1 9 4 0
September
Contractors trials.
30th
Build completion
and commenced Acceptance Trials.
October
On
completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa Flow.
28th
Began work-up at Scapa
Flow with 10th
Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
Nominated
for detached duty in SW Approaches for
interception of
enemy coastal convoys
and allied
convoy defence based at Plymouth.
November
On
completion deployed in SW Approach and
returned to Scapa Flew for duty with
Home
Fleet in NW
Approaches.
December
26th
Covered passage of Atlantic convoys with
HM Battlecruiser REPULSE after Convoy WS5A
to the Middle
East had been attacked by the German
cruiser HIPPER.
For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli Burnett and the Naval
Staff History.
1 9 4 1
January
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
February
6th
Provided ocean escort for ships during
minelay in Northern Barrage by ships of
1st
Minelaying Squadron
(Operation SN7A).
For
details of all minelaying operations in
WW2 see Naval Staff History (Mining).).
On
completion deployed with HM Battleship
NELSON for patrol off Iceland.
17th
Covered minelay by ships of 1st
Minelaying Squadron in Northern Barrage.
(Operation
SN7B/68A)
Escorted military
convoy to Middle
East for initial
stare of passage.
March
Deployed
as escort For
landings ships to Lofoten
Islands for raid by No 1, and No 4
Commando and covered
landing and evacuation.
(Note:
HM Cruiser EDINBURGH was also deployed as
Distant Cover),
(Operation
CLAYMORE).
8th
Carried out search in North Sea for German
warship reported on
passage into the
Atlantic
to attack
allied convoys.
11th
Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying
Squadron during minelay in Northern
Barrage.
(Operation
SN68B).
17th
Deployed on patrol off Iceland with HMS
NELSON to intercept
German battleships
SCHARNHORST
and GNEISENAU reported on passage into the
Atlantic.
26th
Deployed on patrol
in Denmark Strait with HM
Cruiser FIJI.
28th
Joined HM Battleship KING GEORGE V and
two other Home Fleet cruisers in search
for
German cruiser ADMIRAL
SCHEER on passage to Kiel.
The enemy ship was not found.
30th
Deployed with HM Battlecruiser HOOD and
HM Cruiser FIJI to cover convoys between
UK
and Gibraltar (Operation
SN9B).
May
Home
Fleet deployment in NW Approaches for
convoy defence continuation.
June
28th
Intercepted German
weather ship LAUENBURG with HM Destroyer
TARTAR.
Enemy
ship detonated scuttling charges but the
ENIGMA code books were by recovered
by boarding
party from HMS TARTAR before German ship
sank.
July
25th
Deployed with HM Cruiser AURORA, HM
Destroyers PUNJABI and TARTAR.
Took passage to assess
possible use for refuelling Russian
Convoy
escorts.
August
1st
Evacuated Norwegian nationals and
destroyed weather station on Bear Island.
On
completion carried out offensive sweep off
Norway.
19th
Escorted troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
taking Canadian Commando force for a raid
on Spitzbergen
with HMS AURORA (Operation GAUNTLET).
23rd
Provided gunfire support during landings
and assisted in the destruction of coalmine
equipment. See
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE WATERY
MAZE
by B Fergusson
for details.
Embarked Russian
nationals at Barentsburg.
24th
Landed Russian passengers in Archangel and
returned to Langyearby
in
Spitsbergen
to
collect
Norwegian nationals for passage to UK.
September
1st
Escorted colliers and other craft to Scapa
Flow with HMS AURORA.
7th
During sweep off Norway with HMS AURORA
intercepted
small convoy of two troopships
near Porshanger
Fjord.
In
poor weather conditions engaged and sank
German training ship BREMSE but the
troopships
escaped in poor visibility.
Sustained
damage to bow structure
(Note:
Post War analysis suggested ship may have
detonated a mine)
October
Under
repair and refit at Tyne commercial
shipyard
to
(Note:
Work done included installation of Type
284 fire control radar for forward main
November
armament.
December
15th
Carried out Post
Refit trials on completion.
1 9 4 2
January
Rejoined
10th Cruiser Squadron in Home Fleet.
Nominated for duty as
Flagship for convoy defence and patrol
in NW
Approaches.
8th
Escorted Russian Convoy PQ8 from Iceland
to Murmansk
(Note: To be
confirmed.)
(Note:
For details of all Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOY! by P. Kemp,
CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B. Schoefield,
ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett
and
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman.)
17th
Remained in Murmansk to supplement defence
of future
convoys for passage from
Bear
Island to Kola
Inlet.
February
Passage
to join Russian Convoy PQ9/10 with HM
Destroyers FAULKNOR and INTREPID.
5th
Joined convoy escort.
8th
Detached from PQ9/10.
13th
Covered passage of returning Convoy QP7.
15th
Detached from QP7.
22nd
Escorted inward Russian Convoy PQ11 with
Russian destroyers for final stage of
transit.
March
2nd
Provided Distant Cover for passage of
returning Convoy QP8
7th
Detached from Distant Cover for QP8.
22nd
Deployed with Home Fleet covering force
for passage of Russian Convoy PQ13 and
returning QP9.
April
5th
Escorted HM
Battleship KING GEORGE V from Rosyth to
Scapa
Flow to join
Fleet.
10th
Part of Home Fleet Distant Cover for
passage of Convoy PQ11 and returning
Convoy OP10
with HM
Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF
YORK, H M Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS
and HM Cruiser KENT, screened by Fleet
destroyers.
11th
Detached from Distant Cover.
28th
Escorted Russian Convoy PQ15
May
1st
Detached from PQ15 escort for
returning convoy QP11 after the loss of HM
Cruiser
EDINBURGH.
13th
Part of Home Fleet covering force with
HMS DUKE OF YORK, HMS VICTORIOUS,.
HM
Cruisers KENT, LIVERPOOL, LONDON and
NORFOLK screened by Fleet destroyers
for passage of
damaged cruiser HMS TRINIDAD to UK for
repair.
(Note:
HMS TRINIDAD was sunk on 15th May by our
own forces after being hit during
heavy air
attacks).
Came under air attacks
on return passage.
23rd
Provided cruiser cover with HM Cruisers
KENT, LIVERPOOL and NORFOLK screened by
HM
Destroyers MARNE, ONSLOW and ORIBI for
Russian Convoy PQ16 and for returning
Convoy
QP12 until 28th
June
Deployed
for convoy and Fleet defence in NW
Approaches.
30th
Joined Home Fleet Distant Cover for
Russian Convoy PQ17 with HMS DUKE OF YORK,
US battleship WASHINGTON, HMS VICTORIOUS
and HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND
with Fleet
destroyer screen until convoy was
scattered by
Admiralty on 4th July.
Remained
to west of Bear Island for cover of
returning Convoy QP13 passage.
See
above references.
July
7th
After arrival of Convoy OP13 at Reykjavik
resumed Home Fleet deployment.
August
2nd
Detached with HM Battleship NELSON, HMS
VICTORIOUS, HMS KENYA, HM
Cruiser
MANCHESTER, HM AA Cruiser CAIRO screened
by Home Fleet
destroyers to
reinforce
escort of military supply convoy WS21s to
Malta.
(Operation
PEDESTAL).
10th
Joined Force X at Gibraltar with HM
Cruisers KENYA, MANCHESTER and CA1RO
screened by 12
destroyers for escort of convoy to Malta
and for fighter direction
duties.
11th
Under attack by
U-Boats followed by torpedo and dive
bombing.
(HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE was
sunk during the submarine
attacks)
13th
Hit by torpedo from Italian submarine AXUM
during air attacks when
entering
Skerki
Channel.
Sustained serious
damage.
Detached
with escorted by HM Escort Destroyers
WILTON, BICESTER and DERWENT to
return to
Gibraltar.
(For
details of this operation see THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by Donald
MacIntyre,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, PEDESTAL by
Peter Smith and
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodhead. ).
15th
Under temporary
repair in Gibraltar.
September
Under repair at Gibraltar.
Permanent
repair arranged in USA.
October
7th
Passage to USA.
23rd
Taken in hand for repair and refit at
Charleston US navy Yard..
(Note:
Work done included:
Removal
of aircraft
Preparation
for fit of AA Fire control radar on return
to UK
Preparation for fit of
aircraft warning radar Type 279 by Type
281.
Preparation
for replacement of Surface radar Type 272..
November
Under
refit
to
December
1 9 4 3
January
Under refit.
to
August
September
Passage
to UK on completion of post refit
trials.
October
Completion
of refit and A & A work at Chatham.
to
(For
details of development and use of radar
see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
December
Nominated
for duty with Eastern Fleet in 4th Cruiser
Squadron.
1 9 4 4
January
On
completion of trials, calibrations and
storing took passage to Scapa Flow
Worked-up for
operational service with 10th Cruiser
Squadron.
February
Deployed
at Scapa
Flow
with Home Fleet for convoy defence in NW
Approaches.
March
Passage
to Ceylon.
27th
Joined Squadron.
April
16th
Deployed with HM Cruisers NEWCASTLE,
CEYLON and GAMBIA and Dutch cruiser
TROMP
to escort HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH,
VALIANT and the French
battleship
RICHELIEU, screened by Fleet destroyers as
Task Force 69.
(Operation
COCKPIT).
(Note:
These ships covered air attacks on
airfields and other targets at Sabang,
Sumatra by
the aircraft
carriers HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA.
May
6th
Joined HMS NEWCASTLE and Dutch TROMP as
escort for
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH,
HMS
VALIANT and French RICHELIEU with Fleet
destroyer screen as Task Force 65 for
cover of HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA during
passage for
Joint RN/USN
attacks on oil
refineries at Soerabaya
(Operation TRANSOM).
15th
Replenished in Exmouth Gulf, Western
Australia.
17th
Screened carriers during attacks.
June
Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
for patrol and convoy defence..
July
Deployed
with HM Cruisers KENYA, CEYLON and GAMBIA
with Fleet destroyer screen
to escort HMS
QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS VALIANT, HMS
RENOWN
and French
battleship
RICHELIEU during bombardment of targets at
Sabang
(Operation CRIMSON).
25th
Detached to escort
HM Submarine Depot Ship MAIDSTONE for
passage to Fremantle.
August
Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
for convoy defence.
to
(For
details of Indian Ocean deployments
1943-45 see OPERATION PACIFIC by E. Gray,
September
ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, SINK THE HAGURO by
John Winton and
WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).).
October
11th
Passage to
Trincomalee from Fremantle.
November
Joined
5th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet when
British Pacific Fleet formed.
December
1st
Deployed with HMS KENYA, HMS
NEWCASTLE and HMS PHOEBE as Force 61 for
support of
military operations in Burma (See Naval
Staff History).
1 9 4 5
January
1st
Deployed with HM Escort Carrier
AMEER, HMS NEWCASTLE, HMS PHOEBE and
three Fleet
Destroyers in support of landings by 3rd
Commando Brigade on Akyab
Peninsula.
Gunfire
support not required as Japanese had left
(Operation LIGHTNING).
22nd
Embarked Royal Marines at Akyab
for landing on Cheduba
Island, Burma.
26th
Landed Royal Marines and supported
operation with HMS NEWCASTLE and HMS
KENYA escorted by HM Destroyers RAPID
and PALADIN (Operation SANKEY).
31st
Re-embarked RM's
and bombarded west coast of Ramree
Island with HMS
KENYA and
HMS NEWCASTLE.
February
Passage to Simonstown.
March
Under
Refit and Rest and Recreation period.
May
Post
refit trials.
3rd
Returned to Ceylon
with call at Durban.
13th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ROEBUCK,
RACEHORSE and REDOUBT as Task Force 62
to reinforce
ships of Force 61 during operation to
intercept
Japanese evacuation craft.
18th
Returned to Trincomalee.
June
Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
with Eastern Fleet.
July
5th
Joined HMS AMEER and HMS EMPEROR to
cover minesweeping operations escorted by
HM Destroyers ROEBUCK,
ESKIMO and VIGILANT.
(Operation
COLLIE - Preparation for Malayan coast
landings..
Bombarded Car Nicobar
during the
minesweeping task.
15th
Bombarded Nancowry.
August
Prepared
for operations in Malacca Strait in
support of landings.
15th
Joined HM Battleship NELSON, HM Escort
Carriers ATTACKER, HUNTER, SHAH
and STALKER for
passage to Penang
for occupation.
Landings
delayed on passage because of political
pressure by USA and implementation of
PYTHON
release scheme to enable SEAC personnel to
return to UK.
See
references and Final Report from Supreme
Commander, SEAC (HMSO).
24th
Returned to
Trincomalee with HMS SHAH and HMS
STALKER to refuel.
September
4th
Passage to Port Swettenham
to join HM Cruisers CEYLON, CLEOPATRA,
ROYALIST
and Escort
Carriers of 21st Carrier Squadron.
9th
Covered allied landings north of Port
Dickson with HMS NELSON, RICHELIEU, HM
Cruisers
CEYLON, HMS CLEOPATRA and 21st
Aircraft Carrier Squadron with destroyer
screen
(Operation ZIPPER - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY.
P o s
t W a
r
N o t e s
HMS NIGERIA remained in full commission on return to UK from East Indies in
1945. Between 1946 and
1950 she
served as Flagship, South Atlantic based
at Simonstown.
After paying off in
1951 she was placed in
Reserve and three years later
purchased by
the Indian government. This ship
was extensively refitted before
recommissioning
into the RIN as IS MYSORE in 1957.
Following Fleet duties
until 1975 she was used as a training ship
for several years until being
scrapped.
S
u m m
a r y o f
P o s t W
a r S e r v i
c e
1 9 4 6
Commissioned for
service and took passage to Simonstown.
Visited
Lagos.
1 9 4 7
Deployed for
visits and exercises including ships of
the newly
formed South
African Navy
(Note:
Supervision of
sovereignty of Falkland Islands was part
of the
responsibility of CinC South Atlantic
Station.
1 9 4 8
South Atlantic deployment in continuation
(Note: During
this period an increase in presence of
Argentine warships
became evident
and whilst in Falklands area and the ship
made
formal protest
to Argentine naval tugs lying at Melchior,
800
miles south of
Cape Horn.)
1 9 4
9 to 1
9 5 0
South
Atlantic
deployment in continuation.
1 9 5 1
Returned to UK to pay-off and reduce to
Reserve status.
Paid-off and destored.
Accepted into Reserve.
1 9 5
2 to 1
9 5 3
Laid-up in
Reserve and placed on Sales List
.
1 9 5 4
Sold to the
Indian Government for £300,000 and to be
refitted with
equipment
brought up to current standards of an RN
cruiser
of this Class.
1 9 5 5
t o
1 9 5 6
Under refit and
modernisation at Birkenhead
by Cammell
Laird shipyard.
(Note: Amongst
the changes made during this period were:
Radar equipment
replaced.
Aircraft Warning
Type 960 in place of Type 279
Surface Warning
Types 277 and 293 in place of Type 272
Under refit and
modernisation at Birkenhead
by Cammell
Laird shipyard.
(Note: Amongst
the changes made during this period
were:
Main Armament
Fire Control Type 274 in place of Type
284.
Two Type 275
Fire Control Type 275 in place of
Type 285
Display
equipment modernised and installed in
compartments
designed for the RN Action
Information System.
New Type 974
Radar fitted for navigational purposes
Bridge structure
replaced by new design.
Lattice masts
fitted to replace earlier Tripod type.
Triple 6in
mounting in X position aft removed.
Two triple
torpedo tube mountings removed.
Electrical power
supply system modified to suit new
equipment
requirements.
S e r v i c
e i
n I n d i
a n N
a v y
1 9 5 7
Commissioned on
29th August as INS MYSORE for service
as Flagship of
the Indian Navy.
Passage to
Bombay
for
operational service.
1 9 5 8
Flagship duties
in continuation including exercises with
other
Commonwealth Navies of
SEATO Powers.
1 9 5 9
Flagship duties
in continuation
Involved in
collision with HM Destroyer HOGUE in
Indian
Ocean during Exercise
JET59.
(Note: HMS HOGUE
sustained major structural damage and
on survey was
found beyond economical repair.)
1 9 6
0 to
1 9 7 4
Flagship duties in
continuation.
1 9 7
5 t o
1 9 8 0
Redeployed for
training duties before being placed on
Disposal List
Sold for breaking-up.
