1 9 3 9
September Attached to 5th Cruiser Squadron on
the China Station.
3rd Based at Singapore and deployed in Indian Ocean and Malacca Straits on trade
protection. Search for enemy merchant ships attempting to
return to Europe.
October Carried out patrol and
interception duties in East
Indies.
November
4th Relieved by HM Cruiser DAUNTLESS and took passage to Hong Kong
10th Based in Hong
Kong for
contraband control search duties in Chinese waters.
28th Escorted French liner ANDRE LEBON.
December
9th During search for German freighter BURGENLAND reported on
passage from Kobe
intercepted Dutch ship and then joined the Armed Merchant Cruiser MORETON BAY
for patrol off Japan in an endeavour to find enemy vessel.
17th Damaged in collision with Tanker FRANCOL
when fuelling.
27th Propeller replaced and bow repaired in dock at Hong Kong.
1 9 4 0
January
3rd Transferred to Mediterranean Fleet and took passage for Alexandria.
22nd Under refit in Malta.
February Transferred to Home Fleet.
March Passage to Scapa Flow to join 18th Cruiser Squadron in Home
Fleet
27th Nominated for cover of simulated minelay off Norway at Bud in Force WB with
HM Destroyers HYPERION and HERO (Operation WILFRED).
31st Sailed with the destroyers HMS FEARLESS and HMS HOSTILE to
ensure security of
simulated minelay and to capture any German fishing vessels
in the area.
April
8th During deployment with HMS RENOWN to cover minelay ordered
by CinC Home Fleet
to join units on passage to patrol entrance to Vest Fjord.
Due to fuel
shortage ordered to return to Scapa
Flow.
10th Under air attack off Norwegian coast.
13th Joined escort for military convoy NP1 carrying troops for
landings in Norway,
with HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and CAIRO screened by HM Destroyers NUBIAN
SIKH and SOMALI (Operation RUPERT/R4).
14th Detached from NP1 with HMS MANCHESTER and HMS CAIRO screened
by HM Destroyers
HIGHLANDER,
VANOC and WHIRLWIND as escort for Polish liner CHOBRY and
rms EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA during
passage to Namsos.
(Operation
MAURICE - See Naval Staff History.)
15th Destination changed to Lillesjona
where troops were to be transferred to destroyers for the
remainder of passage to Namsos.
17th Passage to Scapa
Flow with HMS
VANOC and HMS WHIRLWIND escorting rms
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA.
20th Deployed to reinforce HMS CAIRO and two
French destroyers as escort for French troopship
VILLE D'ALGER during final part of
passage to Namsos.
22nd Return passage to Scapa Flow.
24th Took passage from Rosyth for delivery of stores and
reinforcements to SICKLE FORCE at
Andalsnes and
Molde in company with HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and YORK screened
by HM Destroyers ACHERON, HMS ARROW and HMS GRIFFIN.
(Note: Troops
and stores were ferried ashore at Andalsnes from HMS
BIRMINGHAM
and HMS YORK.
For details see Naval Staff History.)
25th Retained in Norwegian waters with HMS MANCHESTER for
interception patrols
26th Sank the German Trawler SCHELSWIG (Schiff 37) which had been
wearing a Dutch
Flag. During this engagement rammed HMS ARROW.
May
1st Took part in evacuation of allied troops from Andalsnes
and Molde with HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER and CALCUTTA, HM Sloop HMS AUCKLAND and HM
Destroyers DELIGHT, DIANA, INGLEFIELD, MASHONA and SOMALI.
390 troops were
embarked for return passage.
For full details
of the Norwegian operations see NARVIK by Donald MacIntyre
THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by Jack Adams and Naval Staff History.
2nd Arrived at Scapa Flow with passengers.
8th Transferred to Nore Command with HMS MANCHESTER and HMS
SHEFFIELD for
interception duties in southern North Sea.
9th Sailed from Rosyth with HM Destroyers JANUS, HAVOCK, HEREWARD and HYPERION
for duty in Nore Command.
Diverted on passage to join search with destroyers for ships
reported in Little Fisher Bank area.
Under air attacks. For details see Naval Staff History.
(Note: During
this search HM Destroyer KELLY was badly damaged in action with E-Boats
and had to be towed to Tyne for repair covered by this ship
10th Deployed with HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD to cover the tow by HM Destroyer BULLDOG
of the damaged destroyer KELLY to Tyne Estuary.
12th Arrived at Harwich on completion and deployed in support of
Dutch military
operations at Terschelling.
June Based in Humber estuary with ships of 1st Cruiser
Squadron for patrol duty
in North
Sea.
July Remained in North Sea for anti-invasion patrol.
August
31st Transferred to Sheerness for
anti-invasion patrols.
Deployed with HM
Cruisers MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON screened by three
Fleet destroyers
in search for invasion craft.
September
Under refit at Liverpool. Type 286M surface warning radar fitted.
to (Note:
This was the first ship borne radar capable of detection of surface
November craft and was a modified RAF type
equipment fitted in aircraft for ship
detection. For details of the development and use of Radar
by the RN
see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.)
December Post refit
trials.
27th On completion returned to Scapa Flow to resume Home Fleet duties.
Deployed with
18th Cruiser Squadron in Home Fleet for escort and patrol duty
in NW Approaches. One of the objectives of this was the
interception of enemy
commerce raiders and blockade runners.
(Details of
Contraband Control in Northern waters are given in ARMED MERCHANT
CRUISERS by K. POOLMAN).
1 9 4 1
January
24th Relieved HM Cruisers AURORA and NAIAD with HM Cruiser
EDINBURGH and three
Fleet destroyers
as escort for the merchant ships ELIZABETH BURKE, TAURUS and TAI
SHAN which had
escaped from Gotenberg carrying essential commodities
obtained
in Sweden (Operation RUBBLE).
February Nominated for Ocean Escort of
Middle East military convoy and took passage
to Clyde to join.
9th Joined Convoy WS6A with HM Cruiser
PHOEBE and HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser
CATHAY as Ocean Escort during
passage to Freetown.
15th HM Battleship RODNEY screened by HM Destroyers ECLIPSE AND ELECTRA joined
escort.
17th HMS RODNEY and screen detached and replaced by HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN and
HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL.
21st HM Battleship MALAYA joined.
March
1st Arrived at Freetown with WS6A
6th Sailed from Freetown as Convoy WS6 Ocean Escort during
passage to Cape
Town
with
HMS PHOEBE and HMS CATHAY.
21st Detached from WS6 on arrival at Cape Town.
Joined 18th Cruiser Squadron for trade defence duties in South Atlantic.
April Nominated for return to
Home Fleet duties and took passage to Scapa Flow.
May Deployed
with Home Fleet.
6th Ocean Escort for minelay in Northern Barrage by 1st
Minelaying Squadron
(Operation
SN9A).
7th Diverted with HMS EDINBURGH, HMS MANCHESTER, HMS SOMALI and
three
other Fleet destroyers to intercept German Weather Ship
MUNCHEN known to be on
station in North
Atlantic. This
operation was intended to obtain the ENIGMA Coding
machine with its associated documentation. MUNCHEN scuttled
but these vital
items were recovered by the boarding party before enemy
vessel sank.
19th Deployed with HMS MANCHESTER for interception patrol between Faeroes Islands
and Iceland.
23rd Joined by HM Cruiser ARETHUSA.
24th Patrol line adjusted after loss of HM Battleship HOOD on
order to cover any
possible escape by BISMARCK to NE of Iceland.
June
4th Transferred to South Atlantic as Flagship for ships engaged in trade defence.
Nominated as
Ocean Escort for Middle East WS military convoy during passage to
Durban from Clyde.
7th Joined Convoy WS9A with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser DUNOTTAR CASTLE.
14th At Freetown with Convoy WS9A.
20th Sailed from Freetown for Cape of Good Hope with WS9A.
July
2nd At Cape Town.
5th Took passage to Durban as WS9A Ocean Escort.
9th Detached from WS9A on relief by HM
Cruiser HAWKINS.
12th Deployed for commerce raider
interception and trade defence.
August Interception patrols and
convoy defence deployment in southern oceans.
to
December.
1 9 4 2
January Deployed off Falklands with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS
ASTURIAS after
Japan entered war to deter any possible
attack.
February Under refit by HM Dockyard Simonstown, South Africa.
20mm Close Range
AA armament fitted and Radar Type 284 for 6in main armament
fire control installed. Surface warning Type 286M Radar
replaced by improved
RN British
equipment (Type 291) using rotating aerial instead of 'fixed' type
used with Type 286.
March During refit period
transferred to 4th Cruiser Squadron in Eastern Fleet.
to
April
May On completion of Post
Refit trials detached for duty at Alexandria with the
Mediterranean Fleet with HMS NEWCASTLE.
25th Took passage via Suez to Mediterranean.
June
6th Arrived at Alexandria for service with 15th
Cruiser Squadron.
11th Part of escort for passage of Malta relief convoy from Alexandria with ships
of 15th Cruiser Squadron and destroyers of Mediterranean
Fleet.
(Operation
VIGOROUS)
15th Under heavy air attacks and damaged by near miss. The
consequential severe
whipping of structure disabled gun turrets.
16th Returned to Alexandria when operation was abandoned due to
threat of surface
intervention by Italian fleet and continuation of heavy air
attacks.
Full details of
this disastrous operation which was a classic case of much
interference by shore authorities is given in ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by
Corelli Barnett, THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by
D MacIntyre, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and The Naval Staff History)
July
2nd Passage to Kilindini to rejoin Eastern
Fleet.
18th Deployed at Kilindini with HM Battleship WARSPITE, HM
Aircraft Carriers
FORMIDABLE and ILLUSTRIOUS.
(Note: This was
part of the revised policy made possible by the arrival of
reinforcements in the Indian Ocean and intended to intensify the RN
contribution o naval operations in South East Asia against Japan.
21st Took passage to Colombo with HM Cruiser MAURITIUS, HM Destroyers NORMAN,
NIZAM,
INCONSTANT and Dutch VAN GALEN as Force A
25th At Colombo and prepared to provide cover for
passage of three Dummy convoys on
passage in Bay
of Bengal to
simulate an attack en the Andaman
Islands.
(Operation STAB
- Diversion during US landings on Guadalcanal.
August
2nd STAB cancelled after CinC
determined that the objective had been achieved.
(See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO), Volume HE)
11th Returned to Kilindini with HM Minelaying Cruiser MANXMAN.
September
5th Deployed with Eastern Fleet ships including HM Cruiser GAMBIA, HM Seaplane
Carrier
ALBATROSS escorted by HM Destroyers EXPRESS, FORTUNE, HOTSPUR
and INCONSTANT to Majunga with Netherlands destroyer VAN
HEEMSKERCK for the final
occupation of Madagascar by 29th Infantry Brigade (Operation
STREAM).
10th Covered landings at Majunga, Madagascar.
12th Supported landings at Antanarive until 15th September.
18th Supported landings at Tamatave.
October Returned to trade protection
duty in Indian
Ocean.
November
24th Rescued survivors from ss TILAWA
sunk by Japanese submarine 129 off Bombay.
December Deployed with Eastern Fleet for
trade protection duty and offensive sweeps.
(Eastern Fleet
activities between 1942 and 1945 are provided in OPERATION
PACIFIC by E. Gray).
1 9 4 3
January Eastern Fleet deployment in
continuation.
to
February Nominated for return to UK for refit after escort of military
convoy during
passage in Indian
Ocean.
March
1st Joined Convoy WS26 at Durban with HM Cruiser CERES as Ocean Escort
during
passage to Aden.
9th Detached from WS26 on relief by HMS
HAWKINS.
(Note: HMS CERES
detached on 8th.)
Passage to Devonport.
April Taken in hand for repair
and refit by HM Dockyard on arrival.
Nominated for further deployment with Eastern Fleet.
Additional radar
fitted for AA fire-control (Type 285), Air warning
(Type 281)
and IFF sets installed. Radar Type 291 for
surface and air warning replaced
by new 10cm Type 273- (For details see RADAR AT SEA by D. Howse).
May Under refit
to
August
September On completion carried out post
refit trials at Plymouth.
October Prepared for foreign service and work-up with Home Fleet.
November
18th On completion of work-up at Scapa Flow took passage to rejoin Eastern Fleet
via Mediterranean.
27th Deployed in eastern Mediterranean.
28th Sustained major damaged after being hit by torpedo fired from
U407 off the
coast of Cyrenaica. Forward magazine flooded and ship
listed 8 degrees. Speed
had to be reduced to 20 knots.
December Under temporary repair at Alexandria.
1 9 4 4
January Under repair.
to Arrangements
made for permanent repair to be carried out in US Navy shipyard.
April
.
May Passage to USA
June
9th Taken in hand for repair and refit by
US Navy Yard at Norfolk, Va.
July Under refit
to Harbour
trials
October (Note: Preparatory work for
installation of RN radar and other equipment
was carried out
November On completion of trials took
passage to UK to complete refit work in UK.
December Under refit at HM Dockyard, Portsmouth. Type 282 AA fire control radar fitted
for Close
Range weapons. X Turret and
aircraft facility removed.
1 9 4 5
January
14th Joined 10th Cruiser Squadron in Home
Fleet at Scapa Flow.
February Deployed with Home Fleet and took
part in offensive sweeps against shipping
to off
Norwegian coast.
March (For details of Home Fleet
operations off Norway between 1944 and 1945
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and
Naval
Staff History.)
April
3rd Deployed with HM Cruiser BELLONA to cover air strikes by HM
Escort Carriers
HMS QUEEN, HMS
SEARCHER and HMS TRUMPETER on Norwegian coastal
shipping. This operation had to be cancelled because of
weather.
Carried out
patrol inside Arctic
Circle till
12th April..
May
5th Passage to Copenhagen with HM Cruiser DIDO screened by HM
Destroyers ZEALOUS
ZEPHYR and ZEST
(Operation CLEAVER).
6th Accepted surrender of German warships PRINZ EUGEN and NURNBERG.
13th Relieved by HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE and returned to Scapa Flow.
26th Embarked troops at Rosyth for passage to Trondheim to assist with capture of
German troops
still not in custody.
28th Arrived in Trondheim.
June Deployed as Flagship to
10th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
to Remained
in Home Fleet until the end of hostilities with Japan.
August