1
9 1 8
July
Contractors trials and commissioning
for service with 5th Light Cruiser
Squadron
18th
Acceptance trials on completion of
build.
Passage to Harwich
to join Squadron for service in North
Sea.
August
Deployed with Squadron for patrol
duties in North
Sea
After armistice
deployed in Home waters for Fleet
duties.
1
9 1 9
Transferred to 1st Light Cruiser
Squadron. Atlantic
Fleet.
Deployed with Squadron in Home waters
1
9 2 0 t
o 1 9 2 2
Squadron duties in
Channel Fleet in continuation.
1
9 2 3
January
Atlantic Fleet deployment in
continuation with Squadron
to
August
September
Nominated for foreign
service as part of World
Cruise with visits to countries in the
British
Empire.
October
Prepared for special duty.
November
Joined HM Battlecruisers
HOOD, REPULSE, HM Cruisers DELHI,
DRAGON,
DAUNTLESS and DUNEDIN.
27th
Sailed from Plymouth
with ships of special squadron.
December
21st
Arrived at Cape
Town
after call at Freetown,
Sierra
Leone.
22nd
Passage to Zanzibar.
1
9 2 4
January
1st
Arrived at Zanzibar
after calls at Port
Elizabeth,
East
London.
Mossel
Bay
and Durban.
17th
Took passage for Australia
from Zanzibar.
February
Passage in Indian
Ocean
28th
Arrived in Fremantle,
Australia.
March
Visited Albany,
Adelaide
and Melbourne.
April
6th
Sailed from Hobart
for Sydney.
9th
Arrived at Sydney,
20th
Sailed from Sydney
for Wellington, New
Zealand
23rd
Arrived at Wellington.
May
7th
Sailed from Wellington
for Pacific visits programme.
(Note: Calls were made at Suva,
Samara, Fiji,
Samoa
and Honolulu.
June
Passage from Honolulu
to Vancouver,
British
Columbia
with call at Victoria,
BC.
July
6th
Arrived at Vancouver
7th
Detached with HM Cruisers DELHI,
DRAGON, DAUNTLESS and DUNEDIN
for visits
to ports in
South
America
August
Deployed in Pacific
Ocean,
Caribbean
and Atlantic
seaboard off South
America
for
to
September
visits programme.
October
On completion of visits took return
passage to Portsmouth.
to
November
December
Nominated for service in 1st Cruiser
Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
1
9 2 5
Commissioned for service in Mediterranean
and joined Squadron at Malta
Deployed with
Squadron for Fleet exercise and
visits programmes.
1
9 2 6 t
o 1 9 2 8
Mediterranean
Fleet deployment with Squadron in
continuation.
1
9 2 9
Nominated for
return to UK
for refit.
Taken in hand for
refit after paying-off.
1
9 3 0
On completion of post refit trials
commissioned for service in 8th
Cruiser Squadron
on America
and West Indies Station based in Bermuda.
Passage to join
Squadron.
1
9 3 1 t o 1 9
3 4
Deployed with Squadron for exercises
and visits to ports in North and South
America
including Canada,
West
Indies
colonies and ports in South
America.
1
9 3 5
Nominated for reduction to Reserve
status and took return passage to Portsmouth.
Paid-off and laid-up in Reserve at
Devonport.
1
9 3 6
Recommissioned for service in 5th
Cruiser Squadron on the China Station
Passage to Hong
Kong
to join Squadron.
Deployed at Hong
Kong for Squadron duties
1
9 3 7
(Note: Japanese began hostilities
against China
which made necessary the
use of
warships to protect British interests
in Chinese
ports. These
cities
became targets for aerial attacks.)
January
Squadron deployment on China Station
in continuation.
to
June
July
Nominated for Guardship
duty at Nanking
12th
Embarked British Ambassador to China
for passage to Nanking
15th
Arrived at Nanking
with Ambassador.
(Note: Ambassador had meeting with
Chinese Foreign Minister
Ship provided secure wireless
communication link for embassy traffic
to London.
August
2nd
Sailed from Nanking
for Shanghai
on relief as Guardship
by HM Cruiser CAPETOWN.
14th
Deployed at Shanghai
and provided shore landing parties to
protect British interests
(Note: Shanghai
was under air attacks by Japanese.)
17th
Sailed from Shanghai
to escort liner RAJPUTANA which was
carrying evacuees from
Shanghai to Hong
Kong.
Under fire from
shore without damage.
Returned to Shanghai
for Guardship
duties.
September
Deployment at Shanghai
in continuation.
October
Returned to Hong
Kong from Shanghai
Nominated for
return to UK.
November
Passage to Portsmouth
to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve
status.
to
December
Paid-off at Portsmouth
1
9 3 8
January
Reduced to Reserve and laid-up in
Reserve Fleet at Portsmouth
February
Laid-up at Portsmouth
to
June
Nominated for trade defence, patrol
and interception duties on
mobilisation
for war.
July
Re-commissioned at Portsmouth
with Reservists to attend Review of
the
Reserve Fleet at Weymouth
by HM King George VI.
August
Attended Review and remained in
commission to take up war station duty
in
South
Atlantic
Allocated to 9th Cruiser Squadron
Took passage with HM Cruiser DAUNTLESS
after completing to war complement
and
embarking ammunition and stores for
operational duties.
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
3rd
Called at Freetown
prior to first patrol.
14th
Sailed from Freetown
for first patrol.
11th
Arrived at Simonstown
from patrol.
18th
Sailed from Simonstown
for patrol in South
Atlantic.
(Note: It was known that German had
deployed commerce raiders in the Atlantic
before the
declaration of war.)
21st
Returned to Simonstown.
28th
Sailed for further South
Atlantic
patrol from Simonstown.
October
2nd
Returned to Simonstown.
7th
Deployed for convoy escort at
Capetown.
9th
Sailed from Capetown to join convoy
as escort during passage to West
Africa.
18th
Took passage for St
Helena
from Lagos.
22nd
At St
Helena.
28th
Arrived at Simonstown
from patrol.
31st
Transferred to East
Indies
Station
November
2nd
Took passage from Simonstown.
10th
Sailed from Mauritius
for Colombo.
18th
Arrived at Colombo.
20th
Took passage to Singapore
from Colombo.
26th
Arrived at Singapore.
29th
Took passage to Hong
Kong
for repairs arising from passage.
December
2nd
Arrived at Hong
Kong.
3rd
Taken in hand for repair by HM
Dockyard.
1
9 4 0
January
Under repair
February
14th
Repair work completed
Commenced sea trials and return to
operational duty.
March
6th
Sailed from Hong
Kong
for patrol.
Returned to Singapore
on release for replenishment.
21st
Sailed from Singapore
for trade defence.
23rd
Transferred to British Malaya Force
and deployed for surveillance of
German
ships in Dutch
East Indies
ports
24th
Deployed off Sourabaya
for interception of enemy shipping
attempting to take passage.
(Note: German mercantiles
CASSEL,
ESSEN and
NAUMBERG were known to
be
sheltering in Sourabaya.)
April
21st
On release from patrol took passage to
Penang.
23rd
At Penang.
Passage to Singapore
30th
Arrived at Singapore.
May
Deployed for trade defence and
interception patrol in China
Sea
and Indian
Ocean
to
December
(Note: Visits paid to Penang and Hong
Kong between patrols.)
1
9 4 1
January
Deployed in South
China Sea
and East
Indies
eastern coasts.
February
Routine docking in Singapore
for hull inspection.
8th
Resumed patrol duties
March
Patrol duties in continuation in
Malacca Straits
to
April
(Note: Visited Singapore and Penang
between patrols.)
May
Deployed as escort for troopship
from Sunda
Strait
to Singapore.
June
Trade defence and convoy escort in
continuation.
to
August
September
Under refit by HM Dockyard at Singapore.
to
October
November
6th
Prepared to resume operational
duties and ammunitioned.
8th
Sailed from Singapore
for Manila.
14th
Sailed from Manila
with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser PRINCE
ROBERT (RCN) as escort for troopship AWATEA carrying Canadian troops
to
reinforce garrison at Hong
Kong.
(Note: HMCS PRINCE ROBERT had escorted
AWATEA during Pacific passage.
from Canada.
17th
Arrived at Hong
Kong.
19th
Took return passage to Singapore.
22nd
Arrived at Singapore.
December
Deployed at Singapore.
Transferred to 5th
Cruiser Squadron.
4th
Other ships at Singapore
were:
HM Battleship
PRINCE OF WALES
and HM Battlecruiser REPULSE.
HM Cruisers MAURITIUS
and DURBAN.
HM Destroyers ELECTRA, ENCOUNTER,
EXPRESS, JUPITER, TENEDOS
STRONGHOLD,
SCORPION.
HM River Gunboat
GRASSHOPPER, HM Auxiliaries KEDAH
and MEDUSA.
HM Australian
Fleet Minesweepers GOULDBURN, BENDIGO
and BURNIE.
6th
Sailed from Singapore
for escort of convoy to Negapatam.
7th
Called at Penang.
8th
Hostilities began with Japan
and sailed to with convoy.
11th
Arrived at Trincomalee after
detaching from convoy.
16th
Sailed from Trincomalee having painted
to required camouflage design.
19th
Arrived at Singapore
26th
Allocated to Western Striking Force
based at Batavia
and took passage.
29th
At Tanjong
Priok
Sailed to meet
Dutch cruiser JAVA.
31st
Met JAVA and took passage to join
Convoy BM9B of six ships in position
00.28S 95.
27E as relief for
HM Cruiser GLASGOW providing Ocean
Escort.
1
9 4 2
January
4th
Air cover provided.
5th
Dutch warships joined escort for
passage into Singapore.
6th
Detached from convoy with escort on
arrival at Singapore.
11th
Sailed with HM Cruiser DRAGON to Batavia.
(Note: Vice Admiral Leyton and staff
were embarked in HMS DRAGON for
passage.
Singapore
was under air attacks during period
from 6th.)
13th
At Tanjong
Priok.
17th
Sailed from Tanjong
Priok to
join Convoy BM10.
18th
Joined BM10 as escort to Singapore
with HM Cruisers ENTERPRISE, EXETER
and HM
Sloop SUTLEJ
(RIN).
26th
Arrived at Singapore
and sailed after embarking stores
Under air attacks
whilst leaving Singapore.
27th
Passage to join military convoy DM2
as escort into Singapore.
(Note: Convoy was made up of ships
from Bombay
in Convoy BM12 and
DM2 from Addu
Atoll (Ex WS14 from UK).
Convoy comprised troopships *CITY OF CANTERBURY,
DUNERA,
CITY OF PRETORIA,
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA,
MALANCHA,
TROILUS, WARWICK
CASTLE,
*PLANCIUS, *EMPRESS OF ASIA,
DEVONSHIRE* and *FELIX ROUSSELL.)
31st
Joined HMS EMERALD with Dutch cruiser
JAVA for escort into Singapore.
February
1st
HM Sloops SUTLEJ (RIN) and YARRA (RAN)
joined escort.
2nd
HM Cruiser EXETER, HM Destroyers
JUPITER and VAMPIRE joined escort.
3rd
On arrival at Batavia
detached with ships marked * above and
provided
escort for
passage into Singapore
with HMS EXETER, Dutch cruiser JAVA
and HMAS
YARRA.
4th
Dutch cruiser JAVA detached.
Under air attacks during which were
repelled by escort, particularly that
by
HMS EXETER
5th
Under further heavy air attacks during
which EMPRESS OF ASIA was set on
fire and
FELIX ROUSSELL hit. Came under machine
gun fire from aircraft causing
injury to
two of ships company.
(Note ;
EMPRESS OF ASIA
later sank with 27 killed and 93
wounded.)
HMIS SUTLEJ joined escort from Singapore
to reinforce AA fire.
Detached from BM2
on arrival in Singapore.
(Note Wireless equipment from Singapore
naval stations were
embarked.
6th
Sailed from Singapore
with HMAS YARRA and HMIS SUTLEJ as
escort for
Convoy EM11during passage to Batavia.
(Note: The three mercantiles
in EM11 were FELIX ROUSSELL, DEVONSHIRE
and CITY OF CANTERBURY.)
7th
Deployed with HM Cruiser HOBART (RAN)
as escort for EM11,
8th
Took passage to Batavia
(Tanjong Priok)
with CITY OF CANTERBURY
(Note: Troops on board CITY OF CANTERBURY
had not disembarked
on arrival
at Singapore.)
9th
Deployed at Tanjong
Priok for
Boiler Clean and installation of two
20mm
Oerlikon mounting on Flag Deck to
provide defence against Close Range
air attacks
W/T equipment landed.
19th
Took passage from Tanjong
Priok to Padang
to collect army personnel
who had
escaped to Sumatra
from Singapore.
20th
Embarked passenger and sailed from Emmerhaven.
21st
Diverted during passage to Tjilatjap
on south coast of Java.
Transferred to Western Striking Force
with HM Cruisers HOBART (RAN)
DRAGON, HM Destroyers TENEDOS and
SCOUT for interception of Japanese
invasion
convoys, based at Tanjong
Priok
22nd
Soldiers disembarked.
23rd
Grounded on departure from Tjilatjap
and pulled oof
by tugs.
Water inlets to condensers blocked.
24th
Sailed from Tjilatjap
for Tangjong
Priok.
25th
Enemy aircraft sighted but ship not
attacked.
26th
Entered harbour after delay to allow
departure of HM Cruiser EXETER
and HM
Cruiser PERTH
who had been despatch to join allied
squadron
for attack
on invasion convoys. See WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).
28th
Despatched from Tanjong
Priok with
ships of Striking Force to carry out
attack on
Japanese convoy at Muntok
in Banka
Island.
Japanese landings were made in Batavia
and Sourabaya.)
After unsuccessful search diverted to
carry out evacuation of civilians
at Emmerhaven,
Sumatra
with HMS TENEDOS and HMS SCOUT,
destroyers
detached and took passage to embark
passengers.
(Note: Ship had been ordered to
proceed to Ceylon
in the event of
failure to
defend Sumatra
and Java.
For details of operations in Dutch
East Indies
and the attack
on Singapore
see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO), OPERATION
PACIFIC by E Gray, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET
by J Winton
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and the
Naval Staff
History.)
March
1st
Anchored off Emmerhaven.
2nd
HMS SCOUT disembarked 309 personnel
including 15 Nurses,
(Note: 250 others were taken to HMS
DRAGON,
3rd
Passage To
join HMAS HOBART.
Refuelled from RFA APPLELEAF and
diverted to assist HM Auxiliary
KEDAH which had been evacuating
personnel from Chilachap
and was
disabled
with engine trouble.
Passage south with
HMAS HOBART.
Took HMS KEDAH in tow with HMAS HOBART
in company..
4th
Passage to Colombo
5th
HMAS HOBART detached and made
independent passage.
Arrived at Colombo
with HMS KEDAH.
18th
Sailed from Colombo
for Bombay.
20th
At Bombay
and nominated for service in Persian
Gulf.
22nd
Sailed from Bombay
for duty in Persian
Gulf.
April
Deployed in Persian
Gulf.
(Note: A guardship
was stationed at entrance for control
of convoys
to Aden
and ports in India
as well as within the Gulf.
May
Withdrawn from East Indies Station and
nominated for return to UK
for refit.
Took passage Portsmouth
via Cape
of Good Hope.
June
Joined Home Fleet and prepared for
refit
and
July
Deployed in Home waters
August
Passage to Tyne
for refit in commercial shipyard.
7th
Taken in hand for refit.
September
Under refit.
to
December
(Note: Work carried out included
replacement of No 3 6in gun mounting
and both
forward 6in mountings, which were
replaced by Quadruple
2pdr Pom
Pom
Mountings controlled by Radar Type
282. Eight
20mm Oerlikon weapons were fitted to
improve Close Range AA
defence.
Radar Type 291 to provide limited
surface and aircraft
warning was
fitted at the foremast head and Fire
–control. Radar
Type 283 installed with aerial on
gunnery directors. Warning
surface
Radar Type 271 was also fitted aft.
For details of the
development
and use of radar in the RN see RADAR
AT SEA by
D Howse.)
1
9 4 3
January
Under refit
to
June
July
Carried out harbour trials
2nd
Refit completion and commenced post
refit sea trials.
On completion of trials and storing
took passage to Scapa
Flow
to work
up with
ships of Home Fleet.
August
Deployed at Scapa
Flow
September
Prepared for foreign
service in Eastern Fleet
October
Passage to join 4th Cruiser Squadron
at Trincomalee.
November
Indian
Ocean
deployment for convoy defence.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Indian
Ocean
deployment in continuation
to
March
April
Withdrawn from Eastern Fleet and took
passage to return to UK
Nominated for support of planned
allied landings in Normandy
as part of
Force S of Eastern Task Force
(Operation NEPTUNE)
Taken in hand for
refit by HM Dockyard Rosyth.
Allocated for
service in 1st Cruiser Squadron,
Home Fleet.
May
Under refit
(Note: After Pom-Pom
mountings were replace by Twin 4in AA
mounting
and torpedo tubes were removed.)
Additional
20mm mountings fitted.)
Allocated for service with Bombarding
Force D for support of
British landings
on SWORD
Beach.
Passage to Scapa
Flow
on completion.
21st
Joined HM Battleships WARSPITE,
RAMILLIES, HM Monitor ROBERTS,
HM Cruisers MAURITIUS,
ARETHUSA, FROBISHER and Polish Cruiser
ORP DRAGON in Clyde
as Bombarding Force D.
(Note: Selected target was battery at
Ouistreham.)
26th
Took part in bombardment exercises on
Cape
Wrath
bombardment range
with Force
“D” ships.
Passage to Clyde
on completion.
June
2nd
Sailed from Clyde
as part of Convoy S6 with ships of
Force D escorted
by HM
Destroyers SAUMAREZ, SWIFT, Norwegian
destroyers STORD,
SVENNER, HM
Frigates ROWLEY and HOLMES.
4th
Operation delayed 24 hours.
5th
Took passage from Portsmouth
with Convoy for transit of Swept
Channel
No 9 to position off GOLD beach head
(Note: Ships of 40th Minesweeping
Flotilla were also part of S6 and were
to carry
out minesweeping in bombardment
position.)
6th
Provided naval gunfire support
during assault landings on SWORD
Beach.
7th
On completion of support duties
deployed as Depot Ship at GOOSEBERRY 5
in position
north of Ouistreham.
(For details of naval activities
before and during NEPTUNE
see LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY
(HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE
by K Edwards.)
24th
Remained in Depot Ship role when NEPTUNE
terminated.
July
6th
Deployed with HM Cruisers BELFAST,
EMERALD and HM Monitor ROBERTS
to provide
naval gunfire support for military
operations in JUNO area.
August
On release from Assault area took
passage to Plymouth.
to
September
Deployed at Plymouth
as Depot Ship.
October
4th
Transferred to Polish Navy as
replacement of ORP DRAGON which had
been
lost during
operations off Normandy
on 8th July.
16th
Polish ships company joined ship at Portsmouth.
Renamed ORP CONRAD
O.
R. P. C O N R A D
S
e r v i c
e u n d e
r P o l i
s h C o m m
a n d
November
Deployed at Portsmouth
to prepare for refit.
Refit arranged in commercial shipyard
at Southampton.
December
8th
Taken in hand for refit at Southampton.
1
9 4 5
5th
Carried out post refit trials.
On completion took passage to Scapa
Flow to work-up for operational
service
with Home Fleet in 10th Cruiser
Squadron.
February
Deployed for defence of military
convoys in southern North
Sea
and
English
Channel
(Note: Extensive traffic was taking
place to ports in Belgium
after the
clearance
of the Scheldt
estuary and Atlantic convoys were
being
routed
through the Channel to London
after air threat from French
bases had
been withdrawn.
During the last few weeks of the
European war there was significant
enemy
minelaying by aircraft and both
surface craft and submarines
as well as
E-Boat and submarine attacks.
6th
Narrowly avoided collision with HM
Landing Ship (Infantry) PRINCESS
JOSEPHINE
CHARLOTTE off Harwich.
March
Nore Command deployment in
continuation.
Transferred to Scapa
Flow
for Home Fleet duties.
April
Deployed at Scapa
Flow.
May
Under repair by HM Dockyard, Chatham
to
June
July
Resumed Home Fleet duties and deployed
in support of re occupation
to
August
