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1 9 4 3
August
Contractors trials
9th
Build
completion
Passage to Esquimalt
12th
Commissioned
for RN service in RCN Dockyard
Taken in hand by HM
Dockyard for modifications to suit RN
deployment for convoy defence.
September
Under modification
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Under modification
(Note: Ship
may have carried out sea trials during
this period.)
February
Prepared for passage to UK
17th
Sailed
for New York via Panama
Canal
March
9th
Transit
of Panama Canal
(Note: The
time
taken from Vancouver suggests call may
have been made at Pacific
coast ports
in
USA.
This date is to be confirmed.)
Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
SPEAKER, US Navy CVE USS TULAGI and
two RCN Corvettes for exercises in Caribbean during passage
to Norfolk
(Note: Provision
of AVENGER aircraft for first deck
landing on HMS SPEAKER to be
confirmed)
(Note: This
to be confirmed and is at variance with
details for HMS SPEAKER.)
26th
Sailed
from New York.
(Note: Ship
embarked AVENGER aircraft for passage to
UK
These were destined for 850 Squadron.)
April
8th
Arrived
in Clyde and disembarked aircraft
(Note: This
would require an alongside berth and may
have been done in Belfast
or Glasgow.)
11th
Allocated
to Western Approaches Command but not
deployed due to defects.
Taken in hand for repair in Clyde
commercial shipyard
May
Under repair.
to
Transferred
to Rosyth dockyard and took passage to
Clyde
on completion.
November
(Note: In
addition to defects further modification
work was undertaken to deal with
changes found
necessary after experience gained in
other operational CVE..)
December
Nominated
for service in 21st Aircraft Carrier
Squadron, East Indies Fleet and prepared
for
operational
service.
(Note: Ship
may have sailed to Clyde in this
period.)
1
9 4 5
January
Passage to Clyde from Forth.
To be confirmed
6th
Joined
escort for outward Convoy KMF38 during
passage from Clyde
to Gibraltar
10th
Detached
from KMF38 on arrival at Gibraltar and
took passage to Suez.
February
Passage in Indian Ocean
4th
Arrived
at Trincomalee and joined Squadron
(Note:
Other
ships in Squadron were HM
Escort Carriers BEGUM, EMPEROR,
SHAH,
AMEER, KHEDIVE,
SLINGER
and SPEAKER.
845 Squadron personnel and aircrew
embarked
together with a detachment of HELLCAT
personnel and
aircraft of 804 Squadron.
Carried out exercises in preparation for
planned East Indies Fleet operations
Nominated
for deployment in Force 64 for
Photo-reconnaissance flights prior to
the
planned
landings in Malaya (Operation STACEY).
22nd
Sailed from Trincomalee with Force 64.
(Note:
Others ships included HM Escort Carrier
AMEER, HM Cruiser
KENYA,
HM
Destroyers
VOLAGE, VIRAGO and VIGILANT, HM Frigates
PLY,
SPEY and
SWALE.
24th
Provided fuel for destroyers
and frigates during passage.
26th
Commenced photo reconnaissance flying
operations.
March
On completion returned to Trincomalee.
Took part in preparation for planned
occupation
of Rangoon
WALRUS aircraft of 1700 embarked with
aircrew.
April
Joined
HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, French
battleship RICHELIEU,
HM Cruisers
CUMBERLAND,
SUFFOLK and Dutch cruiser TROMP with HM
Escort Aircraft
Carrier
SHAH
as Task Force 63 to provide cover for
landings at Rangoon
by attacks on Car Nicobar
and Port
Blair in
Andamans
(Operation BISHOP).
27th
Sailed for BISHOP from Trincomalee with
Force
63 screened by HM Destroyers PENN,
NUBIAN, VERULAM,
TARTAR and ROTHERHAM.
30th
Air strikes made on airfields at Car Nicobar
and the harbour at Port Blair during
bombardment
by ships of TF63.
May
Deployed at
Trincomalee.
to
(Note: During this period extensive
preparations were being made for the
planned landings
in
June
Malaya
(Operation ZIPPER)
These
were delayed due to US
insistence for political reasons and
difficulties
in
implementing
the PYTHON Scheme for the return to UK
of long serving SEAC
personnel.
See THEN FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton,
WAR AT SEA
Vol.VI
(HMSO) and the FINAL
Report of Supreme Commander SEAC
(HMSO).)
July
Nominated for support of
operations in preparation for landings
in Malaya
with
21st Aircraft
Carrier Squadron.
(Note: 896
Squadron of HELLCATS were embarked and
WALRUS aircraft
of 1700
Squadron
19th
Deployed with HM Battleship NELSON, HM
Cruiser
SUSSEX,
HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
AMEER
screened by HM Destroyers PALADIN, ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE and
RAIDER to cover
minesweeping operation off Phuket
Island (Operation LIVERY).
24th
During minesweeping operations aircraft
carried
out attacks on Kra
Isthmus.
to
(Note: HM
Minesweeper SQUIRREL was lost during the
clearance on 24th.)
25th
26th
Air strikes
continued during final day
of minesweeping.
Force
63 came under air attacks by suicide
bombers. One VAL
bomber destroyed by ship’s fire
and another
by HMS SUSSEX. Later HM Minesweeper
VESTAL was hit
by another attack and
set on fire.
HMS VESTAL was sunk by gunfire from HMS
RACEHORSE
after crew rescued.
(Note:
During these attacks fighter aircraft
from both carriers
were operating for defence of the
Force
but no direction facilities were
available from HMS NELSON which
prevented
effective
interception of the enemy aircraft.)
28th
Returned to Trincomalee
with ships of Force 63.
(Note:
Operation LIVERY was the last offensive
operation carried out by the East
Indies
Fleet
in WW2.
August
Deployed in Bay
of Bengal with Squadron units to provide
cover during
landings in Malaya
pending
approval of US authorities.
(Note
HELLCAT aircraft of 896 Squadron and
WALRUS of 1700 Squadron embarked)
September
Provided
support during ZIPPER landings in Penang
and near Port Dickson.
(Note:
Return to Trincomalee with catapult
defect to be confirmed
See
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser)
10th
At Singapore
with ships of Squadron.
12th
Present at formal surrender
of all Japanese forces in South
East Asia at Singapore.
On
release from ZIPPER took passage to
Trincomalee to resume Squadron duties
October
Deployed
with Squadron at Trincomalee
11th
At Colombo
Nominated
for visit to New Zealand and
took passage.
November
Passage
in SW Pacific
Nominated
for release from East
Indies
service
3rd
At Wellington
Took
return passage to Colombo.
23rd
At Colombo
Prepared
for passage to UK
27th
Sailed for UK
to Pay-off
December
Passage
in Mediterranean
19th
Arrived in Clyde
to de-store and for removal of British
equipment
before return to
US
Navy
896
Squadron aircraft and personnel
disembarked,
(Note: The
majority of ships company left ship
leaving only a
Steaming Party needed
for Atlantic passage and hand-over to US Navy)
1
9 4 6
January
Prepared
for Ocean passage
6th
Sailed from Clyde
for Norfolk.
20th
At Norfolk
February
4th
Formal transfer to US Navy at Norfolk