
1 9 3 9
January to July
Home Fleet deployment in continuation.
Took part in Exercise and visits programme.
Based at Rosyth and war station nominated.
August
15th – The Home Fleet comprising the battleships
NELSON,
RODNEY,
RESOLUTION,
ROYAL OAK
Captain William Gordon Benn RN and ROYAL SOVEREIGN,
the battlecruisers HOOD,
REPULSE,
the aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL
with attendant destroyer BOREAS, the light cruiser AURORA and the
destroyers FAME, FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND, FURY, JACKAL,
JERSEY and JERVIS and Tribal's ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MASHONA, MATABELE, PUNJABI, SOMALI and TARTAR
departed Scapa Flow.
18th - The Tribals arrived back at Scapa Flow for
refuelling and left again later in the day.
20th - RESOLUTION and ROYAL OAK arrived back at Scapa
Flow.
31st – At 1800 hours the Home Fleet comprising the
battleships NELSON,
RODNEY,
ROYAL OAK,
ROYAL SOVEREIGN,
the aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL,
light cruisers