1 9 4 2
August Contractors
trials and commissioned for service in 11th Destroyer Flotilla.
27th Build completion and carried out Acceptance Trials.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to
Scapa Flow for work-up with ships
of Home Fleet.
September Worked up for service with 8th Destroyer
Flotilla at Scapa Flow.
Nominated for service in Indian Ocean with Flotilla.
October On completion of work-up deployed
at Scapa
Flow with
Home Fleet.
31st Joined Local Escort for military Convoy WS24 with HM Destroyers
SARDONYX,
SKATE, HOLCOMBE,
OFFA, ONSLOW, ORIBI and US Seaplane Tender
BARNEGAT for during
passage in NW Approaches.
(Note: This convoy of six troopships
was exceptionally routed to avoid any
complications with the passage of troop
convoys to Gibraltar for allied
landings in
North Africa. (Operation TORCH).
Instead of making
the usual call at
Freetown,
West Africa, WS24 called
at Bahia, Brazil. This diversion had been made possible
after
Brazil
declared war against
Germany and
Italy on 30th August
1942.)
November
3rd HM Armed Merchant Cruiser QUEEN OF
BERMUDA joined WS24 to supplement
Ocean Escort whilst
on passage in Atlantic.
Detached with Local
Escort and returned to Clyde.
Took independent passage from Clyde to rejoin WS24
as part of Ocean Escort.
11th Rejoined WS 24 with
HM Cruiser DESPATCH.
(Note: HM Destroyer ILEX had joined
WS24 on 9th).
17th Detached from WS24
on arrival at Bahia.
(Note: British troops were landed to
take part in a route march at the request of the
Brazilian authorities following the allied landings
in
North Africa.)
20th Sailed from Bahia as Ocean Escort for WS24 with HM
Armed Merchant Cruisers
QUEEN OF
BERMUDA and ALCANTARA, HM Cruiser DESPATCH
and HMS ILEX
23rd HMS DESPATCH detached from WS24.
25th HMS ILEX detached.
29th HM Destroyer NORMAN joined Ocean Escort.
30th HM corvettes ROCKROSE and THYME joined Ocean Escort.
(Note: The additional Ocean Escorts
were provided during passage off
South Africa
because of known German submarine activities
in that area.)
December
1st HM Destroyer
NEPAL joined Ocean Escort.
2nd HMS THYME detached.
4th Detached from WS24
with ships of Ocean Escort on arrival at Durban.
Joined 11th Destroyer
Flotilla for convoy defence in
Indian Ocean and
South Atlantic
based at
Durban.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy defence with Flotilla based
at Durban in continuation.
February Detached for Eastern Fleet duties
and took passage to Trincomalee.
22nd Deployed as screen for HM
Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruiser GAMBIA with
Dutch destroyer TJERK HIDDES and sailed from Trincomalee to carry out search in
area
SW of Cocos area (Operation SLEUTH)
26th HM Cruiser SUSSEX joined
search operation.
March
1st
Detached from search and returned to Trincomalee with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS.
(Note : HMS GAMBIA also detached and took passage to Fremantle, Australia.)
HMS SUSSEX continued the search until 6th when it was abandoned and
took passage to refit.)
On arrival at Trincomalee joined 26th Destroyer
Flotilla. For Indian Ocean convoy defence.
April Deployed in
South Atlantic with Flotilla.
11th Joined HM Cruiser
KENYA with HM Destroyers FOXHOUND and
QUILLIAM in
Escort of military
Convoy WS28 as relief for HM Destroyers QUADRANT, REDOUBT,
RELENTLESS and RACEHORSE during passage from Freetown to Capetown.
14th Detached from WS28
on arrival at Capetown.
May
South Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
11th Joined HM Cruiser
NEWCASTLE with HM Destroyers RACEHORSE and
RELENTLESS
in Escort for military Convoy WS29 as
relief for HM Destroyers MALCOLM, RAPID and
WOLVERINE during passage from Freetown to Capetown.
16th Detached from WS29 on relief by HMS REDOUBT and HMS NORMAN before
arrival
at Capetown.
22nd Joined WS29 with HMS RACEHORSE and HMS RELENTLESS as escort for
ss
LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE and
ss EMPIRE KAMAL during
passage to Durban.
26th Detached from WS29
on arrival at Durban.
June Indian Ocean convoy defence
in continuation.
25th Joined military Convoy WS30 with HM Destroyers NORMAN, and QUICKMATCH
as
escort during passage from Capetown
to Durban.
30th Detached from WS30 with HMS QUICKMATCH.
July Indian Ocean deployment in
continuation.
to Transferred
to Trincomalee with Flotilla for Eastern Fleet duties.
November
December Deployed for convoy defence and Fleet
duties based at Trincomalee.
1 9 4 4
January Flotilla
deployment in Indian Ocean.
February
22nd Deployed as screen for HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruiser
GAMBIA with
Dutch destroyer TJERK HIDDES and sailed from Trincomalee
to carry out search in area
SW of Cocos
area (Operation SLEUTH)
26th HM
Cruiser SUSSEX joined search operation.
March
1st Detached
from search and returned to Trincomalee with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS.
(Note:
HMS GAMBIA also detached and took passage to Fremantle, Australia.
HMS SUSSEX continued
the search until 6th when it was abandoned and
took passage to refit.)
Interception
Patrol and convoy defence duties in
Indian Ocean continued.
April Deployed with Eastern Fleet
as part of Task Force 69 (TF69).
16th Provided destroyer screen for HM Battleship QUEEN
ELIZABETH and VALIANT,
HM Cruisers CEYLON,
NIGERIA,
NEWCASTLE,
GAMBIA and Dutch cruiser
TROMP with HM Destroyers
RACEHORSE, PENN, PETARD, QUIBERON, NAPIER (RAN)
NEPAL (RAN) and NIZAM (RAN).
(Note: Eastern Fleet ships were providing
cover for air operations against targets in at Sabang
in NW Sumatra by HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and
US aircraft carrier
SARATOGA as Task
Force 70. Operation COCKPIT - For details
see WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO and
OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray.)
19th Japanese attack by torpedo aircraft driven off by fighter aircraft
from the two carriers.
24th Returned to Trincomalee with Fleet Units.
May Eastern
Fleet duties in continuation.
6th Joined HM Destroyers RACEHORSE,
PENN,
NAPIER,
NEPAL, QUIBERON and
QUICKMATCH with Dutch destroyer VAN GALEN in TASK
Force 65.
(Operation TRANSOM).
Sailed as destroyer
screen for HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS VALIANT, French
battleship
RICHELIEU, HMS NEWCASTLE, HMS NIGERIA and
Dutch cruiser TROMP
from Trincomalee.
(Note: Eastern Fleet ships were deployed
as Task Force 65 to provide cover during air
operations
at Sourabaya by HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
and USS SARATOGA deployed
as Task Force 66.)
15th Refuelled in
Exmouth
Bay,
Northern Australia from Tanker Support Group of Eastern
Fleet.
17th Deployed with Task Force 64 screen during air attacks on oil refineries
and harbour
installations.
18th USS SARATOGA and
US destroyers detached from Task Force
66.and took passage to resume
US Fleet duties.
27th Returned to Trincomalee
with Fleet units after refuelling in Exmouth Bay.
June Deployed with Flotilla in
Indian Ocean based at Trincomalee.
19th Deployed with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM, QUALITY, QUICKMATCH, RACEHORSE,
RELENTLESS, ROEBUCK
and RAIDER as screen for HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN,
French RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers
NIGERIA,
KENYA and
CEYLON during a series of air attacks on
Port Blair, Andamans.
(Operation PEDAL
–See above references for details.)
22nd Returned to Trincomalee
with Fleet units.
July Nominated with Flotilla
for Fleet duties during planned operations.
22nd Deployed with HM Destroyers RELENTLESS, RACEHORSE, ROCKET and RAPID
for screening of Eastern Fleet units
during air attacks and bombardments of shore targets
(Operation CRIMSON).
(Note: Major Eastern Fleet units deployed
were HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS VALIANT,
HM Battleship RENOWN,
French battleship RICHELIEU, HM Cruisers NIGERIA,
CUMBERLAND, KENYA, CEYLON and GAMBIA.
HM Aircraft Carriers
INDOMITABLE and VICTORIOUS which had recently joined
Eastern Fleet were
to attack airfield targets at Sabang,
Sumatra and Fleet units were
to bombard port installations including
shipping.)
25th Took part in bombardments.
Returned to Trincomalee as part of screen for Eastern
Fleet major units.
August Eastern
Fleet duties with Flotilla in continuation.
24th Deployed with HM Destroyers REDOUBT, RAIDER, RAPID and ROCKET
as screen for
screen for HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS
and INDOMITABLE, HM Battleship HOWE,
HM Cruisers CEYLON
and KENYA as Force 64 during air operations
on targets in Sumatra.
(Operation BANQUET
[ See above references.)
(Note: These included photo-reconnaissance
flight and air strikes on airfields and harbour
installations. The operation was a diversion
to pin down the Japanese air and naval
forces during US operations in Hollandia, New Guinea.)
26th Return passage to Trincomalee with Fleet unit
September
14th Deployed with HM Destroyers RAPID, REDOUBT, RELENTLESS, RACEHORSE
and
RAIDER, as screen
for HMS INDOMITABLE, HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS HOWE, HMS
CUMBERLAND and HMS KENYA during photo-reconnaissance
flights and air strikes on
on airfields in
Sumatra (Operation LIGHT)
17th Operations against airfields cancelled due to adverse weather
conditions.
Photo-reconnaissance
flights were however carried out over northern
Sumatra and the
Nicobar islands. (Operation LIGHT A)
18th Remained with screen during air attacks by carrier aircraft at
Sigli. Sumatra.
(Operation LIGHT
B)
October Passage to Simonstown for refit.
(Note: Ship did not take part in Operation
MILLET in this period.)
November Under. by HM Dockyard, Simonstown.
(Note: She docked for Inclining experiment.)
December Passage to resume Eastern Fleet duties
with Flotilla on completion of post refit
trials.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed with Flotilla for patrols
to intercept Japanese ships supplying stores and
carrying personnel to garrisons in Andamans and Nicobars.
Provided support
for military operations in
Burma.
February Deployed with HM Destroyers RAPID,
ROCKET and ROEBUCK as Force 68 and
carried out patrols to intercept shipping
in Andaman Sea.
21st Sailed from Trincomalee
with ships of Force 68 (Operation SUFFICE).
24th After sighting no enemy shipping carried out bombardment of
Great
Coco
Island.
(Note: Over 1,000 rounds of 4.7in shell
were fired by the four ships.)
25th Passage to
Akyab, Burma to replenish fuel and ammunition.
27th Sailed from Akyab
for offensive sweep between Tavoy
island and Heanzay Basin
with ships of Force 68 (Operation TRAINING).
March
1st Attacked and sank three coasters.
3rd Took part in bombardment
of Port Blair, Andamans with ships of Force 68.
(Note: Two sailing ships were sunk and
other ships damage in the harbour
during this bombardment.).
Return passage to
Trincomalee with Force 68.
20th Deployed with HM Destroyers RACEHORSE, REDOUBT and ROCKET for
anti-shipping sweep between Mergui and Amherst on coast of
Burma.
(Operation
PENZANCE).
April
1st After reconnaissance of Narcondam Island detected junk and a coastal steamer
which were sunk by Force 62 ships in
a night action.
(Note: This visit was made to establish
the suitability of the island for use as
a base for operations by Motor Torpedo
Boats.)
4th Took part in bombardment of radar station on
Great Cocos Island with
ships of Force 62.
5th Passage to Akyab for replenishment.
7th Sailed from Akyab
for further anti-shipping operation off coast of
Burma
with ships of Force 62 (Operation PASSBOOK)
9th Carried sweep operation till 11th.
12th During return passage sighted 68 survivors from Japanese Naval
Tender
AGATA MARU which
had been sunk in an attack by LIBERATOR aircraft
earlier that day,
15th Returned to Trincomalee.
Nominated for service
in Force 63 to provide cover for allied landings near
Rangoon (Operation BISHOP)
(Note: This was naval part of Operation
DRACULA).
27th Sailed from Trincomalee with HM Destroyers NUBIAN,
PENN, VERULAM,
and TARTAR for screening of HMS QUEEN
ELIZABETH, French RICHELIEU,
HM Cruisers
SUFFOLK,
CEYLON and
CUMBERLAND, Dutch TROMP, HM
Escort Aircraft Carriers
EMPRESS and SHAH to carry out diversionary operation
operation during landings.
29th Refuelled from RFA
OLWEN during cover operation.
30th Deployed with screen during bombardment and air strikes on Car
Nicobar and
Port Blair by Force 63.
May Screening duties in continuation.
3rd Deployed with TF63 during
shipping sweep off Burma to intercept enemy traffic.
4th Joined Force 68 as screen for HMS CUMBERLAND,
HMS CEYLON,
French
RICHELIEU and Dutch TROMP with HMS ROEBUCK and HMS REDOUBT.
5th Fuelled with ships of TF68 from RFA OLWEN
7th Resumed screening duty with Force 63 which
carried out attacks on airfield at
Car Nicobar by carrier aircraft.
8th VE Day.
Mainbrace spliced.
9th Returned to Trincomalee with ships of TF65
10th Deployed with screen for Task Force 63 to
intercept ships evacuating Japanese
personnel from Andamans and Nicobars
(Operation DUKEDOM)
(Note:
All available warships at Trincomalee were deployed.
For
details see OPERATION PACIFIC by E Grey, THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET
by J Winton, SINK THE HAGURO by J Winton and WAR WITH
JAPAN (HMSO)
After
sailing, Japanese cruiser with escorts reported on passage to support the
Japanese
evacuation operations..
11th Remained with screen for HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH
when HMS CUMBERLAND,
FS
RICHELIEU AND 26th Destroyer Flotilla detached as Task Group 61.2 to steam ahead
of main body of TF61.
14th Remained with screen when 21st Aircraft Carrier
Squadron, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
HUNTER,
SHAH, KHEDIVE and EMPEROR, HM Cruiser ROYALIST, HM Destroyers
NUBIAN
and PENN detached with 26th Destroyer Flotilla to intercept and destroy
HAGURO and escorting warships (Operation MITRE).
(Note: After a brilliant tactical interception
on 15th and 16th, HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ,
VERULAM,
VIGILANT, VENUS and VIRAGO engaged and sank HAGURO.
See
above references and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett.
18th Passage
to Trincomalee with screen for TF61.
June Eastern Fleet Flotilla duties
in continuation.
Deployed
with H M Destroyers RACEHORSE, RELENTLESS, REDOUBT and ROEBUCK as
screen for HM Cruisers ROYALIST and
SUFFOLK, HM Escort, Carriers STALKER, KHEDIVE
and AMEER during air operations (Operation
BALSAM).
18th Part of screen during air attacks on airfields
in Sumatra.
to and
photo-reconnaissance flights
19th See above references
20th On completion of BALSAM returned to Trincomalee.
July Fleet screening duties in
continuation.
19th Sailed from Trincomalee as screen for HM
Battleship NELSON, HM Cruiser SUSSEX,
Escort
Aircraft Carriers EMPRESS and AMEER with HM Destroyers RACEHORSE, RAIDER
and PALADIN as Force 63 (Operation LIVERY).
24th Part of screen for Force 63 during cover
of minesweeping operations off Phuket
Island at northern entrance to Malacca Straits.
(Note: During Minesweeping by 7th Minesweeping
Flotilla, HM Fleet Minesweeper
SQUIRREL
was badly damaged by a mine and had to be sunk by gunfire.
25th Screening
duty for Force 63 in continuation.
26th Force 63 under air attack by suicide bombers.
Three
aircraft shot down. HM Minesweeper VESTAL hit by suicide aircraft and had
to be sunk by gunfire from HMS RACEHORSE.
30th At
Trincomalee.
(Note: Operation LIVERY was the last
Eastern Fleet operation before VJ Day.
August Deployed with Flotilla for Eastern
Fleet screening duties during passage
to the assault area in southern
Malaya near Port Swettenham
(Operation
ZIPPER).
(Note: This had been delayed until after
VJ Day for various reasons, see above
references and final
SEAC Report (HMSO).).
Deployed
as escort for HMS SUSSEX for passage to
Singapore from Penang for
the surrender of Japanese forces.
(Note: HMS SUSSEX was Flagship of 5th
Cruiser Squadron.)
September Passage
through Malacca Straits with HMS SUSSEX and ships of 7th Minesweeping
Flotilla
deployed ahead for mine clearance.
4th Arrived at
Singapore with HMS SUSSEX after passage into
harbour preceded by
six Japanese minesweepers.
(Note: Surrender of 77,000 Japanese
personnel carried out on board HMS SUSSEX.)
5th Independent passage to
Singapore naval dockyard to accept the surrender of
34,000 personnel of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Ship at Action Stations
8th Formal surrender of IJN personnel signed
ashore in former RN Base HMS
SULTAN)
(Note: Captain Biggs, commanding officer assumed command of the
dockyard.)
A
commemorative plaque was later placed in the wardroom of HM Naval
base and remained there until the RN
left
Singapore in 1971.
The
main entrance to HM
Dockyard, Singapore was renamed
ROTHERHAM
Gate.