1
9 3 9
September
6th
On completion of refit joined 8th Cruiser
Squadron in Home Fleet.
15th
Deployed on Northern Patrol to intercept
blockade runners
25th
Part of Home Fleet covering force for
escort of HM Submarine SPEARFISH, which
had been
damaged during
patrol in North
Sea.
Deployed with ships
of 2nd Cruiser Squadron and 7th
Destroyer Flotilla, HM Battleships
NELSON, RODNEY, HM
Battlecruisers
HOOD, RENOWN,
HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL, HM cruisers
NEWCASTLE
and EDINBURGH.
October
Transferred to 1st Cruiser Squadron in Mediterranean
with HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE,
SUFFOLK,
and BERWICK.
Search operation in NW Approaches for
German commerce raider cancelled.
8th
Sailed from Rosyth with HMS SUFFOLK for
passage to Alexandria
November
Redeployed after arrival when Squadron
ordered to return to Home Fleet.
5th
Took passage to UK
with Squadron.
11th
Arrived Devonport with HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE
and SUFFOLK.
18th
Sailed from Clyde
to carry out Northern Patrol in Denmark
Strait.
23rd
Detached with HMS SUFFOLK and joined HM
Cruisers CERES and CALYPSO to carry out
search
for German
battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU
after the sinking of
HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser RAWALPINDI
by these ships.
For details of the
work of ships on Northern Patrol see ARMED
MERCHANT CRUISERS by K
Poolman).
27th
Attacked by U47 off Orkneys but the
torpedoes exploded astern.
For details of German submarine torpedo
problems see BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS
by John
Terraine,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett, HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR by
C Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO)
December
6th
Under repair in Belfast.
1
9 4 0
January
10th
Rejoined 1st
Cruiser Squadron and sailed from Rosyth
for Northern Patrol to intercept
commerce
raiders and blockade runners.
February
Deployed on Northern Patrol.
March
16th
Intercepted German
ship URUGUAY
north of Shetland which scuttled.
After return to Scapa
Flow
came under air attack and hit on port side
of quarterdeck abreast Y
turret.
Sustained damaged by bomb which exploded
in Shell Room.
19th
Under
repair in Clyde
shipyard.
April
Under repair
to
May
June
24th
Rejoined
1st Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet
July
Deployed
on Northern Patrol for interception duties
off Iceland.
August
23rd
Searched
for blockade runners and fishing vessels
off Bear
Island
with HM Australian Cruiser
AUSTRALIA.
September
Deployed
with HM Battlecruisers
HOOD, REPULSE and HM Cruiser BERWICK for
attack on
enemy convoy
off Stavanger
but recalled on passage.
30th
Arrived back at Scapa
Flow.
October
Under
repair in Tyne
shipyard.
First radar equipment fitted
(Note: This was Type 286M and RAF
Air/Surface Vessel (ASV)
modified with a fixed aerial
.
for ship use.
See RADAR AT SEA by D. Howse for details of
development and use of
radar by RN)
November
Carried out post repair trials and
rejoined Home Fleet.
18th
Joined
military convoy WS4B as Ocean Escort
during Atlantic passage from Clyde.
23rd
Detached
from WS4B on relief in Atlantic
by HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE.
Passage to Scapa
Flow
to rejoin Home Fleet.
28th
Rejoined
1st Cruiser Squadron at Scapa
Flow
December
18th
Deployed
off Freetown
with HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE and HM
Cruiser BERWICK
in
Hunting Group K following raider report by
ss DUQUESA.
Made unsuccessful
search for German cruiser HIPPER with
HMS FORMIDABLE.
1
9 4 1
January
8th
Joined
military convoy WS5A on departure from Freetown as Ocean Escort with HM Cruiser
HAWKINS and HMS FORMIDABLE
9th
Detached
from WS5A with HMS FORMIDABLE on
relief by HM Cruiser
DEVONSHIRE.
Carried out
search for German raider KORMORAN in South
Atlantic.
February
Escorted
two Atlantic convoys in face of threat by
German commerce raiders before returning to
rejoin Squadron
in Home Fleet.
March
Deployed
for Northern Patrol in Denmark
Strait.
April
Continued
deployment on interception in Icelandic
waters.
May
19th
Relieved
HM Cruiser SUFFOLK
for Denmark
Strait
patrol.
23rd
Carried out joint patrol with HMS SUFFOLK after German battleship BISMARCK
was known
to be on
passage to Atlantic.
Made first sighting report on BISMARCK
and came
under fire.
Shadowed BISMARCK and PRINZ EUGEN with HMS
SUFFOLK until enemy ships were lost in
snow storm.
26th
Deployed to search for BISMARCK
until detached to refuel.
Recalled to join Fleet
after BISMARCK
located.
27th
Engaged BISMARCK
with HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and
RODNEY
(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY BY Corelli
Barnett and Naval
Staff History).
June
3rd
HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS and HM
Cruiser NEPTUNE joined WS8X as Ocean
Escort during Atlantic passage.
5th
HMS VICTORIOUS and HMS NEPTUNE detached
from Ocean Escort.
11th
Detached from WS8X on arrival at Freetown
and took passage to return to UK
July
Under refit at South
Shields.
to
August
September
15th
Rejoined 1st
Cruiser Squadron in Home Fleet and
deployed on patrol and escort duty.
October
18th
Escorted Russian
Convoy PQ2 from Scapa
Flow
with HM Destroyers ICARUS, ECLIPSE.
HM Fleet Minesweepers
BRAMBLE, SEAGULL and SPEEDY.
(Note: The Minesweepers were passage to Russia
for minesweeping duties and convoy escort.
For details of all Russian Convoy
operations and hazards met during
Arctic
operations see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA
by R. Ruegg
,
CONVOY! by
Paul Kemp and ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman.)).
30th
Detached from Convoy PQ2 on arrival at Archangel
November
3rd
Joined Convoy QP2 with HMS ICARUS and
ECLIPSE as escort for passage to
Scapa
Flow.
12th
Remained in Iceland
with Home Fleet units to intercept
TIRPITZ in event of
breakout.
(For details of tactical deployment of
Home Fleet see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett).
28th
Passage to Scapa
Flow
with HMS KING GEORGE V and HMS VICTORIOUS
screened
by Fleet
destroyers.
December
Deployed with Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
1
9 4 2
January
Deployment with Home Fleet in
continuation.
February
Under repair at Tyne
shipyard.
March
16th
Rejoined 1st Cruiser Squadron in Scapa
Flow
on completion.
26th
Deployed for patrol SW of Bear Island to
provide Cruiser Cover during passage of
PQ14 to
Kola Inlet and QP9 to
Iceland.
April
Cover deployment in continuation.
8th
Provided distant cover near Bear
Island
with HM Cruiser EDINBURGH for the passage
of
Russian Convoy PQ14
May
13th
Part of Home Fleet escort for HM
Battleship DUKE OF YORK
and HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS with HM Cruisers KENT,
LIVERPOOL,
LONDON
and NIGERIA,
screened
by Fleet
destroyers covering the return of the
damaged cruiser HMS
TRINIDAD from
Murmansk.
For details of loss of HMS TRINIDAD see
THE SHIP
THAT TORPEDOED
HERSELF by F. Pearce.
Came under air
attacks on return passage.
23rd
Provided cruiser cover with HMS KENT,
HMS NIGERIA and HMS LIVERPOOL during
passage of
Russian Convoy PQ16 to Kola Inlet from Iceland.
26th
Provided cruiser cover with same ships for
returning Convoy QP12.
29th
Resumed Home Fleet duty.
June
Deployed with Home
Fleet.
July
1st
Provided Close Cover with HM Cruiser LONDON,
US
Cruiser TUSCALOOSA
and US Cruiser
WICHITA for the passage of Russian Convoy
PQ17 until convoy
was scattered
on 4th July.
For details of this disastrous operation
see ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, THE
CONVOY IS TO SCATTER by J Broome, Naval
Staff History and above references..
6th
Covered passage to Scapa Flow of HM
Battleship DUKE OF YORK,
US Battleship
WASHINGTON
and HMS VICTORIOUS with HM Cruisers NIGERIA
and CUMBERLAND.
Transferred
to 18th Cruiser Squadron in Home Fleet.
August
Home Fleet deployment in continuation
September
7th
Provided cruiser cover with HMS LONDON and
HMS SUFFOLK for passage of Russian
Convoy PQ18 and returning Convoy QP14.
22nd
Resumed Fleet duties.
October
Detached to cover
military convoys to Gibraltar
for the allied landings in North
Africa
(Operation TORCH - See BRITISH INVASION
FLEETS by J de Winser
and Naval Staff
History).
November
5th
Deployed near Azores
with HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND.
Returned to
interception duty in Icelandic waters on
completion of TORCH
requirements.
December
Deployed on interception patrol in
Icelandic waters and NW Approaches.
1
9 4 3
January
At Scapa
Flow
for Northern Patrol and Fleet duties.
February
21st
Deployed to give additional cruiser cover
with HM Cruisers BELFAST and CUMBERLAND
for passage of
Russian Convoy JW53.
26th
Resumed Home Fleet duties.
March
2nd
Provided cruiser cover for returning
Convoy RA53 with same ships.
9th
Resumed Home Fleet duties.
April
Taken in hand for repair at Portsmouth.
May
Under repair
June
On completion rejoined Home Fleet and
deployed with HM Cruisers LONDON and KENT
for Northern
Patrol.
July
Took part in
diversionary offensive sweep off Norwegian
coast with HM Battleship
ANSON,
US
battlecruiser ALABAMA
as a diversion during the allied
landings in Sicily.
(Operations CONVENT and CAMERA)
August
16th
Detached for cover of minelay by ships of
1st Minelaying Squadron in the Northern
Barrage
(Operation SN74).
Provided cover for special operation
related to Russian Convoy defence
(Operation LORRY.)
September
Home Fleet patrol and Fleet duties in
continuation
14th
Deployed with HM Battleship ANSON and US
Aircraft Carrier RANGER screened by
HM Destroyers HAIDA (RCN),
IROQUOIS (RCN),
HARDY, JANUS and VIGILANT for
relief and
support of Spitzbergen
garrison (Operation EH).
October
Home Fleet deployment in continuation
to
November
December
Deployed with Home Fleet.
23rd
Provided cover for passage of Russian
Convoy JW55B and returning Convoy RA55A
with
HM Cruisers BELFAST and SHEFFIELD
as Force I by patrol east
of Bear
Island.
26th
Engaged German battleship SCHARNHORST
after radar contact by HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD
and joined by
Home Fleet destroyers. Twice hit by enemy
fire which
damaged X turret and
radar
equipment. Seven of ships’ company were
killed and five wounded.
Took part in the subsequent surface
gun action against SCHARNHORST with HM
Battleship
DUKE OF YORK,
HM Cruisers BELFAST
and SHEFFIELD.
For details see THE KOLA RUN
by D. Campbell and
D.
Macintyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and Naval
Staff History).
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed with Home Fleet.
February
Under major refit in Tyne
shipyard.
to
X turret removed. Gunnery fire control
radars fitted (Type 274, 282, 283 and
285.)
November
New Surface Warning radars Type 277 and
293 fitted.
(See RADAR AT SEA
by D. Howse).
December
Worked up for service at Scapa
Flow
on completion of post refit trials..
10th
Joined 1st
Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet for Fleet
duties.
1945
January
Deployed with Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
11th
Joined Force 1 with HM Cruiser BELLONA
screened by three Fleet destroyers for
offensive
sweep off coast
of Norway
(Operation SPELLBINDER)
(Note: This operation also covered minelay
in Kara
Sound
by HM Minelayer APOLLO.
(Operation GRATIS - See Naval Staff
History MINING).
In action against German convoy and sank
two ships and an escort.
12th
Air attack by torpedo bombers repelled
by carrier aircraft.
February
12th
Joined Force 1 with HM Cruiser DIDO
escorted by two Fleet destroyers to cover
an air
minelay by HM
Escort Carriers PREMIER and PUNCHER (Force
2) in Skatestrommen
and air attacks
on shipping off Bud (Operation SELENIUM)
No ships were found but air minelay was
successful.
For details see CONVOY! by
Paul Kemp.
March
Deployed with Home Fleet for escort duty
of Fleet units.
to
April
May
1st
Provided cover with HM Cruiser DIADEM
screened by Fleet destroyers for an
air strike on
shipping
targets west of Narvik by HM Escort
Carriers QUEEN, SEARCHER and
TRUMPETER (Operation
JUDGEMENT).
4th
During these attacks German Depot Ship
BLACK WATCH and submarine U711
were sunk.
Whilst returning to Scapa Flow came under
dummy torpedo attack by U2511
(Note: This was one of the new design
Type XXI U-Boat and had not been
detected.)
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and
SEEK and STRIKE by
W
Hackmann.).
6th
Detached to cover transit through Skagerrak
of HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM and
DIDO with an escort of
five Fleet destroyers for passage to Copenhagen
for re-occupation.
15th
Embarked Vice Admiral R. R. McGrigor
for passage to Bergen.
30th
At Bergen
with ships of 30th Escort Group.
June
5th
Carried King Haakon
of Norway
for passage to Oslo. (Operation
INDESTRUCTIBLE).
8th
Arrived at Oslo with HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE,
HM Norwegian Destroyer STORD
and HM
Destroyer ONSLOW.
Passage to
Devonport on completion of visit.
18th
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard,
Devonport
July
Under refit
to
August
