1
9 3 5
September
3rd
Build completion and
commissioned for
service in 3rd Cruiser Squadron,
Mediterranean Fleet.
Commenced
Acceptance Trials
On
completion took passage to Portsmouth to
complete storing and
prepared for foreign service.
23rd
Sailed from Plymouth to join
Squadron.
25th
Arrived at Gibraltar
Passage
to Malta
October
Deployed
with Squadron at Malta
15th
Flag of Rear Admiral
(Destroyers)
hoisted.
November
Deployed
with Squadron fir Exercise and Visits
Programme.
to
December
19
3 6
January
Under
routine Docking at Malta
Resumed
Flagship duties on completion.
February
Deployed
with Squadron in Mediterranean and took
part Fleet Exercises and
to
visits
Programme.
December
(Note:
Planned programme was affected by
outbreak of civil war in Spain.
At
one period joined German DEUTSCHLAND and
Italian destroyer
in
joint observation patrol.)
Deployed
with Fleet Alexandria after Italian
invasion of Abyssinia and took
part
in exercises to prepare for hostilities
with newly arrive ships joining
Mediterranean
Fleet.)
1
9 3 7
Squadron
deployment in Mediterranean in
continuation.
1
9 3 8
January
Fleet
service as Flagship for RA(D)
Mediterranean in continuation
to
Commission
had been extended in view of political
situation.
February
Nominated
for return to UK to re-commission after
refit
March
Took
part in Fleet Programme and prepared for
return passage.
31st
Flag of RA(D) transferred to HM
Depot
Ship WOOLWICH.
April
Passage
in Plymouth.
7th
Arrived at Devonport and
Paid-off.
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard,
Devonport.
May
Under
refit
to
June
July
Post
refit harbour trials and prepared for
re-commissioning.
30th
Refit work completed and
carried out
post refit sea trials.
August
Re-commissioned
for service in 3rd Cruiser Squadron,
Mediterranean Fleet.
8th
Sailed for Gibraltar on
completion of trials and
storing.
14th
Sailed from Gibraltar to rejoin
Squadron in Malta.
September
Rehoisted
Flag of RA(D) Mediterranean Fleet.
(Note:
Other ships in 3rd Cruiser Squadron were
HMS PENELOPE and ARETHUSA (Flag CS3)
HMS
COVENTRY deployed as an AA Cruiser may
have been administered
by
Squadron.
Deployed
at Alexandria with Squadron and major
Fleet units during Munich crisis.
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
1
9 3 9
September
Serving
in 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean
Fleet with H M Cruisers ARETHUSA,
PENELOPE
and COVENTRY.
8th
Passage to Gibraltar from UK to
Join Squadron at Alexandria.
18th
Deployed on contraband control
and
patrol in Mediterranean with ships of
Squadron
after
arrival.
October
Contraband
and patrol duty In continuation.
to
(For
details of naval activities in 1939 see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
December
C
Barnett).
1
9 4 0
January
Contraband
and patrol duty in continuation.
Transferred
to Home Fleet for duty in 2nd Cruiser
Squadron.
February
Passage
to UK to Joined HM Cruisers
ARETHUSA, AURORA and PENELOPE in
Squadron.
10th
Diverted on passage to UK for
temporary duty in
Western Approaches Command.
Deployed
on interception of six German blockade
runners attempting to return from
Vigo
to Germany. Three were captured, two
sank and only one arrived in Germany.
March
March
4th
Deployed at Scapa Flow with
Squadron for Home Fleet
duties. April
April
7th
Sailed from Rosyth with HMS
ARETHUSA
screened by HM Destroyers CODRINGTON,
GRIFFIN
ELECTRA
and ESCAPADE to join ships of Home Fleet
in search for German warships in
North
Sea.
9th
After German invasion of Norway
detached for offensive sweep
to intercept
German
ships taking
reinforcement troops.
11th
Returned to UK to refuel.
17th
Sailed from Rosyth with HM
Cruisers
ARETHUSA, CARLISLE
and
CURACOA screened by HM
Destroyers
ACHERON and ARROW as escort for ss
ORION
taking
148th Infantry Brigade
to Namsos
(Operation MAURICE).
18th
Diverted to Andalsnes and
transferred
troops from ORION to shore.
(For
details of the disastrous naval
operations off Norway see NARVIK by
Donald
MacIntyre
and
Naval Staff History
21st
Embarked troops of 15th
Infantry
Brigade at Rosyth for passage to
Andalsnes.
22nd
Passage
to Norway
with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW
and 6 Fleet
destroyers.
23rd
Returned to Scapa Flow after
15th Inf. Bde had
landed.
29th
Sailed from Scapa Flow to
support evacuation of
allied troops.
30th
Assisted in evacuation of
allied troops
from Andalsnes and Molde with HM
Cruisers
ARETHUSA, SHEFFIELD and SOUTHAMPTON.
May
1st
Passage to Scapa Flow.
7th
Transferred to Sheerness with
HMS
ARETHUSA for anti-invasion duty in North
Sea
and
Channel.
Escorted ships from Ymuiden including
one with Dutch gold
reserves.
24th
Supported military operation in
defence
of Calais with HMS ARETHUSA
and
bombarded
shore
positions (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
and
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P.
Smith).
26th
Resumed patrol duties at
Sheerness
June
Anti
invasion patrol duties in continuation.
17th
Deployed in support of military
evacuation from ports in Bay of Biscay.
(Operation
AERIAL - See Naval Staff History).
Embarked British Ambassador to
France at St. Jean de Luz from HM
Destroyer
FRASER
(RCN)
for his return passage to Plymouth.
Returned to Bay of Biscay
to
continue
evacuation.
Embarked personnel from La Verdone.
On
completion rejoined Squadron at Scapa
Flow.
July
Deployed
on patrol duties in North
Sea based on Humber.
August
North
Sea Anti-invasion patrol in
continuation.
25th
Deployed with HM Cruiser
CARDIFF in search for invasion
craft.
Met
three destroyers off Sheringham Light
Vessel.
September
1st
Returned to Humber after
fruitless search.
6th
Deployment at Sheerness in
continuation.
Damaged
by mine and taken in hand for repair at
Chatham.
October
Under
repair.
to
Oerlikon
mountings fitted to improve close range
AA defence.
December
Radar
Type 279 fitted for aircraft warning.
Fire
control radar fitted for main and AA
armament.
(For
details of development and use of radar
in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
1
9 4 1
January
9th
Rejoined
Squadron
at Scapa
Flow and
resumed Home Fleet duties.
February
Deployed for interception
patrol
and Fleet screening in NW Approaches
March
19th
Provided
Ocean Escort for ships of
1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay
in
Northern Barrage (Operation SN69).
April
6th
Provided Ocean Escort for ships
of 1st
Minelaying Squadron during Northern
Barrage minelay.
(Operation
SN8E - For details see Naval Staff
History (MINING).)
Deployed
with AURORA and ARETHUSA on patrol in
Faeroes -Iceland Gap
19th
Brought to short notice at Scapa
Flow with ships of Home Fleet
when
breakout
by
German
battleship BISMARCK
was anticipated.
(Note:
H M Battleship KING GEORGE V, H M
Cruisers AURORA,
KENYA
and HERMIONE, H M
Destroyers
PUNJABI, LANCE,
INTREPID,
ACTIVE and WINDSOR)
22nd
Sailed Scapa Flow to join
search.
24th
Joined HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS
with HM Cruisers AURORA,
KENYA
and HERMIONE
during Home
Fleet search for BISMARCK
and
the
cruiser PRINZ EUGEN.
(See
SINK THE BISMARCK by L Kennedy).
26th
Detached to refuel.
31st
At Plymouth
June
Resumed
Squadron duties with Home Fleet.
Nominated
for transfer to 15th Cruiser Squadron in
Eastern Mediterranean.
29th
Sailed for Alexandria via Cape
of Good Hope.
July
On
arrival at Alexandria deployed as AA
Guardship at Suez with HM Cruiser NAIAD.
August
AA
Guardship duty in continuation.
29th
Joined Squadron in
Mediterranean Fleet
at Alexandria.
September
Deployed
with Squadron in Eastern Mediterranean
20th
Bombarded targets at Tobruk in
support
of military operations.
24th
Repeated bombardment duty at
Tobruk.
(For
further details of operations in Eastern
Mediterranean see THE BATTLE FOR
THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and Naval
Staff History).
October
Squadron
deployment in continuation
November
Joined
Force
B with HM Cruisers AJAX,
NEPTUNE, EURYALUS and NAIAD of
Squadron
to support
on
operation by Force K from Malta
to intercept an Italian
convoy
to
North
Africa.
(Note:
HM Battleship BARHAM that was covering
these deployments was sunk
by
a
U-Boat
on 35th November - See TUBAL CAIN by
DC Muskett.)
December
Squadron
deployment In continuation.
8th
Deployed with HM Cruisers NAIAD
and
EURYALUS screened by H M Destroyers
GRIFFIN
and HOTSPUR
in
support of military operations and
bombarded Derna.
13th
Detached with HMS EURYALUS and
HMS NAIAD
to join snipe of Force K from
Malta
to
intercept an
enemy supply convoys on passage from Taranto
to North African,
(For
details of Force K operations see HMS
PEPPERPOT by E Gordon and above
references.).
14th
Operation cancelled as convoys
had been
recalled. Rejoined Force B of Fleet for
return
to Alexandria.
(See above
references).
15th
Hit by salvo of torpedoes fired
by U557
whilst entering swept channel 30 miles
NW
of
Alexandria. Sank In three minutes. 150
survivors were
rescued by HMS GRIFFIN
and
HMS HOTSPUR.
Casualty List
was published on 12th January 1943. (Casualty
List - note
on
casualties)
