1 9 1 7
February Contractors trials and
commissioning.
March
7th Accepted into service with Grand Fleet.
April Completion of trials and
prepared for operational service.
May Deployed with Grand
Fleet in lst Light Cruiser Squadron at Scapa Flow.
to Became Squadron
Flagship.
October
November
17th Took part in action against German warships in Heligoland
Bight and hit by
a 12” shell.
December Grand Fleet deployment in
continuation.
1 9 1 8
January Grand Fleet duties at Scapa Flow in
continuation.
to
October
November
21st German Fleet
surrendered and interned at Scapa
Flow under Home Fleet custody.
December Nominated for service in Baltic Sea
for operations against Communist forces.
1 9 1 9
January Grand Fleet duties in
continuation.
to Deployed in Baltic Sea in
support of shore operations against Bolshevik forces.
March Blockade of Soviet Fleet
based in Baltic Sea was also maintained
April Joined Atlantic Fleet as
Flagship of 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron.
May Deployed in Hone waters
with Squadron.
to
December
1 9 2 0
Atlantic Fleet
deployment with Squadron in continuation.
1 9 2 1
January Atlantic Fleet deployment in
continuation.
to
July
August Relieved as Flagship of 2nd
Cruiser Squadron by HM Cruiser CURACOA.
26th Re-commissioned at Chatham for further service in Atlantic Fleet.
September Rejoined 2nd Light Cruiser
Squadron.
October Atlantic Fleet deployment in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 2 2
January Deployed in Home waters
including patrol and support in Irish
Sea and Atlantic
to during military
operations against Irish insurgents.
June
July Nominated for detached
service in Mediterranean.
August Deployed in eastern Mediterranean
for protection of British interests during the conflict
to between Turkey and Greece.
November
December Returned to UK to rejoin Atlantic Fleet.
1 9 2 3
January Deployed in Baltic at Memel during
attempt by rebel forces to occupy city
February During detached service involved
in collision with Pilot Vessel NEUMARK I at
the port of Cuxhaven, Germany
March On return from Baltic
service resumed Atlantic Fleet duties
April Atlantic Fleet deployment
in continuation.
to
December
1 9 2 4
Atlantic Fleet deployment in Home waters in continuation.
Paid off.
1 9 2 5
January
6th Re-commissioned for further service in 2nd Light cruiser
Squadron. Atlantic Fleet.
February Atlantic Fleet deployment with
Squadron in continuation.
to
December
1 9 2 6
January Atlantic Fleet deployment in
continuation.
to
July
August
17th Paid-Off and taken in hand for refit at Chatham, under refit.
September Under refit
to
December
1 9 2 7
January Under refit
to
June
July Post refit trials.
August Nominated for service in 3rd
Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
September
5th Re-commissioned for service at Chatham.
October On completion of sea
trials and preparation for foreign service took passage to Malta to
join Squadron.
November Deployed in Mediterranean
with Squadron.
to
December
1 9 2 8
January
29th Sustained major damage to forward structure in collision with
the Italian ship ANTARES in
Doro Channel, Aegean Sea.
February Under temporary repair by HM
Dockyard, Malta to enable safe passage to UK.
to
March
April Passage to UK
to Paid off into
Dockyard control at Devonport.
December Taken in hand for repair by HM
Dockyard Devonport.
1 9 2 9
January
15th Re-commissioned at Devonport for further service 3rd Cruiser
Squadron.
February On
completion of trials and preparation for service took passage to join Squadron
in Malta.
March Deployed with Squadron in Mediterranean.
to
July
August
8th Relieved in Squadron by HM Cruiser
CURLEW.
September Passage
to UK for refit.
October Under
refit at Devonport.
to
December
1 9 3 0
January Under refit
to
May
June Post refit trials
July Deployed in Home waters
and prepared to resume service in 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
August Passage to Malta to rejoin Mediterranean Fleet.
September Deployed with Squadron in Mediterranean.
to
December
1 9 3 1
January Mediterranean Fleet deployment
with Squadron in continuation.
to
June
July Relieved in
Squadron by HM Cruiser COLOMBO.
Nominated for
reduction to Reserve and took passage to Devonport.
31st Re-commissioned for service in Reserve Fleet for training
use.
August Deployed at Devonport.
to
December
1 9 3 2
January Reserve training deployment in
continuation at Devonport.
to
November
December Deployed as Senior Officer's ship,
Reserve Fleet Devonport.
1 9 3 3
Senior Officer
Fleet Devonport service in continuation.
1 9 3 4
January Senior Officer Reserve Fleet
Devonport deployment in continuation.
to
November
December Deployed for carrying Army
personnel to Malta.
1 9 3 5
January Resumed duty as Senior Officer
Reserve Fleet, Devonport.
February Deployed at Devonport.
to
December
1 9 3 6
January Devonport duty as Senior
Officer, Reserve Fleet in continuation.
to
September
October
23rd Relieved as Senior Officer's ship, Reserve Fleet Devonport by
HM Cruiser COLOMBO.
November Retained in Reserve at Devonport.
to
December
1 9 3 7
Devonport
Reserve Fleet service in continuation.
Nominated for
refit at Chatham.
1 9 3 8
January Devonport Reserve Fleet
service in continuation.
to
June
July
11th Passage to Chatham under tow for refit.
August Under
refit by HM Dockyard, Chatham.
to
December
1 9 3 9
January Under refit
to
May
June On completion of refit
relieved HM Cruiser CALCUTTA in Reserve Fleet at Chatham
as Senior
Officer’s ship.
July Brought forward with
complement of Reservists for attendance at Review of Reserve Fleet at
Weymouth by HM King George VI.
August
9th Present at Royal Review.
Remained
in commission and war station allocated.
On
completion of storing and with complement for operational use took passage to Scapa Flow
September Deployed
with 7th Cruiser Squadron at Scapa Flow.
5th Sailed to carry out Northern Patrol
for interception of German shipping attempting return
German
ports and to maintain contraband control.
(For
details of Northern Patrol see THE BLCCKADERS by Hastings).
October Transferred
to 11th Cruiser Squadron and continued Northern Patrol duties.
15th Sustained weather damage to upper deck equipment during
patrol.
23rd Established patrol line in
Faeroes-Iceland Passage with HM Cruisers CARDIFF and HM
Cruiser COLOMBO to intercept SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU after sinking of
RAWALPINDI (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett and
Naval Staff
History.)
30th Passage to Tyre for repair.
December Nominated
for service in the Mediterranean.
(Note:
Experience since outbreak of war had shown this Class of cruiser was unsuitable
for use
in
North
Atlantic,)
1st Under repair in Tyne shipyard.
19th On completion transferred to 3rd Cruiser
Squadron,
21st Passage to Gibraltar from Plymouth.
28th Joined Squadron at Malta for contraband control and patrol
duty.
1940
January Based
at Alexandria and deployed on contraband control patrol
duty in eastern Mediterranean.
February Mediterranean patrol duties in
continuation.
to
May
June
11th After Italy entered war deployed with HM
Battleships WARSPITE and MALAYA,
HM
Aircraft
Carrier EAGLE, HM Cruisers ORION, NEPTUNE, SYDNEY (RAN), LIVERPOOL,
GLOUCESTER
and CALYPSO with a screen of nine Fleet destroyers
for an offensive patrol
south
of Crete to intercept Italian convoys to Libya.
12th Rescued survivors from HM Cruiser
CALYPSO with HM Destroyer DAINTY after sinking by
Italian
submarine BAGNOLINI.
Carried
out bombardment of Tobruk with other ships.
14th Returned to Alexandria.
26th Joined HM Cruiser CAPETOWN, HM destroyer
GARLAND, H M Australian Destroyer
VAMPIRE escort for convoy to Dardanelles.
30th Returned to Alexandria
with inward convoy.
July
11th Escorted convoy to Greece
with HMS CAPETOWN.
30th Declared unsuitable use in Mediterranean because of the low speed and lack of
AA armament
in this Class
of cruiser.
August
10th Transferred for duty with East Indies
Squadron in Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
15th Joined HM Cruisers HOBART, CERES and CARLISLE,
HM Destroyers KANDAHAR.
KIMBERLEY,
HM Sloops SHOREHAM, PARRAMATTA
(RAN) and AUCKLAND with
three
Armed Merchant Cruisers and a hospital ship for evacuation of Berbera.
A
total of over 7,000 troops and civilians were taken to Aden.
Provided naval
gunfire support against shore batteries during operation.
September Deployed for convoy defence and
patrol in Indian Ocean and Red Sea based at Aden.
to December
1 9 4 1
January Convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
to
February
March
16th Deployed with HM Cruiser GLASGOW, HM Destroyers KANDAHAR and KIPLING,
two Armed
Merchant Cruisers and HM Motor Launch 109 to support landings by Indian
troops at
Berbera from HM Boarding Ships CHAKDINA and CHANTALA
(Operation
APPEARANCE).
April In action with HMS
GLASGOW against four Italian destroyers in Red Sea.
Proposal by
Prime Minister to use as blockship with HM Battleship BAHRAM during
planned operation
at Tripoli turned down by CinC Mediterranean
May Indian Ocean
trade defence in continuation.
to
August
September Under refit at Colombo.
to
October
November Resumed trade defence duties in Indian Ocean
with East Indies Squadron ships.
to December
HMS Caledon passing
destroyer HMS Echo
1 9 4 2
January Indian Ocean
escort and patrol In continuation.
to
February
March
1st Detached to cover minelay by HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT
BANK off Arakan with
HM Corvette
ASTER.
26th Joined 5th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet based at
Trincomalee.
31st Allocated to Force B with HM Battleships RAMILLIES, ROYAL
SOVEREIGN and
REVENGE, HM aircraft Carrier HERMES, HM Cruiser DRAGON, Dutch
cruiser
VAN HEEMSKERK
and eight destroyers.
Deployed in
support of Force "A" during search for Japanese Force reported on passage to
Ceylon.
(For details see
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO, 2002) and OPERATION PACIFIC by E
Gray)
April
4th Supported Force "A" during further sweep for
Japanese warships.
(For details see
above references).
9th Transferred to new base at Kilindini for trade defence with
Force "B" ships.
(Note: Ships of
Eastern Fleet had moved to East
Africa because of Japanese air
threat.)
May Deployed on trade
defence and interception patrol in Indian
Ocean.
to Nominated for
conversion to Anti-Aircraft Cruiser.
June
July Passage to UK.
August Paid off into Dockyard Control
prior to refit.
September Awaiting refit at Chatham.
14th Taken in hand for refit and conversion.
(Note: Aircraft
warning radar Type 279, surface warning radar Type 272 and fire-control
radars Type 285
and Type 282 to be fitted.
For details of
development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by
D Howse)
October Under refit.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Under refit
to Nominated
for service in Mediterranean
October
November Harbour trials and re-commissioned.
Carried
out sea trials
December
7th On
completion prepared for foreign service.
1 9 4 4
January Passage to Scapa Flow to
work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
February On completion of work-up took passage to Mediterranean.
March Joined Fleet at Alexandria.
24th Escorted military convoy to Salerno from Alexandria with H M Cruiser FROBISHER and four
HUNT Class
Escort Destroyers.
April
Deployed for
convoy escort in Mediterranean.
May
9th Joined US
Navy Task Group west of Gibraltar for escort of Convoy UGS40
into Mediterranean.
11th Under attack
by 62 Ju88 aircraft off Cape Bengut and shot down ten of them.
June Convoy defence in
continuation based at Malta.
July Nominated for duty
under overall US Navy Command for support of landings In South of
France (Operation
DRAGOON).
August Took part in preparatory
exercises for DRAGOON.
15th Part of Task Group 88.2 providing AA cover for Escort
Carriers with HM Cruiser COLOMBO
during landings
in south of France.
For details see
LANDINGS IN SOUTH FRANCE (HMSO)
September Resumed control by CinC
Mediterranean and deployed for convoy defence.
October Transferred to Aegean area to
support reoccupation of islands.
November Deployed for support of shore
operations and AA defence duties in Aegean.
December Deployed in support of military
operations on Greek mainland.
Carried out
series of bombardments of Communist (ELAS)
positions near to Piraeus
and Salamis with HM Escort Destroyer EASTON, French corvette LA
MALOUINE, Greek
ships SAKHTOURIS
and NAVARIN (RHN).
12th Released from military support
Remained in
Aegean area for convoy defence and support of Greek operations.
1 9 4 5
January Deployment in Greek waters in
continuation.
Nominated for
withdrawal from operational service.
February Passage to UK.
March Paid off and to be reduced
to Reserve status
April On completion of reduction
to Reserve and laid up at Falmouth.
May Laid-up at Falmouth pending disposal.
