1 9 4 0
May
24th
Commissioned for Contractors Trials.
June
Contractor's trials in
continuation.
19th
Accepted Into service and prepared for
work-up.
July
5th
Escorted liners SOBIESKI, MONARCH CF
BERMUDA and BATORY
taking bullion
to Halifax,
Canada
escorted by HM Battleship REVENGE.
18th
Sailed from Halifax
via Bermuda
for Scapa
Flow.
25th
Commenced work up for service with 15th
Cruiser Squadron,
Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow
August
21st
On completion deployed with HM Cruiser COVENTRY
to escort Atlantic convoy.
September
Deployed with Home Fleet in NW
Approaches.
13th
Deployed on Northern Patrol for
interception of commerce
raiders.
October
16th
Detached to escort newly commissioned
battleship HMS KING
GEORGE V from Tyne
to
Rosyth with HM
Cruiser NAIAD screened by HM Destroyers
BRILLIANT, ELECTRA,
MAORI and SIKH.
November
Nominated for duty in
Mediterranean Fleet with 15th Cruiser
Squadron.
6th
Resumed Home Fleet Northern Patrol duty.
Sustained weather
damage to foc'sle deck.
December
4th
Taken in hand for repair at Rosyth.
On completion
deployed as escort for Middle
East
military convoy WS5A from UK.
(Note: This
convoy included 4 ships carrying
supplies for Malta
and Piraeus as part
of Operation
EXCESS - See THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D
Maclntyre and
Naval Staff History (HMSO).)
18th
Joined WS5 as Ocean Escort during
passage in Atlantic.
(Note: HM
Corvettes CLEMATIS, CYCLAMEN, GERANIUM
and JONQUIL were also
part of escort
to Freetown.)
25th
In action with German cruiser HIPPER off
Finisterre with H M
Cruisers BERWICK and
DUNEDIN
and HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS in
defence of convoy.
(Note: 6in
turret jammed in training as a result of
which modifications were carried out
in
all ships of
this Class. (See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli
Barnett)
26th
Rounded up ships of convoy which had
scattered.
28th
Detached with mercantiles taking passage
through Mediterranean.
1
9 4 1
January
6th
Part of Force F with W Destroyers HASTY,
HERO,
HERE WARD and JAGUAR as
escort to Skerki
Channel where convoy was to be
transferred to Mediterranean Fleet
ships already
covering transit of convoys in Eastern
Mediterranean.
7th
Ships of Force H joined convoy to
provide
additional cover (Operation
EXCESS).
(For details of
operations in Mediterranean
see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D Maclntyre,
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman and Naval
Staff History
(HMSO).).
9th
Under air attack by Italian Savoia
bombers, three of which
were destroyed.
In action
against two Italian destroyers with HMS
HEREWARD.
Italian
Destroyer VEGA sunk and the other
damaged.
Minor
superficial damage was sustained.
Covered tow of
damaged destroyer HMS GALLANT by HM
Destroyer MOHAWK to
Malta.
11th
Arrived in Malta
and joined 15th Cruiser Squadron,
Mediterranean Fleet.
14th
Sailed with HM Cruisers PERTH
(RAN), ORION and JAGUAR for Alexandria.
February
Deployed at Suda
Bay
with CS15 ships.
24th
Joined HM Armed Boarding Vessel ROSAURA,
being used as troop transport
with HM
Cruiser GLOUCESTER, HM
Destroyer HEREWARD and HM Destroyer
DECOY for
commando raid on
the Island
of Casteloriso.
This was
cancelled (See WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P
Smith and E
Walker
and
THE
NAVAL WAR IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by Greene and A Massignani.).
27th
Escorted HMS ROSAURA with HM Cruiser
PERTH screened by HM
Destroyers HASTY
and JAGUAR to
make second attempt at landing on
Casteloriso
28th
Patrolled north of Casteloriso during
landings which proved a
disaster.
March
1st
Transferred to 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
6th
Escorted Convoy AG1 to Pireaus with HM
Cruisers GLOUCESTER
and YORK
9th
Returned to Alexandria.
23rd
Damaged by bomb splinters during air
attacks on Grand
Harbour,
Malta.
Under repair in Malta.
On completion
rejoined Squadron at Alexandria
for escort of convoys to Greece.
(Operation
LUSTRE - See above references).
30th
Joined HM Destroyers HEREWARD, GRIFFIN
and STUART (RAN) for escort
of military
Convoy GAS
on passage to Alexandria
(Operation LUSTRE).
Under attack by
Italian submarine DAGABUR which was
unsuccessful.
Torpedoed
amidships on starboard side by Italian
submarine AMBRA off Sollum.
Extensive
flooding caused sinking within 6
minutes.
310 of crew
rescued by HMS HEREWARD and HMAS STUART.
(Note: Official
Casualty List was published on 17th May
1941.)
(Casualty
List - note
on
casualties)