1 9 2 2
February
Contractors Trials
Commissioned for Trials
March
9th
Paid
off on completion of Acceptance
Trials.
April
11th
Re-commissioned
for service in 8th Light Cruiser
Squadron on America and West
Indies
Station.
March
Deployed with Squadron.
to
December
(Note:
Visits were paid to Empire communities
in the Area and to foreign countries in
the area
1
9 2 3 to
1 9 2 5
January
Carried out Squadron exercise
and visits programme based at Bermuda.
to
December
(Note:
Routine dockings and refits in Canadian
dockyards.)
1
9 2 6
January
Squadron deployment on Station
in continuation
to
September
(Note:
During visit to Montreal in this period
ship sustained structural damage to
stern by
collision when entering harbour.)
October
Resumed Squadron service and
returned to Bermuda.
21st
Rescued
29 survivors from HM Sloop VALERIAN
which capsized in a hurricane
south of
Bermuda.
(Note: HMS VALERIAN sank on 22nd
October.)
November
West Indies deployment with Squadron
in continuation.
to
December
1
9 2 7
January
West Indies deployment with Squadron in continuation
to
April
May
Passage to Devonport to
re-commission.
June
Deployed at Devonport
(Note: During this period ship may
have been refitted.)
Paid-off.
July
1st
Re-commissioned
for service with 8th Light Cruiser
Squadron in West Indies.
August
Passage to Bermuda to resume foreign service with Squadron.
to
Deployed
with Squadron for visits and exercises.
December
1
9 2 8
Squadron duties based at Bermuda in continuation.
1
9 2 9
January
West Indies deployment in
continuation.
to
November
Nominated
for reduction to Reserve status at
Devonport.
December
Passage to Devonport to pay-off.
17th
Arrived
at Devonport
31st
Reduction
to Reserve commenced
1
9 3 0 t
o 1 9 3 2
Laid-up in Reserve
Fleet Devonport.
1
9 3 3
January
Laid-up at Devonport
to
October
November
Prepared for refit by HM Dockyard,
Devonport prior to foreign
service.
December
7th
Taken
in hand for refit.
1
9 3 4
January
Under refit
to
June
July
17th
Re-commissioned
for service on China Station with 5th
Light Cruiser Squadron.
August
Carried out trials and shakedown in Home
waters.
to
September
Passage
to Hong Kong to commence Squadron
service.
October
Deployed with Squadron and
took part in exercises and duties to
protect British
to
December
flagged
shipping.
1
9 3 5
Squadron duties based at Hong Kong in continuation.
1
9 3 6
January
Deployed on China Station.
to
March
Nominated
for return to UK to re-commission.
April
25th
Sailed
from Hong Kong to re-commission
(Note: The reason for early return to
UK is not known.
Foreign commissions usually lasted 2½
years and would have normally
lasted until
December 1936)
May
Passage to UK
to
June
Paid-off
July
Deployed at Devonport
30th
Re-commissioned
for service on China Station with 5th
Light Cruiser Squadron.
August
Deployed at Devonport
to
December
(Note:
Ship may have refitted during this
period.)
Passage to rejoin Squadron
1
9 3 7
January
Deployed with Squadron on China Station.
to
June
July
Deployed at Wei-Hei-Wei
with Squadron
15th
Arrived at Hong
Kong for refit.
(Note: Refit was cancelled and ship
had routine docking before despatch to
Nanking
for guardship
duties.)
22nd
Sailed
from Hong Kong to Nanking.
August
1st
Arrived
at Nanking
as relief for HM Cruiser DANAE as guardship.
(Note: Guardship
was responsible for providing shore
parties as needed to
protect
British community during threat of
Japanese military actions
including
air attacks and to act as a secure
wireless communication link
in support
of British Embassy requirements.)
September
Guardship
duties at Nanking
in continuation.
20th
Embarked
British Embassy personnel for evacuation
in view of air attacks expected
within 48
hours
21st
Passage
to Hangchow
with passengers,
(Note: Air raids began on Nanking
on 22nd)
October
2nd
Arrived
at Hangchow
after delay caused by wrecks of Chinese
mercantiles
deliberately
sunk to
prevent passage of Japanese warships in
the Yangtse
River.
November
Remained at Hangchow
pending Japanese permission to sail down
river.
December
18th
Sailed from Hanchow
after
permission by Japanese to leave.
27th
Arrived at Hong
Kong after call at Shanghai.
1
9 3 8
January
Deployed for Squadron duties
based at Hong Kong.
to
February
March
6th
Despatched
to assist French freighter YOLANDE which
was aground in
Betty Cove near Alceste
Island.
April
Nominated for return to UK for
conversion into an anti-aircraft
cruiser.
26th
Sailed
for UK from Hong
Kong
May
Passage to Devonport
to
July
(Note:
Ship may have been delayed in
Mediterranean in view of Italian
aggressive
operations against Abyssinia.)
August
Passage from Mediterranean to
Devonport.
9th
Arrived
at Devonport
September
Reduced to Reserve status prior to
conversion by HM Dockyard Rosyth.
October
Laid-up at Devonport
to
December
1
9 3 9
January
Transferred to Rosyth and used
as an Accommodation Ship.
to
June
Conversion
delayed due to international situation
July
Commissioned with Fleet Reserve
personnel to
attend review of the
Reserve Fleet by HM King George VI.
August
Attended Review in Weymouth Bay and
remained in commission to take up
war station
as part of 11th Cruiser Squadron.
(Note: Ship is likely to have done
limited work-up prior to being deployed
for
Atlantic convoy defence and must have
stored for war service before sailing.)
28th
Sailed
from Plymouth for Gibraltar.
D
e t a i l
s o f
W a r
S
e r v i c e
(for
more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
September
1st
Deployed
at Gibraltar
3rd
Sailed
for interception patrol to enforce
blockade and for defence of Atlantic
convoys
which were commenced after commencement
of war with Germany.
12th
Returned
to Gibraltar from patrol
(Note: Other ships of the Class were
deployed in northern Atlantic.)
17th
Sailed from Gibraltar
for escort of SL convoy from Freetown.
27th
Returned
to Gibraltar.
October
2nd
Sailed
for patrol and convoy escort.
During passage developed defects and
returned to Gibraltar.
3rd
Returned
to Gibraltar.
Repair arranged at Malta.
(Note: Deployment to be transferred
to North Atlantic on completion.)
6th
Sailed
from Gibraltar
for repair.
8th
On
arrival taken in hand for repair by HM
Dockyard,
Malta.
21st
Deployed at Malta
on completion of repair.
25th
Transferred
to 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean
Fleet.
(Note: Deployment of this Class of
cruiser in North Atlantic had been found
unsuitable.)
27th
Deployed
for contraband patrol and sailed from
Malta.
November
3rd
Returned
to Malta from patrol
7th
Deployed
for patrol and convoy defence in
western Mediterranean.
9th
At
Gibraltar.
12th
Deployed for patrol in Gibraltar
area.
18th
Sailed
from Gibraltar.
20th
Returned
to Malta.
26th
Sailed
for patrol from Malta
December
5th
Returned
to Malta from patrol
18th
Sailed
for patrol from Malta
26th
Returned
to Malta
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed in Malta
12th
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Malta
30th
Resumed Squadron duties.
February
Deployed for blockade duties and
patrol based in Malta.
to
May
(Note:
During this period extensive
Mediterranean Fleet exercises were
carried
out in
anticipation of war with Italy.
June
Deployed in Eastern Mediterranean for
defence of convoys.
26th
Escorted
convoy during passage from Egypt to
Dardanelles with HM Destroyers
NUBIAN and MOHAWK.
30th
Returned
to Alexandria with HM Cruiser CALEDON,
HM Destroyers GARLAND,
VAMPIRE (RAN) and same ships having
escorted convoy from Cape Helles
during
passage
to Egypt.
July
6th
Carried
out bombardment at Bardia
in support of shore
military operation.
11th
Sailed from Alexandria
as escort for convoy to Piraeus during
initial stage of passage.
13th
Returned
to Alexandria.
18th
Transferred
to 7th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean
Fleet.
21st
Deployed
with HM Cruiser LIVERPOOL, HM Destroyers
DIAMOND and STUART
(RAN) as escort for
single ship from Alexandria
to Aegean.
22nd
Joined
by HM Destroyers DAINTY and DEFENDER
with four mercantiles
to form
Convoy AN2 escort during passage.
27th
Detached
with AN2 escort when convoy dispersed
and joined south bound convoy
to Egypt as
escort
31st
Transferred to East
Indies station.
(Note: This change was made when
experience of the extent and severity of
aerial
attacks on
RN warships in eastern Mediterranean
clearly showed that this
Class of cruiser was unsuitable for
deployment in the Mediterranean
because of
lack of speed and poor AA armament,)
August
3rd
Sailed
from Alexandria to join 4th Cruiser
Squadron for convoy defence in
Indian
Ocean and Red
Sea.
September
20th
Deployed
with HM Cruisers CANBERRA (RAN)),
DURBAN, HM Aircraft Carrier
HERMES and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
WESTRALIA (RAN)) in search for
German raider
ATLANTIS active in Indian
Ocean.
October
On release from search took
passage to Singapore for refit.
November
Under refit by HM Dockyard, Singapore.
December
Resumed convoy defence and patrol
duty in Indian Ocean.
1
9 4 1
January
Indian Ocean deployment in
continuation.
February
Nominated for service in Force
T for support of planned military
operation in
Italian
Somaliland.
10th
Deployed
with HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE, HMS HERMES,
HMS HAWKINS,
HM Cruiser CERES
and HM Destroyer KANDAHAR
as Force T.
14th
Deployed
at Mogadiscio
with Force T and provided support
bombardment.
18th
On
release from support duties took passage
to Mombasa with Force T ships.
21st
Sailed
from Mombasa and joined HMS HERMES and
HM Cruiser EMERALD
in search
for German ADMIRAL SCHEER.
26th
Search
abandoned and joined HM Cruiser
ENTERPRISE in escort for military
convoy WS5BX
during passage from Mombasa to Bombay,
29th
Detached
from WS5BX and took passage to Red
Sea for convoy defence,
patrol
and support
of military operations duties.
31st
Arrived
at Port Sudan.
March
Deployed in Red Sea for convoy defence and interception patrol.
(Note: In order to ensure convoy
routes were clear of mines, ships on
patrol
streamed
paravanes
to cut any moored mine cables. Dan buoys
were laid
to mark
limits of swept channel.)
April
Red Sea deployment in continuation.
8th
During
patrol duty north of Massawa,
off Mersa
Kuba with HM
Australian
Sloop PARRAMATTA came under attack by
Italian torpedo boat MAS 213
which
launched two torpedoes.
Hit in after boiler room and
sustained severe damage with flooding.
Ship disabled with many casualties.
9th
Under
tow by HMAS PARRAMATTA escorted by HM
Indian Sloop INDUS.
10th
At Port Sudan
11th
Ship
de-stored and commenced preparation for
tow to naval dockyard for repair.
(Note: Ship paid off and ship’s
company transferred to other ships on
station..
It is not known whether a party was
retained to man ship during tow.)
May
Repair arranged at Bombay.
Passage to in Red
Sea under tow.
June
On arrival at Bombay taken in hand for
repair by HM
Dockyard.
July
Under repair
to
December
(Note:
One source suggests that period under
dockyard control may have been
extended by
delay in arrival of replacement boilers
from UK)
1
9 4 2
January
Under repair and refit
to
May
(Note:
No major alterations were made to
increase AA armament or to fit radar.)
June
Re-commissioned for service in 5th
Cruiser
Squadron, Eastern Fleet
Carried out post
refit trials.
July
On completion of storing took passage to
resume Squadron duties in Persian
Gulf.
August
Deployed as Base Ship at Hormuz
September
10th
After
relief at Hormuz
deployed in Persian Gulf deployed for
convoy defence
in Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
October
15th
Transferred
for convoy defence of traffic in Indian
Ocean between Persian Gulf,
East
Africa and India.
November
Indian Ocean convoy defence in
continuation.
December
Deployed with escort for military
convoy WS24 in Indian Ocean (to be
confirmed)
1
9 4 3
January
Indian Ocean convoy defence in
continuation.
to
June
July
Nominated for return to UK.
August
Passage in Atlantic.
September
1st
Arrived
at Gibraltar
Passage to Plymouth
October
Paid-off and placed under Care
and Maintenance at Devonport.
December
Taken in hand for refit to fit
20mm Oerlikon weapons for close range
defence
against air
attacks and for installation of surface
warning radar Type 273
(Note: For details of development and
use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.)
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed at Plymouth as an Accommodation
Ship.
February
Used for accommodation of
landing craft personnel at Plymouth
to
March
(Note: Large numbers of Landing
craft were based at Plymouth in
preparation
for planned
allied landings in Normandy (Operation
NEPTUNE)
April
Nominated for service in support of
NEPTUNE.
17th
Re-commissioned
May
Prepared for duty as Control Ship for
military convoys during passage from
beachhead
area.
Nominated for deployment with Western
Task Force in MULBERRY A
June
Deployed under overall US Command for
duty as
Captain Southbound Sailings
Control Ship and Depot Ship at
Mulberry A.
4th
Operation
delayed for 24 hours
6th
Passage
to Solent.
7th
Passage
through swept channel from south of Isle of Wight to
Mulberry A
in Western
Task Force Area.
9th
Commenced
duty as Control Ship Southbound sailings
to US landing beaches.
(Note: HM Cruiser CERES was deployed
as Captain North Bound Sailings
at Mulberry
A
19th
Mulberry
A wrecked in severe gale. No serious
damage known in ship.
24th
NEPTUNE terminated when headquarters moved ashore.
Depot Ship duties
in continuation.
July
Beachhead deployment
under command of ANCXF in
continuation.
to
August
September
Passage to Plymouth on release from far
shore duties.
October
Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve status.
Some secondary armament removed.
Deployed at Falmouth as an Accommodation
ships for personnel of Reserve
Fleet ships laid-up there.
November
Falmouth
deployment in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Falmouth deployment in continuation.
to
May