1 9 3 8
July
Contractors
Trials
August
Commissioned
for trials.
4th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
On
completion of trials took passage took
passage to
Portsmouth
September
Commissioned
for service in 4th Cruise Squadron on
East Indies Station
Worked-up
for service in Home waters
October
Passage
to join Squadron.
November
Deployed
with Squadron in Indian
Ocean and took part in exercises and visits Programme.
to December
1 9 3 9
January
Squadron
deployment with 4th on East Indies
Station in continuation
to August
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
Took
up War Station and deployed in
Indian Ocean for
interception of blockade
runners and
commerce
raiders.
Carried
out Patrol and Trade Protection duty in
Indian
Ocean
between
Colombo,
Bombay
and
Aden.
October
Nominated
for return to Home waters for service in
18th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
14th
Took passage to
UK
via
Mediterranean.
November
25th
Arrived at
Portsmouth.
Taken
in hand for repair.
December
21st
On completion of repair work carried
out sea trials.
Took
passage to Scapa
Flow
24th
Joined 18th Cruiser Squadron.
1 9 4 0
January
Deployed
for interception of mercantiles to
enforce Blockade and commerce raiders on
passage
to
Atlantic
in NW Approaches and
North
Sea
for attacks on shipping.
February
Deployed
on Northern Patrol.
21st
During search for blockade runners in
Atlantic intercepted GERMAN freighter
WAHEHE with
HM
Destroyer KIMBERLEY
(Operation WR).
Enemy
ship boarded and taken as Prize
(For
details of this type of operation see
ARMED MERCHANT CRUISERS by K. Poolman)
March
Deployment
n North
Atlantic
and
North
Sea
for trade defence and interception in
continuation
(Note:
Flagship of Squadron.)
April
Deployed
as escort for Convoy ON25 on passage to
Norway
8th
Detached from escort of Convoy ON25 to
Norway
after German troops landed in
Norway.
Joined
Home Fleet ships on passage to cover
landings of allied troops in
Norway
with HM
Cruiser
SOUTHAMPTON, HM Destroyers JANUS,
JAVELIN, GRENADE and ECLIPSE.
9th
Under air attack on Home Fleet in
North
Sea.
(Note:
This the first encounter by the Home
Fleet at sea by enemy aircraft and
revealed many
inadequacies.
HM Destroyer GURKHA (i) was lost. For
details see Naval Staff History
(HMSO
2001)
Detached
with HM Cruisers GLASGOW,
SHEFFIELD and SOUTHAMPTON screened by
seven
destroyers for an attack German warships
reported at
Bergen.
Recalled
on passage to rejoin Fleet.
Carried
out search for German transports in
Inner Leads without success and returned
to
Scapa
Flow
to refuel and re-ammunition.
12th
Escorted military convoy NP1 taking
troops for landings at Narvik with HM
Cruisers
BIRMINGHAM
and
CAIRO
screened by destroyers
(Operation RUPERT/R4).
14th
Escorted troopships EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
and CHOBRY on passage to Namsos with
HMS
BIRMINGHAM and HMS CAIRO screened by HM
Destroyers VANOC, WHIRLWIND
and
HIGHLANDER.
Destination
changed to Lillesjona because of air
threat and poor harbour facilities at
Namsos
(Operation
MAURICE).
(Note:
See above reference.)
15th
Troops disembarked into destroyers for
larding ashore.
19th
Return passage too Rosyth.
21st
Embarked troops of 15 Infantry Brigade
at Rosyth.
22nd
Took passage to
Andalsnes,
Norway
with HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM and
YORK
escorted
by
HM Destroyers ACHERON, ARROW and
GRIFFIN.
25th
Landed troops at Andalsnes to reinforce
SICKLE FORCE.
26th
Deployed for patrol to cover destroyer
operation off Trondheim.
28th
Passage to
Scapa
Flow
to replenish prior to further
support duties off
Norway.
May
1st
Assisted in Andalsnes evacuation with
HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM and
CALCUTTA.
(Note:
Troops ferried from shore by HM
Destroyers DIANA, DELIGHT, INGLEFIELD,
SOMALI
and MASHONA.
10th
Diverted during passage to
Scapa
Flow
with HM Cruiser
SHEFFIELD
to provide cover for
tow
of HM Destroyer KELLY to Tyne estuary after being disabled in an engagement with E
Boats
in North
Sea.
26th
Transferred to Nore Command at Hunter
with HMS SHEFFIELD and HMS BIRMINGHAM
for
support of evacuation operations and
anti-invasion operations.
(Note:
Details of the disastrous
Norwegian sea operations are available in above reference.
ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett,
NARVIK by D. MacIntyre
and
THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by Jack Adams).
June
Redeployed
at Rosyth for anti-invasion duty.
July
Under
refit at Portsmouth Dockyard
August
On
completion based at Rosyth in
continuation.
31st
Transferred to
Humber
for anti-invasion duties with
18th Cruiser Squadron.
September
Deployed
for anti-invasion patrol duty and convoy
escort in
North
Sea.
October
4th
Returned to
Scapa
Flow
with ships of 18th Cruiser
Squadron.
9th
Bombarded Cherbourg with HM Battleship
REVENGE and destroyers of 5th Destroyer
Flotilla.
November
Nominated
for service in Mediterranean to reinforce the Fleet at
Alexandria
after
Italy
entered
war
15th
Took passage to join Mediterranean Fleet
and carried troops to
Malta.
HM
Destroyers JAGUAR and KELVIN provided
escort for passage to
Gibraltar
23rd
Escorted Malta convoy of three merchant
ships to Gibraltar
with HMS SOUTHAMPTON
as
Force F (Operation COLLAR).
25th
Met HMS RENOWN, HMS ARK ROYAL, HMS
SHEFFIELD and destroyers of Force H
off
Gibraltar
to cover passage to
Malta
and for the return of HMS
RAMILLIES and HM
Cruiser
BERWICK from Alexandria
to
Gibraltar.
27th
Took part in engagement at long range
with two Italian battleships and six
cruisers with escorts,
which
all withdrew (Battle of Spartivento).
(Note:
Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville's
decision not to pursue the enemy ships
but
to
safeguard
the convoy was the subject of a Board of
Enquiry which found in his favour.
For
details see Naval Staff History HMSO –
2002).
28th
Disembarked troops in
Malta
and went to
Alexandria
with Mediterranean Fleet.
December
2nd
Passage to
Gibraltar
8th
Passage from
Gibraltar
escorted by HM Destroyers
KASHMIR, KELVIN, JERSEY
and
JUPITER.
11th
Arrived at
Plymouth
and took passage to
Scapa
Flow.
13th
Rejoined Horns Fleet at
Scapa
Flow.
1 9 4 1
January
Refit
in Tyne
shipyard.
to
(Note:
Air warning radar Type 279 fitted.
March
For
details of the development and use of
radar in RN see RADAR AT
SEA
by
D
Howse.)
April
18th
On completion of Post Refit trials took
passage to rejoin Home Fleet.
May
Deployed
on Northern Patrol with HM Cruisers
BIRMINGHAM
and ARETHUSA.
6th
Covered ships of 1st Minelaying
Squadron during minelay in Northern
Barrage.
(Operation
SN9A).
7th
During Northern Patrol duty diverted
to intercept German weather ship MUNCHEN
with
HM
Cruisers EDINBURGH and
BIRMINGHAM
screened by four Fleet
destroyers.
German
ship scuttled but ENIGMA machine thrown
overboard by German captain.
ENIGMA
Rotor elements and associated
documentation were recovered by a party
from
HMS
SOMALI before ship sank and taken to
UK
by HMS NESTOR.
(Note:
This operations was specifically
intended to recover an ENIGMA machine
For
details see BRITISH INTELLIGENCE IN WW2
(Ed. Hinsley) and
BREAKING
THE ENIGMA by D Kahn)
22nd
Established patrol line between
Iceland
and Faeroes with HM Cruisers
ARETHUSA and
BIRMINGHAM
to intercept any break-out of
German battleship
BISMARCK.
24th
Patrolled
NE
of
Iceland
after loss of HMS HOOD in case
BISMARCK
should try to
go
back to
Germany
via
Denmark
Strait.
June
3rd
Returned to
Scapa
Flow
and resumed Northern Patrol.
July
2nd
Detached during patrol to reinforce
escort for
Malta
relief convoy.
11th
Passage to
Gibraltar
with HM Battleship NELSON, HM
Cruisers EDINBURG and
ARETHUSA,
screened by Home Fleet destroyers.
21st
Joined Force X with HM Cruisers
EDINBURGH, ARETHUSA and MANXMAN for
escort
of convoy to
Malta
covered by HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM Battleship
NELSON,
HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL and HM
Cruiser HERMIONE with destroyer
screen
from Force H. (Operation SUBSTANCE).
(Note:
This also covered of supply ship HMS
BRECONSHIRE
See
Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY, THE
BATTLE
FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D MacIntyre and
MALTA
CONVOYS by
R
Woodman.)
23rd
Under sustained air attacks and hit on
starboard side aft in boiler room by
torpedo.
Extent
of damage necessitated return on one
shaft to
Gibraltar
with escort by HM Destroyers
AVON
VALE, VIDETTE, VIMY and WISHART
26th
Under temporary repair at
Gibraltar
by HM Dockyard
August
Permanent
repair arranged in
USA.
September
17th
Sailed to
USA
from
Gibraltar
with HM Destroyer FIREDRAKE
Escorted
by HM Destroyer HEYTHROP from
Gibraltar to 25 degrees west.
23rd
Commenced refit in Philadelphia Navy
Yard. Under refit
October
Under
refit and repair
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
Under
refit
to
(Note:
Some work was carried out to prepare for
installation of RN equipment such as
radar
February
Carried
out harbour trials
March
3rd
On completion of Post Refit sea trials
took passage to Bermuda.
Carried
out further trials and Shakedown
Took
passage to Portsmouth
April
At
Portsmouth to completed refit work and special modifications not
possible in US
shipyard.
(Note:
Installation of Fire control Radars
Types 284 and Type 285 for main and
secondary
armament
and of new RN design 10cm Type 273
surface warning radar.)
May
2nd
Rejoined Home Fleet at
Scapa
Flow
for Northern Patrol and convoy
defence.
June
1st
Detached to cover minelay by ships of
1st Minelaying Squadron in Northern
Barrage
(Operation
SN72).
On
completion resumed Northern Patrol
duties.
25th
Detached with HM Destroyer ECLIPSE to
take supplies and personnel to relieve
garrison
at
Spitzbergen (Operation GEARBOX).
July
3rd
Passage to join HM Battleship HMS DUKE
OF
YORK
and
US
battleship USS
WASHINGTON,
HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM
Cruisers
CUMBERLAND
and
NIGERIA
for provision of Distant Cover
for Russian Convoy PQ17.
(For
details of all Russian convoy operations
see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY
! by P Kemp, ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS
by B Schoefield.).
(Note:
The disastrous dispersal of this convoy
is well documented in the above
references.)
4th
After dispersal of PQ17 returned to
Scapa
Flow
with Home Fleet ships.
August
Nominated
for support of passage to
Malta
of relief convoy.
3rd
Detached with HM Cruisers
NIGERIA
and
KENYA
to escort of
Malta
supply convoy with
other Home Fleet ships including
HM Ships NELSON, RODNEY, VICTORIOUS and
FURIOUS
screened by Fleet destroyers.
10th
Joined Force X with HM Ships
NIGERIA,
KENYA
and
CAIRO
screened by Home Fleet
destroyers
for escort of convoy to
Grand
Harbour
.
Transit
was subjected to air and submarine
attacks (Operation PEDESTAL).
(For
details see BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D. Macintyre, PEDESTAL
by
P. Smith,
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman. and Naval
Staff History.)
12th
During series of E-Boat attacks near
Pantellaria hit by two torpedoes fired by
Italian
Torpedo
Boats MAS16
and MAS22
.
These
struck amidships on starboard side with
major flooding in machinery
compartments
Only
the port outer shaft could be used and
ship was completely disabled with a 12
degree
list.
13th
Hope of Damage Control work to
sufficiently control flooding and enable
ship to return
to
Gibraltar
abandoned and scuttling charges
placed.
312
of ship's company rescued by H M
Destroyers PATHFINDER and ESKIMO).
Explosive
charges proved ineffective and as the
ship remained afloat its hulk was sunk
by
torpedo
fired from HMS PATHFINDER.
Some
of the other survivors crew managed to
get ashore in
Tunisia
and were interned by
the
Vichy French authorities in conditions
which can only described as horrendous
and
without
compassion. They were held in appalling
circumstances until allied force
occupied
Tunisia
after landings in
North
Africa
(Operation TORCH). (Casualty
List - note
on
casualties)
