1
9 3 9
August
Passage to Gibraltar
to take up
war station.
September
Deployed
at Gibraltar
in 13th Destroyer Flotilla
with HMS Destroyers DOUGLAS,
VIDETTE,
WRESTLER and
WISHART for Atlantic convoy defence
and interception of
blockade
runners.
October
Gibraltar
duties in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed
at Gibraltar
for convoy defence.
14th
Joined Convoy OG14F with HM Destroyer
VORTIGERN during passage from Liverpool
in the Atlantic as escort for final stage into Gibraltar.
Detached from OG14F with
HMS
VORTIGERN on
arrival.
February
1st
Joined HM Sloop SANDWICH with HM
Destroyer WISHART as escort
for Convoy
OG16F during final
stage of passage from Liverpool
into
Gibraltar.
Detached on
arrival.
5th
Joined HM Sloop ENCHANTRESS and HM
Destroyer VERSATILE
as escort
for
Convoy
OG17F during passage into Gibraltar from Liverpool.
8th
Detached from OGI7F with HM Destroyer
HERO.
(Note: HMS
HERO had relieved HMS ENCHANTRESS on
7th.).
22nd
Joined two French Navy destroyers
escorting Convoy OG18 for passage into
Gibraltar.
On
arrival deployed with same French Navy
destroyers as escort for Convoy HG20F
during
passage from Gibraltar
to Liverpool.
28th
French destroyers detached on relief by
HM Sloop SANDWICH,
HM Destroyers VANOC
and
WHIRLWIND.
March
3rd
Detached from
HG20F with escort on arrival at Liverpool.
22nd
Joined outward Convoy OG23F on
formation
in SW Approaches as escort during
passage to
Gibraltar
with HM
Sloop LEITH,
HM Destroyer VIDETTE.
28th
Detached from
OG23F with escort on arrival at Gibraltar.
April
8th
Joined
escort for Convoy OG24 for
final stage of passage into Gibraltar.
May
Convoy
defence deployment at Gibraltar in continuation.
Pennant
Number used for visual signalling
purposes changed to I34 to conform with
changes
introduced
for all RN warships.
June
Gibraltar
deployment
in continuation.
(Note :
After French capitulation deployed for
Fleet duties
as required
by
Flag Officer North
Atlantic
at Gibraltar.)
Deployed for
patrol off Morocco.
July
3rd
Under fire from
shore batteries during surveillance
of movement
of
French warships.
Returned
to Gibraltar
to refuel on relief by air
surveillance..
30th
Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
FOXHOUND, FORESTER, FORESIGHT.
and
ESCAPADE as screen for HM
Battlecruiser HOOD, HM
BATTLESHIPS VALIANT,
RESOLUTION,
HM Aircraft Carriers ARGUS, ARK
ROYAL, HM Cruisers ARETHUSA
and ENTERPRISE
to provide cover during Malta
aircraft delivery by HMS
ARGUS
Operation
HURRY, and air attacks on Cagliari
by HMS ARK ROYAL, Operation
CRUSH,
See
Naval Staff History (HMSO 2001), MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE
BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre
for details.)
31st
Detached with HM Destroyers HOTSPUR,
GREYHOUND, GALLANT, ESCAPADE and
ENCOUNTER
as screen for HMS VALIANT and HMS
RESOLUTION to provide cover
for
aircraft launch. from
HMS
ARGUS..
(Note :
Cover for air attacks on Cagliari
was provided by the other
ships.)
August
4th
Returned with Force H ships to Gibraltar.
31st
Deployed with HM Destroyers ENCOUNTER,
FAULKNOR, P1REDRAKE, FORESIGHT,
FORESTER,
FURY, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN,
HOTSPUR and WISHART
as screen
for HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL, HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN and HM
Cruiser
SHEFFIELD
to provide
cover for
passage of Convoy MS2 to Malta
and
reinforcement
warships to join the
Fleet in the
Eastern
Mediterransan
.
(Operation
HATS – For details see above
references)
(Note:
Warships being transferred were HM
Battleship VALIANT, HM Aircraft
Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS,
HM Cruisers COVENTRY and CALCUTTA
as Force F)
September
1st
Detached from screen to carry out
radio deception by wireless
transmissions
(Operation
SQUAWK).
on
completion returned to Gibraltar
and resumed Local Escort
duties.
1Ith
Deployed with HM Destroyers GRIFFIN,
VIDETTE. HOTSPUR,
WISHART and
ENCOUNTER
as screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN
during search for French warships
reported to
be on passage from Toulon
to enter Atlantic..
(Note : For
details see Naval Staff History.,
The
destroyers had been carrying out
interception patrols and were recalled
to
Gibraltar
to refuel before HMS RENOWN
sailed.)
October
Gibraltar Local Escort duties
in continuation.
November
21st
Deployed with HM Destroyers VELOX,
VIDETTE AND WRESTLER as Local Escort into
Gibraltar
for mercantiles
on passage in Atlantic for planned Malta Relief operation.
(Operation
COLLAR – provision of reinforcements
for Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria
and
troops to Malta
together with relief supplies.
See above references.)
25th
Detached with HMS WRESTLER from escort
of mercantiles
on relief by escorts from
Gibraltar
(Note : A
strong escort including ships from
Home Fleet had
been detached for refuelling.)
Resumed
convoy defence duties based at Gibraltar.
December
Nominated for Local Escort duties
at Freetown
and took passage to join Local Escort
Force.
On arrival
deployed for convoy defence.
1
9 4 1
January
Deployed
at Freetown for Atlantic convoy defence.
8th
Joined military convoy WS5A with HM
Destroyer VIDETTE, HM Sloops
BRIDGEWATER
and
MILFORD,
HM Corvettes ASPHODEL and
CALENDULA for Local
Escort
from Freetown.
9th
Detached from
WS5A during passage to Capetown.
22nd
Joined HM Corvettes ASPHODEL and
CALENDULA in escort of military convoy
WS5B for
passage
into Freetown.
25th
Detached with
Local Escort on arrival of WS5B at Freetown.
February
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
to
March
April
Nominated for temporary
service at Gibraltar for support of
planned passage of military convoy
to Egypt
(Operation TIGER – See above
references.)
30th
Deployed at Gibraltar
May
4th
Joined TIGER Convoy as screen for HM
Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH
with HM
Destroyers
FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and FEARLESS in
Atlantic escort for TIGER Convoy
during
final stage of Atlantic passage from UK.
(Note :
This was to allow HM Battlecruiser
REPULSE, HM
Destroyers HAVELOCK,
HESPERUS and
HIGHLANDER to refuel before rejoining
convoy from Gibraltar
7th
Released from TIGER detached service
at Gibraltar
and took passage to resume Freetown
convoy
defence.
June
Deployed at
Freetown.
16th
Joined military convoy WS9A with H M
Destroyers BOREAS, BRILLIANT and
HIGHLANDER
for Local Escort
into Freetown.
18th
Detached from WS9A
with Local Escort on arrival at Freetown.
20th
Joined WS9A with HM Destroyers BOREAS,
VANSITTART and WILD SWAN on
departure
from
Freetown
for Local Escort.
22nd
Detached from WS9A with Local Escort
and
returned to Freetown.
July
16th
Joined military convoy WS9B with HM
Destroyers BOREAS, BRILLIANT and
VANSITTART on
departure from Freetown
for Local
Escort.
18th
Detached with Local Escort and
returned
to Freetown.
August
14th
Joined HM Destroyer JUPITER in escort
of
military convoy WS10 with HM Destroyer
WRESTLER and HM
Corvette BERGAMOT for passage into Freetown.
17th
Detached from WS10
on arrival at Freetown
with Local
Escort.
27th
Joined military convoy WS10X during
passage to Freetown and detached on arrival
September
13th
Joined FAST
Section of military convoy
WS11 with HM Destroyer WRESTLER and
Corvette
STARWORT off Freetown and detached on arrival.
18th
Joined SLOW Section of military convoy
WS11 on departure from
Freetown
as Local
Escort with HMS
WRESTLER.
20th
Detached from WS11 SLOW with HMS
WRESTLER and returned to Freetown.
October
11th
Joined military convoy WS12 with HM
Destroyer WRESTLER for Local Escort.
14th
Detached from WS12
with Local Escort on arrival at Freetown.
19th
Joined WS12 with BMS
WRESTLER, HM Corvettes ANCHUSA,
CALENDULA and
MIGNONETTE as
Local Escort on departure from Freetown.
22nd
Detached from WS12 with Local Escort
and
returned to Freetown.
November
21st
Joined military convoy WS12Z with HM
Destroyer VIMY as Local
Escort during final stage
passage
into Freetown.
25th
Detached from WS12Z on arrival at Freetown.
December
Freetown
deployment in
continuation.
Nominated for
return to Gibraltar
for Local Escort duty.
1
9 4 2
January
Deployment
at Gibraltar
in continuation.
to
April
May
19th
Joined military convoy WS19 for Local
Escort into Freetown.
22nd
Detached from W519
with Local Escort on arrival at Freetown.
(Note
HMS BOREAS and HMS WILD SWAN had
joined on 20th.)
June
11th
Joined HM Destroyers BLACKMORE and
DERWENT in escort of military
convoy
WS19P
for passage
into Freetown.
15th
Detached from
WS19P on arrival at Freetown.
19th
Joined WS19P
on departure from Freetown
with HM Destroyers DERWENT,
PATHFINDER,
PENN
and
QUENTIN for escort during passage to
Capetown.
(Note : HM
Battleships NELSON and RODNEY were
providing Ocean
Escort.)
22nd
Detached from WS19P during passage and
returned to Freetown.
30th
Joined HM Destroyers BLACKMORE,
BRILLIANT and VIMY in Local Escort for
military
convoy WS20
during passage into Freetown.
July
2nd
Detached from WS20
with Local Escort on arrival at Freetown.
6th
Joined WS20 with HM Destroyer BOREAS
for Local Escort on departure from Freetown.
8th
Detached from WS20 with HMS BOREAS and
then escorted ss
BATORY to Takoradi
before
return to Freetown.
(Note : HM
Battleship MALAYA was providing Ocean
Escort.)
August
10th
Joined HM Destroyers CATTERICK,
LEDBURY
and PETARD in escort for military
convoy
WS21
and detached on arrival at Freetown
the same day
September
Freetown
deployment
in continuation.
Nominated
for transfer to Gibraltar for escort of military convoys prior to planned allied
landings in
North Africa (Operation TORCH - See above references).
October
14th
Joined HM Armed Merchant Cruiser QUEEN
OF BERMUDA,
HM Destroyer PUCKERIDGE
and
Greek
destroyer KANARIS in escort for
military convoy WS23
during passage into
Freetown,
16th
Detached from WS23
on arrival at Freetown.
Returned to Gibraltar
for convoy
escort duties.
November
Deployed
at Gibraltar.
4th
Sailed from Gibraltar
to supplement escort of military
Convoy KMF1 during passage in
Atlantic.
6th
Detached from KMF1 and remained west
of Gibraltar.
7th
Despatched to stand-by US
troopship THOMAS STONE that had been
disabled by an air
launched
torpedo 50 miles of Spanish coast.
Mercantile was
later taken in tow to Algiers.)
(Note :
This ship did not take part in support
of TORCH
landings in North
Africa
December
Gibraltar
convoy defence in continuation.
1
9 4 3
January
Gibraltar
convoy defence deployment in
continuation
to
April
May
Deployed
at Gibraltar
for defence of military
convoys in Mediterranean before the
planned
allied
landings in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY)
June
Deployment
for Atlantic and Mediterranean convoy defence in continuation,.
to
Nominated for conversion to Long Range
Escort.
October
(See V&W DESTROYERS by A Preston).
November
Passage
to UK
for conversion by HM
Dockyard, Sheerness..
December
Paid-off
into Dockyard control and taken in
hand for refit.
1
9 4 4
January
Under refit and conversion at
Sheerness.
to
(Note : Future deployment under
consideration due to mechanical and
structural
April
condition).
May
Post
refit trials.
Relegated for use
as an Air Target Ship due to
machinery problems.
June
Prepared
for future deployment.
July
Deployed
in Home waters as a target ship for
training of aircrew.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Air
Target Ship duties in continuation
to
August
