1
9 3 9
August
9th
Commissioned from Reserve for Royal
Review at Weymouth.
Attended Review
In view of the political situation she
was retained in service and after
storing and completion to
war
complement sailed with HM Cruiser DANAE
to join 9th Cruiser Squadron in South Atlantic
for trade
defence.
September
3rd
Escorted convoy to Capetown from Gibraltar.
14th
Based at Freetown
for trade defence and escorted convoys
for part of passage to
Cape
of Good
Hope
(Note: Deployed for interception of
German shipping which was attempting return to European
waters. For
details of deployment of warships in Atlantic see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett).
October
Transferred to China Station and took
passage via Mediterranean.
10th
Sailed from Gibraltar for Singapore.
21st
Sailed from Aden
for Colombo.
31st
Arrived Singapore.
November
2nd
Deployed with 5th Cruiser Squadron for
interception patrol and protection of
allied shipping in
Singapore
area.
4th
Relieved HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM
in Sunda Strait.
December
Continuation of duties based at Singapore.
1
9 4 0
January
8th
Deployed in Malacca Straits.
21st
Called at Penang.
February
Trade protection role in continuation.
March
23rd
Transferred to British Malayan Force for
surveillance of German shipping
.
Deployed off Batavia to intercept German merchant ships,
including NORDMARK,
RENDSBERG and
VOGTLAND.
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
April
26th
Passage to Hong
Kong
for refit.
May
Under refit
June
4th
Passage to Singapore
to resume surveillance and trade
defence duties.
July
Continuation of trade defence role in
Malacca Straits
to
October
November
Passage to Hong Kong
for routine docking.
December
4th Docking
at Hong
Kong.
15th
Passage to resume duties in Singapore
area.
20th
Patrol duty in Malacca Straits.
1
9 4 1
January
Deployed for trade defence and
interception patrol based at Singapore.
to
April
May
Under refit in Singapore.
June
9th
On completion resumed trade defence
duties.
15th
Slightly damaged in collision with HM
Cruiser EMERALD off Singapore.
(Note: HMS EMERALD sustained major
damage with several casualties.)
Taken in hand for
repair at Singapore.
July
On completion resumed patrol and
interception duties on completion.
to
October
November
Withdrawn from China Station for refit
in UK.
December
Passage to Portsmouth
(Note: This ship was therefore not
involved in the operations against Japan).
1
9 4 2
January
On arrival
taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard..
(Note: Work included
Installation of
Radar Type 286 and Radar Type 271.
For details of development and
use of radar
in RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.
AA armament improved by replacement of
the after 4in gun by quadruple
pom-pom and
addition of
20mm Oerlikon guns.
February
14th
On completion carried out post refit
trials.
Prepared for foreign
service with 5th Cruiser
Squadron in East
Indies.
March
Took passage to join 5th Cruiser
Squadron in Indian
Ocean.
April
On arrival deployed for convoy defence
and interception duties.
27th
Joined military convoy WS17 as Ocean
Escort for the passage from Capetown to
Durban
with HM
Battleship REVENGE.
May
7th
Detached from WS17 on arrival at Durban
and trade defence in continuation.
June
5th
Deployed with HM Destroyer ANTHONY for
trade defence.
On passage to Diego
Suarez. See WAR WITH JAPAN
Volume III
(HMSO).
13th
Deployed for patrol duties with HMS
DANAE between Diego Suarez and Farquar
Island
to intercept
Japanese submarines and supply ships.
See above reference
July
Patrol duties in continuation.
22nd
Diverted to take part in capture of Mayotte
(Operation THROAT).
August
Indian
Ocean
deployment in continuation.
Nominated for support of planned
landings in Madagascar
(Operation STREAM)
(Note: Practice landing Exercise
TOUCHSTONE was carried out as a
preliminary.)
September
Allocated to Force M with HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM,
GAMBIA,
CARADOC, MANXMAN,
HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Monitor EREBUS and HM Seaplane Carrier
ALBATROSS.
10th
Took part in landing operations at
Majunga.
(Note: No bombardments were required as
there was no opposition
October
Indian
Ocean
trade defence in continuation,
For details of naval operations in the Indian
Ocean
during 1942 see OPERATION PACIFIC
by E Gray,
WAR WITH JAPAN
Volume III
(HMSO) and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
November
9th
Joined military convoy WS23 on departure
from Durban
as Ocean Escort with HM
Armed Merchant
Cruiser CARTHAGE.
11th
Detached from WS23 on relief by HM
Cruiser HAWKINS.
December
Indian Ocean Trade defence and
interception duties in continuation
Passage to Simonstown
for refit
1
9 4 3
January
Under refit by HM Dockyard, Simonstown.
to
February
March
Withdrawn from operational duty. See
General Information.
April
Passage to UK.
May
On arrival deployed at Chatham
pending decision for future use.
Selected for
training duties.
June
Under refit at Chatham
by HM Dockyard
to
July
Further dockyard work to suit new role
to be carried out by HM Dockyard at
Rosyth.
(Note: Future deployment as a training
ship for Direct Entry Y-Scheme personnel
required
provision of suitable compartments for
instruction and on items
of equipment.
Ships displacement was reduced by
removal of equipment not
required for
training role.
Y-Scheme personnel comprised ratings
selected for promotion to commissioned
rank in the
RNVR.)
August
Passage to Rosyth.
September
Under conversion by HM Dockyard.
(Note: Changes included removal of
Pom-pom mounting and installation of
additional
20mm close range weapons. Radar Type 273
was installed for training in use of
this Surface
Warning equipment.
October
Joined Training Squadron based at Rosyth
on completion of conversion.
November
Deployed at Rosyth for harbour and sea
training in Forth
area.
to December.
1
9 4 4
January
Training duties in continuation.
to October
November
Taken in hand for routine inspection and
essential repairs by HM Dockyard, Rosyth
December
Resumed duties in Training Squadron on
completion.
1
9 4 5
January
Deployed for Squadron training duties
February
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard,
Rosyth.
to
March
(Note: This may have been for repair
work since ship had not been long out of
dock.)
April
Resumed training duties,
May
Squadron training duties in
continuation.
to August