1
9 4 2
November
Contractors
trials
23rd
- Commissioned
for service.
Commenced
Acceptance Trials
December
On
completion
of acceptance trials and storing deployed
for work-up in Sydney
area
prior to operational service
1
9 4 3
January
Work
up in
continuation
February
On
completion
of work-up deployed for convoy defence.
10th
- Carried
out failed towing attempt on US Liberty Ship
STAR KING which had been torpedoed
by
Japanese submarine I21 in position 150 miles
off
Sydney.
Deployed
for defence of military
convoys on passage to and from New Guinea
March
Convoy
defence
in continuation.
Nominated
for service in US Navy
Seventh Fleet in Task Force 74 under overall
US Navy
command.
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes
changed
to D10 to suit US Navy designation for
destroyers.
Joined
US Desdron 5 in 7th US Fleeet
with HM Australian Destroyer ARUNTA (Note:
Desdron
is the US Navy equivalent of RN Destroyer
Flotilla and Desdron 5 also
included
seven US Navy destroyers.)
Deployed
for escort of convoys between Queensland and
New Guinea.
April
Convoy
defence
duties in continuation.
May
Re-joined
TF74
and deployed with HMAS AUSTRALIA and HMAS
ARUNTA.
Provided
cover
for landings by US 158th Infantry Regiment
on Woodlark and Kiriwina
Islands
June
Resumed
convoy
defence duties in SW Pacific.
23rd
- Deployed
with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HMAS HOBART, HMAS
ARUNTA and US
Destroyer
LAMSON
of TF74 to provide cover for US landings on
New Georgia in Solomons
(Operation
CARTWHEEL)
July
4th
- Released
from covering force and resumed convoy
defence duties.
August
Convoy
defence
in continuation.
21st
- Deployed
with HMAS ARUNTA for escort of damaged
cruiser HMAS HOBART
during
passage from Espiritu Santo to Sydney for
repair.
(Note:
HMAS HOBART had been damaged
by torpedo from Japanese submarine I11.)
26th
- Detached
from HMAS HOBART on arrival at Sydney.
September
to
October
Deployed
for convoy escort
in SW Pacific.
November
5th
- Transferred
with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HM Australian Cruiser
SHROPSHIRE, HMAS
ARUNTA,
US Destroyers RALPH TALBOT and HELM to
reinforce TF74 for planned
operations
in New Hebrides.
Passage
from Milne Bay, New Guinea.
29th
- Provided
Naval Gunfire Support during landings at
Gasmata on south coast of New Hebrides
with
same ships.
December
13th
- Provided
cover for US landings at Arawe, New Britain
with HMAS AUSTRALIA,
SHROPSHIRE
and ARUNTA.
26th
- Provided
Naval Gunfire Support during US landings at
Cape Gloucester with same ships.
1
9 4 4
January
2nd
- Provided
cover for US landings near Saidor, New
Guinea with same ships and joined
US
cruisers NASHVILLE, PHOENIX and six US Navy
destroyers of TF74
(Operation
DEXTERITY).
3rd
- Released
from TF74 and took passage to Sydney for
refit and leave.
Taken
in hand for refit.
February
Under
refit.
March
On
completion
of post refit trials resumed operational
duties with Task Group 76.1
2nd
- Deployed
with US Navy destroyers AMMEN, MULLANY and
minesweeper USS
HAMILTON
as escort for landing ships and craft during
passage to disembark troops on Los Negros,
Admiralty
Islands.
Under
shore fire from batteries
north of Seeadler Harbour which were later
silenced by
cruiser
gunfire
support.
10th
- Deployed
as escort for fourth convoy taking assault
troops to Los Negros.
15th
- Arrived
at Los Negros
April
Deployed
with
TF74
22nd
to
29th - Provided
cover for US landings on Hollandia
(Operation RECKLESS) and Aitape
with
Task 74 which also included HMAS AUSTRALIA,
SHROPSHIRE,
ARUNTA
and USS AMMEN and MULLANY. (Operation
PERSECUTION)
29th
- Provided
Naval Gunfire support during assault with US
cruisers PHOENIX,
NASHVILLE
and BOISE screened by 6 US destroyers.
(Note:
General MacArthur was
embarked in NASHVILLE.)
May
TF74
deployment
in continuation
5th
- Sailed
from Hollandia as part of Task Group 77.2 to
provide cover for US landings
on
south coast of Biak (Operation HORLICKS.
Note: Task Group also included HMAS
AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE,
ARUNTA
and two US destroyers.)
Bombarded
positions at Sarwa and
Sarmi
25th
- Provided
cover and Naval Gunfire Support during
landings
to
29th
June
Deployed
off
Biak for support of assault.
Deployed
with HMAS AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE,
USS BOISE and PHOENIX, HMAS ARUNTA and 11 US
Navy
destroyers to intercept Japanese
naval
force sighted by air
reconnaissance.
Unable
to engage enemy ships which
retired.
July
Support
of
military operations at Biak in continuation
2nd
- Carried
out bombardment of airstrip at Kamari on
Biak with HMAS SHROPSHIRE and
HMAS
ARUNTA
14th
to
26th
- Carried
out bombardments on troops west of Aitape
with HMAS AUSTRALIA,
SHROPSHIRE,
ARUNTA and two US destroyers to
deter an advance.
On
release
took passage to Sydney for leave and
maintenance.
August
Deployed
at
Sydney
September
Resumed
operational
service and joined HMAS AUSTRALIA,
SHROPSHIRE,
ARUNTA
and two US destroyers as Task Group
77.2 to
provide
cover and Naval Gunfire
Support during planned landings at Morotai
10th
- Sailed
from Aitape with ships of TF77.
15th
- Deployed
during assault at Morotai
October
Nominated
for
service in Task Group 77.3 to provide cover
during planned attacks
on
Leyte, Cebu and North Mindanao.
Joined
US cruisers PHOENIX and BOISE, HMAS
AUSTRALIA and
SHROPSHIRE,
five US destroyers and HMAS ARUNTA.
17th
- Entered
Leyte Gulf as part of Desdron 24.
20th
- Under
air attacks and destroyed one aircraft.
24th
- Took
part in Battle of Leyte Gulf.
(For
details see WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).)
November
Took
part in
operations in Leyte Gulf.
1st
- Under air
attacks including suicide bombers. (See
above reference.)
25th
- Took
part in unsuccessful engagement against
Japanese battleships FUSO and
YAMASHIRO
with HMAS ARUNTA and US Navy destroyer
December
Leyte
deployment
in continuation.
15th
- Provided
cover for landings at Mindoro with HMAS
SHROPSHIRE, USS BOISE and
PHOENIX,
HMAS ARUNTA and five US destroyers.
On
release took passage to British Forward Base
at
Manus, Admiralty Islands.
1
9 4 5
January
Nominated
for
escort and support of planned US landings at
Lingayen with
Task
Group 77.2. (See above reference.)
Passage
from Manus with HMAS AUSTRALIA SHROPSHIRE
and
ARUNTA
to join ships of Unit 2.
Deployed
with ships of Desdron 56 with ARUNTA.
(Note:
Desdron 56 included five US Navy
Destroyers..)
5th
- Under
attacks by KAMIKAZE aircraft in Lingayen
Gulf during which HMAS
ARUNTA
sustained damage by near miss.
6th
to 8th
- Provided
Naval Gunfire Support during assault and
under sustained air attacks. Stood
by US destroyer BROOKS which had
been damaged in
KAMIKAZE
attack.
9th
- Released
from support duties and took passage to
Leyte with other damaged warships.
Taken
in hand for emergency repair before resuming
cover duties at Lingayen.
February
Deployed
in
Lingayen Gulf with Reserve Fire Support Unit
CTU 77.2.5
with
HMAS
SHROPSHIRE, US cruisers MINNEAPOLIS, and
PORTLAND, HMAS ARUNTA and four US Navy
destroyers.
(See
above
reference.)
Deployed
in support of operations
including attacks at entrance to Manila Bay.
March
Deployed
for
support of military operations in Borneo
with Cruiser Covering Force
designated
Task Group 78.1 which also included
Australian cruiser HOBART
26th
- Present
at landings on Cebu Island during which no
gunfire support was required.
(See
above reference.)
April
Deployment
with
Task Group 78/1 in continuation.
Passage
to Tarakan to provide
support during planned landings
May
1st
- Provided
support during landings on Tarakan Island
with HMAS HOBART.
On
release took passage from Tarakan with
HOBART
for New Guinea to
join
Wewak Support Force.
9th
- Arrived
at Wewak and joined HM Cruiser NEWFOUNDLAND
and HMAS
ARUNTA
for
support of landings by Australian troops.
Took
part
in bombardments prior to assault
10th
- Bombarded
Cape Hoem area with HMS NEWFOUNDLAND.
11th
- Provided
gunfire support in Dove Bay during landings
(Operation DELUGE).
On
release from DELUGE took passage to Sydney
and
taken in hand for
refit
June
to July
Under
refit.
August
On
completion
of dockyard work carried out post refit
trials.
Prepared
for
service with Commonwealth warships deployed
off Japan.
Took
passage to Leyte to join HMAS SHROPSHIRE and
HOBART.
Sailed
from Leyte with ships of
TG70.9 and HM Minesweepers IPSWICH, BALLARAT
and
CESSNOCK to attend surrender ceremony Japan
31st
- Joined
Commonwealth warships in Sagami Bay
September
2nd
- Present
at Tokyo Bay for formal surrender ceremony.