1 9 3 9
September Deployed with Mediterranean Fleet
for Contraband Control duties based at Toulon.
to Nominated for
transfer to Home Waters.
December
1 9 4 0
January Passage
to Scapa
Flow to
Join Home Fleet.
February Deployed in Horns Waters for
aircrew training.
to
March
April Deployed at Scapa Flow
with Home Fleet after German invasion of Norway.
May Not deployed with Fleet
off Norway and remained in NW Approaches.
June Deployed in NW
Approaches for convoy defence duties.
July Detached for delivery
of aircraft for transfer to Middle
East from Takoradi.
Passage to Takoradi and returned to UK
Embarked
aircraft for delivery to Malta and took passage to Gibraltar.
31st Sailed for Malta escorted by HM Destroyers HOTSPUR, ENCOUNTER, GALLANT and
GREYHOUND
covered by HM Cruiser ARETHUSA, HM Battleships VALIANT and
RESOLUTION
screened by HM Destroyers ESCAPADE and VELOX of Force H.
(Operation
HURRY).
(See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre.)
August
4th Passage to Liverpool from Gibraltar with HMS VALIANT screened by HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR and FORESTER on completion of HURRY.
Rejoined Home Fleet after passage from Liverpool.
September Deployed in NW Approaches for
anti-submarine patrols and convoy defence.
Carried out aircraft delivery to Freetown.
October
2nd Under attack by Italian submarine which
failed.
November Detached from Hone Fleet for
aircraft delivery.
Embarked two
SKUA and twelve HURRICANE aircraft for delivery to Malta and took
passage to Gibraltar.
15th Sailed from Gibraltar escorted by HM Cruiser DESPATCH and HM Destroyers DUNCAN,
WISHART and FURY (Operation WHITE).
17th Aircraft launched west of Sicilian Narrows but only one SKUA and four HURRICANE
aircraft arrived. Diversionary operation by HM Aircraft
Carrier ARK ROYAL had to
be cancelled by bad weather which may account for the losses
of aircraft.
19th Return passage to UK on completion of WHITE
December Detached duty for aircraft
delivery in continuation.
19th Joined military convoy WS5A in Clyde for
passage to Freetown with replacement
aircraft embarked for transfer to Middle East
from West Africa.
HM Aircraft
Carrier FURIOUS also joined convoy and was carrying aircraft for
delivery to West
Africa.
25th With WS5A during attack by German
cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER.
Launched
SWORDFISH aircraft to embark torpedoes in HMS FURIOUS as only bombs
were being carried on board.
Intended air
operations on German ship ware cancelled by Admiralty.
1 9 4 1
January
6th Convoy W55A arrived at Freetown.
After disembarking aircraft took passage to UK to resume Home Fleet duties.
February Deployed with Home Fleet.
March Detached for aircraft
delivery duties.
Embarked
aircraft for delivery to Malta and took passage to Gibraltar.
April
1st Arrived at Gibraltar and transferred 12 HURRICANE aircraft to HMS ARK ROYAL
for delivery to Malta (Operation WINCH).
(Note: HMS ARK
ROYAL made a delivery of HURRICANE and FULMAR aircraft
on 3rd. One source
indicates HMS ARGUS was also involved but is not confirmed.)
8th Passage to UK from Gibraltar.
May Detached
service for aircraft delivery in continuation.
22nd Joined military convoy WS8B in Clyde for
part of passage to Gibraltar.
27th Detached from WS8B for independent
passage to deliver replacement aircraft.
June Passage
from Gibraltar to UK after disembarking aircraft.
(Note: An
aircraft delivery was carried out on 6th June by HM Aircraft Carrier
FURIOUS. This may have included aircraft delivered in May.
(Operation
ROCKET).
Resumed Home Fleet duties.
July Nominated for aircraft
delivery to North Russia.
August Embarked HURRICANE aircraft
and took passage to Reykjavik.
26th Sailed from Reykjavik for aircraft delivery off North Russia.
30th Joined HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE, HM Destroyers MATABELE, PUNJABI and SOMALI
as escort during passage
(Operation STRENGTH).
(Note: Cover was
provided by HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers SUFFOLK
and DEVONSHIRE, HM Destroyers ECLIPSE , ESCAPADE and
INGLEFIELD.)
September
7th Launched aircraft and took return passage to Scapa Flow.
Embarked aircraft for delivery to Gibraltar after return to UK.
30th Joined military convoy WS12 in Clyde for
part of passage to Gibraltar.
October
5th Detached from WS12 with HM Destroyer SIKH as escort for
passage to Gibraltar
November Disembarked aircraft on arrival
and returned to UK.
Detached service for aircraft transport in continuation.
Embarked
aircraft for delivery to Malta and took passage to Gibraltar.
7th At Gibraltar.
9th Passage for aircraft delivery escorted by HMS ARK ROYAL, HM
Battleship MALAYA,
HM Cruiser
HERMIONE with HM Destroyers LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, SIKH, ZULU,
GURKHA and Dutch ISAAC SWEERS (Operation PERPETUAL).
10th Launched aircraft for delivery to Malta from position west of Sicilian Channel.
13th During return passage HMS ARK ROYAL was torpedoed in position
36.06N 05.07E by
U81. Carrier was
disabled and sank on 14th.
14th Transferred to Force H in place of HMS
ARK ROYAL pending arrival of replacement.
December Force H deployment at Gibraltar in
continuation.
1 9 4 2
January Deployed at Gibraltar
with Force H.
February Passage to UK with ships of Force H for escort of military convoy in Atlantic in
view of threat posed by German warships SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU then based
in Brest.
On arrival
embarked fighter aircraft for transfer to Malta.
17th Joined military convoy WS16 as part of convoy which was
escorted by ships from
Force H
including HMS MALAYA, HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE (as the replacement for
HMS ARK ROYAL), HM Cruiser HERMIONE screened by destroyers from Gibraltar.
22nd Detached from WS16 with Force H ships.
24th Arrived at Gibraltar.
27th Deployed for aircraft delivery to Malta with HMS EAGLE (Operation SPOTTER I).
(Note: Escorted
by HMS MALAYA, HMS HERMIONE, LAFOREY, LIGHTNING,
ANTHONY, ACTIVE,
WHITEHALL, WISHART, BLANKNEY, EXMOOR and
CROOME.)
29th Operation abandoned because of defects in aircraft fuel
tanks.
Returned to Gibraltar.
March
6th Resumed aircraft delivery with same ships (Operation SPOTTER ).
8th Returned to Gibraltar on completion of SPOTTER II. 22 aircraft launched.
20th Deployed for further aircraft delivery with HMS EAGLE
(Operation PICKET I)
(Note: Escort
included HM Destroyers LAFOREY, DUNCAN, ACTIVE, ANTHONY,
WHITEHALL, WISHART, BLANKNEY, EXMOOR and
CROOME with same
covering ships.)
23rd Returned to Gibraltar with same ships.
27th Sailed with same ships for repeat
aircraft delivery (Operation PICKET II).
30th Returned to Gibraltar on completion of PICKET II
Released from detached service with Force H.
April Resumed
Home Fleet duties on arrival from detached service.
May Detached for further
aircraft delivery and embarked SPITFIRE aircraft.
Took passage to Gibraltar with aircraft for delivery to Malta.
15th At Gibraltar.
17th Deployed with HMS EAGLE for aircraft delivery, covered by HM
Cruiser CHARYBDIS
screened by HM Destroyers PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL, ANTHONY,
WISHART, WESTCOTT
and WRESTLER (Operation
LB).
20th Returned to Gibraltar after successful launching.
Passage to UK to embark aircraft for delivery to Malta.
June
1st Joined military convoy WS19P in Clyde for
passage in NW Approaches.
5th Detached from WS19P and made
independent passage to Gibraltar.
9th Deployed at Gibraltar for temporary duty with Force H after aircraft had been
disembarked.
10th Sailed from Gibraltar with HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Battleship MALAYA,
HM Cruisers CAIRO and CHARYBDIS of Force H designated as Force T.
11th Joined Malta Relief convoy in western Mediterranean
to provide cover for its
passage to Sicilian Narrows with HM Cruisers KENYA and LIVERPOOL
which were
part of escort from UK. Redesignated Force
W and screened by HM Destroyers
ONSLOW, ICARUS,
ESCAPADE, WISHART, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER, ANTELOPE
and VIDETTE.
(Operation
HARPOON. See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN and ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY.)
14th Detached from HARPOON off Bizerta with ships of Force W.
(Note: Close
escort for passage through Sicilian Narrows provided by Force X.
See above
references.)
15th Deployed with Force W to west of Sicilian Narrows to cover return passage to
Gibraltar of
Force X.
16th Returned to Gibraltar with HMS MALAYA. HM Destroyers ESCAPADE, VIDETTE,
WISHART and WRESTLER. Remaining ships of Force W remained in
area.
17th Arrived at Gibraltar.
22nd Return passage to UK to resumed Home Fleet duties.
(Note: During
this deployment it was evident that the ship was not suitable for
Fleet use when
large scale air and surface attacks were likely.)
July Deployed with Home
Fleet whilst future deployment under consideration.
August
5th Took part in multi-carrier exercise in Atlantic with
HM Aircraft Carriers EAGLE,
FURIOUS,
INDOMITABLE and VICTORIOUS (Exercise BERSERK)
(Note: To
practice procedures for use by Fleet Carriers during Operation PEDESTAL)
8th Believed in Gibraltar after BERSERK for several days and supplied
FURIOUS with aircraft
for operation BARITONE. Followed by return passage to
Scapa Flow.
September Home
Fleet deployment in continuation at Scapa Flow.
October Nominated for support of
planned allied landings in North
Africa with ships of
the Home Fleet. Took passage from Scapa Flow to Gibraltar.
(For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Bamett and
the Naval Staff History.)
November Joined Central Task Force at Gibraltar for
support of landings,
(Operation TORCH
- HMS FURIOUS and Five escort aircraft carriers were also
used as well as cover by
major warships from Home Fleet and Force H.)
7th Passage to beachhead area with HMS FURIOUS.
(Note: Attack by
U8l failed. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
8th Provided air support during landings
at Oran.
10th Attack by U561 failed. See above reference.
11th Provided air support during landings at Bougie.
Came under air
attack and sustained damage.
12th Passage to UK as part of escort for Convoy MKF1 with HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier AVENGER and HM Destroyer WRESTLER and four other
destroyers.
15th Convoy MKF1 under attack by U98 which was sunk by HMS
WRESTLER.
(See U-BOATS DESTROYED
by P Kemp and above reference.)
HMS AVENGER sunk
by U135. See WARSHIP LOSSES IN WW2 by D Brown.
On arrival in UK resumed Home Fleet duties
December Home Fleet duties
1 9 4 3
January Withdrawn from operational
duties and nominated for aircrew training and trials.
February Deployed in Home Waters for
training and trials.
to December (Note: During November 835 Squadron
aircraft carried cut trials on new design
'Bouncing Bomb'
for use against ship targets such as TIRPITZ. The weapon
was never introduced.)
Aircrew training and trials duties in continuation.
Nominated for
withdrawal from sea service and to be deployed as an Accommodation
Ship. Reduced to Reserve status.
1 9 4 4
In reserve
1 9 4 5
January Deployed in Nore Command as an
Accommodation Ship
to August
