1
9 4 1
December
Commissioned for service in 15th Cruiser
Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet
5th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
On completion took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
1
9 4 2
January
Worked-up for operational service based
at Scapa
Flow.
February
Passage to Clyde
5th
Sailed from Clyde
11th
Arrived at Malta
with HM Destroyer FORTUNE after call at
Gibraltar
Under air attack
during entry into Grand
Harbour.
Hit by 500Kg bomb which exploded after
passing through forward structure.
Sustained flooding forward with some
splinter
damage to torpedo tubes and structure
by
other near
misses.
12th
Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard,
Malta.
March
10th
On completion deployed with HM Destroyer
KINGSTON to join Force B in search for Italian
convoys.
(Note: Force B included Flagship of
Squadron, HM Cruiser NAIAD.
11th
During search with Force B came under
sustained air attacks
Following loss of HMS NAIAD by torpedo
from U565 became Flagship of Squadron.
15th
Bombarded
Rhodes with ships of 15th Cruiser
Squadron.
20th
Provided cover for Malta
supply convoy (MW10) during passage from
Alexandria
(Operation MG1) with H M Cruisers DIDO
and EURYALUS (Force B) in conjunction
with HM
Cruiser PENELOPE and
HM Destroyer LEGION (Force K) from Malta.
21st
Joined convoy escort (HM Cruiser
CARLISLE and HUNT Class Destroyers).
March
22nd
In action
against
aircraft and superior Italian naval
force including battleship LITTORIO
and
three
cruisers.
After brief engagement and threat of
torpedo attack by the
Fleet
destroyers, Italian ship turned
away and
convoy was saved.
Hit on Bridge by 6in return fire from an
Italian cruiser caused some casualties.
(2nd Battle of Sirte
- for details see MEDITERRANEAN
MAELSTROM by
G. C. Connell.
THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre.
MALTA
CONVOYS by R
Woodman and Naval
Staff History.)
(Note: Convoy MW10 came under heavy air
attacks and losses.
See references.)
28th
Returned to Alexandria
with Force B.
(Note: Congratulatory signal from Prime
Minister was received by Admiral Vian
for the
engagement
with a superior Italian force.)
April
Deployed in eastern Mediterranean with Squadron based at Alexandria
to
(Note: Operation IRONCLAD in Indian
Ocean
to carry out landings at Diego Suarez,
May
Madagascar
had reduced strength of Fleet in Eastern Mediterranean and no relief
convoys were
passed to Malta.)
June
13th
Deployed as Flagship
of escort for Malta
supply convoy (MW11) with ships of
Squadron
which had
been reinforced by HM Cruisers NEWCASTLE
and BIRMINGHAM
on return
from detached
service in Eastern Fleet fir IRONCLAD
(Operation VIGOROUS)
(Note: HM Battleship CENTURION (Pre 1911
build), disguised as modern King George
V Class
battleship
and 25 destroyers also formed part of
the escort.
This was also intended as a Diversion
during passage of a relief convoy to Malta
from
Gibraltar
(Operation HARPOON)
14th
Under heavy and sustained attacks by
high level and dive bombers.
15th
After night torpedo boat attacks, a
surface threat from heavy Italian naval
force and a series of
conflicting
orders from a new CinC in Alexandria,
operation abandoned.
(See above references for details of
this ill fated and poorly organised
operation.)
30th
Transferred to Haifa
with ships of Squadron to act as a
Bombardment Force for support of
military
operations.
(Note: Operation EXPORTER to support
military advance in Syria
has begun and support
from Haifa
was planned. Vichy French warships were
also known to be active.
See RELUCTANT ENEMIES and Naval Staff
History and Military (Middle
East) Staff
History).
July
Deployed with Squadron in eastern Mediterranean based at Haifa.
August
12th
Carried out bombardment at Rhodes
with HM Cruiser ARETHUSA, HM Destroyers
JAVELIN, KELVIN, SIKH and NUBIAN as a
Diversion during passage of Malta Relief
Convoy from Gibraltar
(Operation PEDESTAL)
Nominated for self refit at Massawa
in Red
Sea,
Passage to Massawa.
September
Under
self-refit at Massawa.
(Note: As there was no suitable floating
dock available extempore arrangements
were
necessary.
Only the half the ship could be raised
at a time.
Some damage was caused when ship slipped
off blocks.
October
On completion took passage to rejoin Fleet
in the Mediterranean.
Joined HM Cruisers ORION and EURYALUS
for deployment in eastern Mediterranean
November
16th
Deployed with HM Cruisers ARETHUSA,
DIDO, EURYALUS, ORION and destroyers of
14th Destroyer Flotilla to cover passage
of MW13 to Malta
from Port
Said.
(Note: This was first relief convoy to Malta
since siege was lifted - Operation
STONEAGE.)
During air attacks on 18th HMS ARETHUSA
was seriously damaged but able to
return to Alexandria
with great difficulty.)
19th
Nominated for return to Malta
as Force K.
(Note: Other ships in Force K comprised
HM Cruisers DIDO, EURYALUS, HM
Destroyers
JERVIS,
JAVELIN, KELVIN and
NUBIAN.)
25th
Sailed from Alexandria
for service based in Malta.
December
4th
Deployed with Force K to cover passage
of Convoy MW14 during final stage of
passage
into Malta
from Egypt
(Operation PORTCULLIS)
10th
Transferred to Bone with HM Cruisers
ARGONAUT, DIDO and EURYALUS for
deployment as
Force Q for attacks on enemy supply
convoys to North African ports.
12th
In action with HM Cruisers EURYALUS and
four destroyers against convoy off
Tunisia
sinking three
ships.
For details
see above references
1
9 4 3
January
22nd
Bombarded enemy withdrawal route near Zuara,
with HMS EURYALUS and HM
Destroyers JERVIS, JAVELIN, KELVIN
and NUBIAN.
February
Deployed in eastern Mediterranean on convoy defence and for support of military
to
operations, based at Bone.
April
May
Transferred to 12th Cruiser Squadron and
continued deployment at Bone
June
Escorted military convoys for build up
of allied forces before allied landings
in Sicily.
July
1st
Based at Bone for support of planned
allied landings in Sicily,
6th
Sailed from Algiers
to commence HUSKY support
8th
Covered assault convoys in Gulf
of Sirte
with Force H and Mediterranean Fleet
units.
10th
Deployed in Ionian
Sea
with HM Battleships NELSON, RODNEY,
WARSPITE,
VALIANT, HM Aircraft Carriers
INDOMITABLE and FORMIDABLE and ships of
Squadron.
(Operation HUSKY - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History).
11th
Deployed for gunfire support on northern
Flank of Beach head,
Involved in “Friendly Fire” incident
with HM Cruiser EURYALUS and Motor
Torpedo
Boats.
(Note: This incident was not public
knowledge until after 1993.
For information on this subject see
FRIENDLY FIRE
by P Kemp.)
12th
Deployed for interception patrol with
HMS EURYALUS and HM Destroyers ILEX and
ECHO.
During anti-submarine operations the two
destroyers sank the Italian submarine
NEREIDE
10 miles SE of
Augusta.
14th
Torpedo attack by aircraft during naval
gunfire support failed.
16th
Hit amidships by torpedo from Italian
submarine
Sustained major
damage to structure with flooding of
machinery compartments.
Only 'Local' control of armament was
possible.
30 of ship's company were killed or
missing with 23 wounded,
(Note: Submarine probably DANDALO but
another source claims ALAGI)
17th
Returned to Malta
at 10 knots screened by HM Destroyers
QUIBERON and QUAIL
with AA cover
by HMS EURYALUS.
August
Deployed at Malta
pending arrangements for repair.
to
Under temporary repair to allow passage
September
October
Repair arranged in USA
Passage to Gibraltar
with call at Algiera
November
7th
Sailed from Gibraltar
for Philadelphia.
Taken in hand for repair and refit in US
Navy Yard, Philadelphia
December
Under repair and refit.
1
9 4 4
January
Under repair and refit
to
August
September
Carried out post refit trials.
October
On completion of trials took passage
from Philadelphia
to Bermuda
with call at New
York.
November
Deployed at Bermuda
for shakedown before passage to Clyde.
28th
Arrived in Clyde
December
Completion of
refit work and A's and A's in Clyde
shipyard.
(Note: Work including installation of
equipment not available in USA
and
included new
radars and IFF
outfits.
Q 5.25in mounting
forward replaced by Close Range AA
armament.
For details of development and use of
radar see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.
1
9 4 5
January
Under refit
to
Carried cut
post refit trials.
April
Nominated for duty in Eastern Fleet
and began work-up in Clyde.
May
3rd
Took passage from Clyde
to Mediterranean
for further working-up in Malta
with ships of
Mediterranean Fleet.
12th
Arrived in Malta
June
Deployed in Malta.
Sailed
from Malta
on completion to join 5th Cruiser
Squadron in Eastern Fleet.
July
Passage in Red
Sea
and Indian
Ocean
12th
Arrived at Colombo.
Joined 5th Cruiser Squadron, East Indies Fleet
August
Deployed for exercises with ships of
Eastern Fleet in preparation for planned
landings
in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER).
(Note: Operation delayed by US
insistence and problems relating to
return of service
personnel
from SEAC
under the PYTHON Scheme. See Final
Report of the
Supreme Commander SEAC (HMSO)
15th
At Colombo
Nominated for duty
as Flagship for Re-occupation of
Singapore (Operation TIDERACE.)
27th
Embarked CinC
Eastern Fleet for passage to Penang
via Sabang.
Passage from Colombo
September
1st
At Penang
for surrender ceremonies.
2nd
Covered minesweeping operation during
passage in Malacca Strait to Singapore.
3rd
Arrived at Singapore
with HM Minesweeper BENGAL
(RIN) and remained for
landing of
re-occupation forces,
9th
Covered landings at Port Swettenham
with HM Battleship NELSON, French
battleship
RICHELIEU,
ships of 21st Escort Aircraft Carrier Squadron
, HM Cruisers NIGERIA,
CEYLON
and 15 Fleet Destroyers.
(Operation ZIPPER - For details of this
operation see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval
Staff History).
12th
Attended Formal Surrender at Singapore
17th
Released from ZIPPER and took return
passage to Trincomalee.
