1 9 3 9
September Stationed
in south Atlantic and part of 6th Cruiser Squadron.
3rd Deployed on patrol in Freetown area.
8th Returned to Freetown from patrol to intercept
commerce raiders and German ships
attempting
return to Europe.
20th Passage to Dakar.
26th Sailed from Dakar to join HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND and the destroyers HYPERION
and HUNTER for
combined patrol In search for enemy shipping south of Ascension.
October
2nd Returned to Freetown.
5th Nominated to join Hunting Group
N which was never formed.
7th Deployed on trade defence in Freetown area because of activities
of commerce raiders
in
Atlantic.
16th Sailed from Freetown to join HM Aircraft Carrier
ARK ROYAL
18th Joined Hunting Group K (HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL and HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN)
Took
passage to Indian Ocean for raider search off Mozambique.
22nd Rescued crew of German freighter ADOLPH
WOERMANN which scuttled off Ascension.
Later
transferred prisoners to HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CARNARVON CASTLE.
November Trade
defence duty in Indian Ocean and Atlantic.
Returned
to Freetown.
25th Passage from Freetown to Join HMS ARK ROYAL and
HMS RENOWN.
December
4th Deployed with Hunting Group from
Capetown to search for German raider GRAF SPEE
in
South
Atlantic.
12th Joined by HM Aircraft Carrier HERMES, HM
Destroyers HOSTILE and HUNTER off St.
Paul’s
Rocks and took passage to Plate estuary.
(Note:
After GRAF SPEE scuttled this re-inforcement was not required).
18th After refuelling at Rio
de Janeiro rejoined HMS ARK ROYAL.
20th Took passage to Freetown
with HMS ARK ROYAL.
26th Arrived at Freetown.
1 9 4 0
January
8th Deployed on interception patrol off Dakar.
Intercepted
British Q Ship BOTLEA (ss LAMBRIDGE) and boarded without knowing
her
true identity and function.
February Atlantic
trade defence and interception patrol in continuation.
Nominated
for transfer to 7th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet
To
be relieved by HM Cruiser GLOUCESTER which never took place..
March Took
passage to Malta to join Squadron.
April Deployed
with Squadron on patrol and for exercises to prepare for the entry of
to Italy into the war.
May (Note:
Other ships in Squadron were HM Cruisers ORION, SYDNEY, GLOUCESTER and
LIVERPOOL.)
June Deployed
with Fleet at Alexandria.
12th Took part on offensive sweep off Benghazi with HMS ORION and HMS
SYDNEY (RAN)
14th Returned to Alexandria.
20th Escorted French Battleship LORRAINE with HM Cruisers ORION and SYDNEY and HM
Destroyers
STUART (RAN), DECOY, HASTY and DAINTY for bombardment of Bardia
(Operation
MA3- See Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001)
21st Took part in bombardment and returned
to Alexandria.
27th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS EAGLE, HM
Battleships ROYAL SOVEREIGN,
RAMILLIES, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, ORION, H M Australian
Cruiser
SYDNEY, HM Destroyers
DAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER, DIAMOND, ILEX, JERVIS,
JUNO and VOYAGER (RAN) to cover
passage of two convoys (MS1 and MF1) from Malta to
Egypt.
(Note: These convoys were carrying personnel evacuated from
Malta).
28th Intercepted Three Italian destroyers
with cruisers of Squadron off Zante.
Engaged
enemy destroyers and avoided torpedoes
(Note
Disabled Italian destroyer ESPERO was sunk later by HMAS SYDNEY but
OSTRO
and ZEFFIRO escaped.
Because
of the expenditure of ammunition the mercantile passage was cancelled.)
30th During return passage to Alexandria with Fleet under air attack
and ship’s
aircraft
damaged by near misses.
July Prepared
to cover passage of same convoys (Operation MA5)
4th Took part in negotiation with French
cruiser to avoid bloodshed when Admiralty
attempted
to impose rigid implications of Operation CATAPULT on CinC
Mediterranean.)
(Note:
For details of Operation CATAPULT at Oran and situation at Alexandria see
RELUCTANT
ENEMIES by W Tute and Naval Staff History
(HMSO – 2001).
7th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS EAGLE, HM
Battleships ROYAL SOVEREIGN,
WARSPITE,
HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, ORION and SYDNEY (RAN)
screened
by HM Destroyers DAINTY, DEFENDER, HASTY, HOSTILE, HYPERION,
ILEX,
IMPERIAL, JANUS, JUNO, VAMPIRE (RAN) and VOYAGER (RAN).
9th After Italian heavy units were
reported by aircraft from HMS EAGLE came under fire
from
cruisers which disengaged when HMS WARSPITE retaliated and attack by
aircraft
from HMS EAGLE.
(Battle of Punta Stilo - first clash
with Italian Fleet units).
(Note:
Italian heavy squadron included the battleships CAVOUR and CESARE, 16
cruisers
and screen of four destroyers.
See
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and above
reference).
12th Joined escort for Convoy MF1 with HMS
GLOUCESTER, HMS ORION and H M Destroyer
STUART
(RAN).
13th Arrived at Alexandria with MF1.
21st Deployed SW of Crete with HM Battleships MALAYA, ROYAL SOVEREIGN, WARSPITE,
HMS
EAGLE and HM Cruisers SYDNEY (RAN) screened by ten Fleet destroyers to cover
passage
of Convoy
23rd Covered diversionary operation at
Castelloriso by HMS ORION, HM Australian Destroyers
VAMPIRE
and VENDETTA.
27th On completion of operation detached with
HMAS SYDNEY to meet HMS MALAYA, HMS
RAMILLIES
and HMS EAGLE south of Crete.
Under
air attack.
28th Detached with HMAS SYDNEY to carry out
sweep away from Fleet.
Intercepted
and sank Greek petrol carrier ERMIONE.
August Transferred
to Indian
Ocean
for trade defence duties.
(Note:
CinC had requested that an 8in cruiser be provided but HMS AJAX was sent
instead
and was fitted with radar to give warning of the approach of aircraft.).
Took
passage to Durban to carry out patrol and interception.
September
2nd Deployed at Durban for trade defence
30th Transferred to South Atlantic Command
and took passage to Freetown for Atlantic
convoy
defence and interception patrol duty.
October
7th Sailed from Capetown to Freetown
Returned
during passage for repair of defects.
November
8th On completion took passage to Freetown.
Nominated
to relieve HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE.
Flag
transferred from DEVONSHIRE at Duala, French Cameroons.
Covered
military operation by Free French in Cameroons.
(Note:
See RELUCTANT ENEMIES).
Resumed
trade defence duties on release from Free French operation.
December Atlantic
trade defence in continuation.
2nd Sailed from Lagos, Nigeria for patrol
18th Deployed with HM Cruiser DORSETSHIRE in
search for German ADMIRAL SCHEER after
ss
DUQUESA had made a raider report to divert attention from the break out of
German
cruiser
HIPPER into the Atlantic.
28th Sailed from Freetown to UK and escorted convoy during
passage.
1 9 4 1
January
29th Sailed from Gibraltar
February
4th At Scapa Flow
5th Took passage to Plymouth.
Deployed
at Plymouth
Nominated
for refit.
March Passage
to Sheerness.
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard
(Note:
One source records damaged in an air raid. This is to be confirmed.)
April Carried
out post harbour trials.
Nominated
for return to Mediterranean after work-up with Home Fleet,
May On
completion of post refit sea trials took passage to Scapa Flow.
3rd Joined 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home
Fleet and commenced work-up..
Deployed
with ships of Squadron to escort. HM Battleship KING GEORGE V and HM
23rd Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS during
search for German Battleship BISMARCK.
Took
part in search operation after loss of HM Battlecruiser HOOD.
25th Detached with HMS VICTORIOUS and HM
Cruiser NORFOLK.
Covered
passage of military convoy WS8X against possible attack by BISMARCK.
June
3rd Joined HM Cruiser NORFOLK with HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS to strengthen the
Ocean Escort for military convoy WS8X during Atlantic
passage.
5th Detached from WS8X to intercept German
ship GOZENHEIM, one of BISMARCK's supply
ships
which had been reported by aircraft from HM Battlecruiser RENOWN.
Enemy
ship scuttled on approach and hulk was then torpedoed.
63
survivors taken to Gibraltar.
Took
passage to rejoin WS8X as Ocean Escort during passage from Freetown to Cape of
Good
Hope.
24th Detached from WS8X on arrival at
Capetown.
Joined
South
Atlantic Command at Simonstown.
28th Rejoined WS8X for escort during passage
to Aden
July Transferred
to Mediterranean Fleet
(Note:
This was due to heavy losses in defence of Crete).
11th Detached from WS8X on arrival at Aden and made independent pass to
Alexandria.
20th Deployed in Eastern Mediterranean in 7th Cruiser Squadron as
relied for HM Cruiser
LEANDER.
(HM
Australian Cruiser HOBART relieved HMAS PERTH during this period.)
Embarked
Army and RAF personnel for passage to Cyprus to reinforce garrison
(Operation GUILLOTINE).
22rd Deployed with HM Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH, VALIANT, HM Cruisers NAIAD,
AJAX, PHOEBE, LEANDER, CARLISLE, ABDIEL and HOBART (RAN)
screened by HM
Destroyers
HASTY, HAVOCK, JACKAL, JAGUAR, JERVIS, KANDAHAR and NUBIAN
for
diversionary sweep in eastern Mediterranean. (Operation MD5)
(Note:
This deployment was made to distract enemy attention during passage of a relief
convoy
to
Malta from Gibraltar (Operation SUBSTANCE).
25th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.
August Eastern
Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
September
25th Deployed with HM Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH, BARHAM and VALIANT with
cruisers
of Mediterranean Fleet screened by destroyers from Alexandria
for diversionary
operation
in eastern Mediterranean (Operation MD5)
(Note:
This was during passage of convoy from Gibraltar to Malta.
(Operation
HALBERD.)
27th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.
October Fleet
deployment in continuation.
23rd Carried out bombardment of petrol tanks
at Bardia with HM Cruisers AJAX and HOBART.
November
17th Carried out bombardment at Halfaya in
support of military advance in Western Desert
(Operation
CRUSADER).
Nominated
for transfer to Malta for interception of enemy
supply convoys.
27th Took passage to Malta as Force B with HM Cruiser AJAX, HM Destroyers KIMBERLEY and
KINGSTON to reinforce Force K.
(Note:
HM Cruisers NAIAD, EURYALUS, HM Destroyers HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN
deployed
as Force C also sailed in company.
HMS
AJAX came under attack by torpedo aircraft but was able to avoid the weapon.
29th Arrived in Malta to join Force K.
30th Deployed as Force B in
unsuccessful search operation with Force K.
(Note:
Concurrent Force K deployment was successful.)
December
5th Escorted HM Supply Ship
BRECONSHIRE on passage to Alexandria with HM Cruiser
AJAX, HM Destroyers KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON and LIVELY (Operation MD8)
6th Detached with HMS AJAX and HMS LIVELY
from escort of HMS BRECONSHIRE.
7th Detached from HMS BRECONSHIRE on
relief as escort for passage to Alexandria by
HM
Cruisers HOBART (RAN), GALATEA and CARLISLE.
8th Arrived in Malta.
9th Deployed with HM Cruisers AURORA and
PENELOPE, HM Destroyers JAGUAR and
KANDAHAR in unsuccessful search for
an enemy convoy.
10th Returned to Malta.
17th Sailed from Malta with HM Destroyers JAGUAR
and KANDAHAR as Force B to support
Mediterranean
Fleet ships from Alexandria which were engaging Italian warships attempting
to
prevent return of HMS BRECONSHIRE bringing fuel supplies to Malta
(Operation
MF1 - First Battle of Sirte. See Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C
Barrett and THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN).
18th After Italian, warships withdrew
deployed in search for Italian convoy M42.
Returned
to Malta after failing to find M42.
On
return despatched with HM Cruisers AURORA, PENELOPE, HM Destroyers
KANDAHAR, LANCE, LIVELY and HAVOCK to
intercept the supply convoy reported
outside
entrance to Tripoli harbour.
During
passage, in position 20 miles from Tripoli, ran into enemy minefield.
Hit
one mine and disabled.
Whilst
adrift hit second mine which wrecked propellers and rudder.
Subsequently
detonated a third mine which caused further damage aft.
Nearly
three hours later a 4th mine was struck amidships and the ship then sank very
quickly.
Only
one seaman survived and taken prisoner.
He
was the only survivor out of a complement of 764. (Casualty
List -
note
on casualties)
(Note: HMS AURORA and HMS PENELOPE
were also damaged but managed to return
to Malta.
Casualty List was published on 17th July 1942.)