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1
9 3 9
September
Deployed on Northern Patrol
with
12th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet
7th
Returned
to Scapa Flow.
10th
Sailed for interception
patrol.
17th
Returned
to Scapa Flow
20th
Sailed from Scapa
Flow for patrol.
28th
Returned
to Scapa Flow.
(For details of deployment of
Northern Patrol see THE BLOCKADERS
by C
Hampshire)
October
Transferred to South American
Division, America and West
Indies.
2nd
Took
passage from Scapa Flow for Plymouth
3rd
Arrived
at Plymouth and AA armament supplemented
by fit of 0.5in
machine
guns.
7th
Deployed
with HM Battleship REVENGE, HM Cruisers
ENTERPRISE
and
CARADOC
for transfer of gold bullion for safe
custody in Canada.
Took passage
to Halifax.
17th
Disembarked gold bullion.
Transferred to Halifax Escort
Force.
18th
Sailed from Halifax
for UK as part of escort for Atlantic
convoy.
29th
Arrived
at Portsmouth
November
Nominated for transfer of
further
gold bullion.
13th
Passage to Canada
after call at Plymouth.
21st
Arrived at Halifax and
rejoined Halifax Escort Force.
26th
Sailed for Bermuda
for exercises.
December
7th
Arrived
at Halifax from Bermuda.
10th
Took
passage from Halifax with HM
Battlecruiser REPULSE,
HM Battleship RESOLUTION and HM
Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS
as
escort
for military convoy TC1 during Atlantic
passage.
(Note: This convoy comprised
troopships AQUITANIA, EMPRESS
OF BRITAIN, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA,
MONARCH
OF BERMUDA and DUCHESS OF ATHOLL
taking first
contingent
of Canadian troops to UK)
19th
Returned to Halifax
after detaching from TC1.
20th
Sailed from Halifax
as escort for Atlantic convoy.
1
9 4 0
January
3rd
Arrived
at Portsmouth
for repair.
12th
Took passage from Portsmouth
for Halifax to resume duties.
18th
Arrived
at Halifax.
22nd
Sailed as escort for convoy
during Atlantic passage.
February
Halifax Escort Force
deployment
in continuation.
Sustained structural damage in
heavy
weather and machinery
defects.
Repair arranged at Southampton.
15th
Taken in hand for repair at
commercial shipyard.
March
Under repair.
April
30th
Post repair trials.
May
Embarked gold bullion and took
passage to Halifax.
Deployed as escort for DUCHESS OF
RICHMOND for passage
from
Halifax to Clyde.
Return passage to Halifax.
June
Deployed for escort of
Halifax-Bermuda
convoy.
10th
Sailed
from Halifax as escort for troopship
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
during
passage to Iceland with Canadian troops
for occupation after
fall
of Denmark and initial landing of
British forces.
16th
Arrived
at Reykjavik and embarked survivors from
British aircraft
and
four
German prisoners of war for passage to
Clyde.
19th
Passage to Greenock.
23rd
Embarked gold bullion at Greenock.
24th
Sailed
from Greenock for Halifax escorted by HM
Destroyers
COSSACK and
ATHERSTONE.
25th
Escort
detached due to adverse weather
conditions and required speed.
30th
Arrived
at Halifax to discharge cargo and resume
Halifax Escort Force
duties.
July
Deployed for escort of
Halifax-Bermuda
convoys
Nominated for
escort of troop convoy on return from
Bermuda.
Deployed with HM Battleship
REVENGE
for escort of military
convoy
TC6
taking Canadian troops to UK.
August
1st
Arrived
in Clyde
with TC6.
5th
Joined
military convoy WS2 in Clyde as part of
escort with HM
Cruiser SHROPSHIRE during passage
to Middle
East in NW
Approaches.
7th
Detached
from escort of WS2 and took passage to
Halifax.
Transferred to Home waters in
view of
threat of German invasion and took
passage
to Clyde.
(Note: One source records that
this
order was made during service
on
Halifax-Bermuda route after return to
Halifax from WS2.)
September
13th
Arrived
at Greenock for anti-invasion patrol
duties in Western
Approaches Command.
17th
Sailed
from Clyde with HMS REVENGE and four destroyers
to take
up
duties
based at Plymouth.
29th
Deployed
with HM Destroyers BROKE, VELOX, Polish
ORP
GARLAND
and ORP BLYSKAWICA to investigate report
of two
German
destroyers
in area of Scillies.
30th
No
enemy ship sighted but HM Yacht SAPPHO
was sunk near
Falmouth
possibly by the reported vessels.
Remained in area with three
destroyers and carried out further
search
overnight
without success.
October
Returned to Plymouth.
11th
Deployed
with HMS REVENGE, seven destroyers and
six MGBs to
carry
out
bombardment of Cherbourg screened by HM
Cruisers
NEWCASTLE
and CARDIFF with screen of six
destroyers.
(Operation MEDIUM)
12th
Returned to Plymouth
on completion of MEDIUM.
17th
Deployed
with HMS NEWCASTLE and five destroyers
for patrol
in SW
Approaches.
HMS NEWCASTLE engaged five German
destroyers off Lands End
but
range of
18,000 yards made joint fire with old
weapons ineffective.
Under air attack Enemy ships
fired
torpedoes which were avoided.
Enemy force retired at high speed
towards Brest and in view of
increased
air support, chase discontinued.
Returned to Plymouth
and Paid-off prior to refit.
November
Under repair and refit by HM
Dockyard, Devonport.
Additional close range weapons
fitted
and after 6” gun removed.
December
Under refit at Devonport.
1
9 4 1
January
2nd
Recommisssioned
Sustained damage in collision
with
dockyard wall on departure from
refit
and
taken in hand for repair.
12th
Took
passage from Plymouth to join 4th
Cruiser Squadron in the East
Indies
and
joined military convoy WS5B as part of
Ocean Escort with
HM Cruisers NAIAD, PHOEBE and
AUSTRALIAN (RAN) for
Atlantic
passage.
15th
Remained
with HMAS AUSTRALIA as Ocean Escort for
WS5B
when
HMS
NAIAD and PHOEBE detached.
25th
At Freetown with WS5B
February
8th
At
Capetown with WS5B
(Note: One source records that
ship
supported British military
operations
to occupy Italian Somaliland (Operation
CANVAS) and that she rejoined
WS5B on
release.
Kismayu
was
captured on 16th February. This record
is
subject
to confirmation. Also
entries marked *)
12th*
Sailed
from Capetown with WS5B as Ocean Escort.
15th*
Sailed
from Durban with WS5B as Ocean Escort,
21st
Detached
from WS5B with troopships EMPRESS OF
AUSTRALIA,
EMPRESS OF JAPAN, ORMONDE and
WINDSOR CASTLE as
Ocean Escort for passage into Mombasa
as WS5BX.
Diverted on passage to join HM
Aircraft Carrier HERMES, HM
Cruisers AUSTRALIA (RAN),
CANBERRA (RAN), GLASGOW
ENTERPRISE
and SHROPSHIRE as Force V in search for
German
commerce
raider ADMIRAL SCHEER reported in Indian
Ocean.
(Note: British freighter CANADIAN
CRUISER reported a raider
attack
on
21st and was subsequently sunk by
ADMIRAL
SCHEER.)
24th
Detached
from Force V when search abandoned
Passage to Bombay.
(Note: Sources are at variance
regarding further escort of WS5BX
which
was
escorted by HM Cruiser CAPETOWN to
Bombay
after
27th
and arrived at Bombay on 3rd March.)
March
7th
Arrived
at Bombay and joined Squadron for trade
defence and
convoy
escort in Indian Ocean.
(Note: This date tends to confirm
ship not part of WS5BX
escort
and
is subject to confirmation)
11th
Sailed
from Bombay to relieve HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser
ANTENOR as escort for Convoy BM4
on
passage to Bombay
from
Colombo.
23rd
Detached
from BM4 and took passage to
Trincomalee.
April
Passage to Karachi after call
at Colombo.
8th
Arrived
at Karachi.
10th
Nominated
for support of British operations in
Persian Gulf
after
threat
of German forces being allowed to enter
Iraq after
coup d’etat
and took passage to Basra at all
despatch.
13th
Arrived
at Basra.
20th
Joined
at Basra by HM Cruiser LEANDER which had
arrived
with
military convoy BM7 bringing Indian
troops.
May
Deployed in Persian Gulf up the Shatt-el-Arab
in
support of
military
operations
(Note: During this period an
outbreak
of malaria caused concern
as
number of
cases reported over 70 with two deaths.)
June
Released from service with
Persian Gulf
Division and took passage
to
resume trade
defence duties based at Colombo.
On arrival deployed for escort of
convoy to Singapore.
15th
Involved
in collision with HM Cruiser DAUNTLESS
in Malacca
Straits and
sustained major damage.
(Note: This included partial
flooding
of forward engine room
and
structural damage amidships with 14 of
ship’s
company
killed or missing and five injured.)
16th
Arrived at Singapore
and taken in hand for repair.
July
Under repair by HM
Dockyard.
August
On completion of post repair
trials took passage to
join Force V
in
search
for mercantile which proved to be
friendly vessel.
Resumed Indian
Ocean trade defence deployment.
25th
At Seychelles.
September
Deployed in search for Vichy
French
ships reported on passage
to
Europe
from Indo China.
15th
Relieved
HM Cruiser HAWKINS as Ocean Escort for
military
convoy
WS10B
during passage to Bombay from Durban.
20th
Detached from WS10B on
arrival at Bombay.
October
Indian Ocean deployment in
continuation including search for
to
Vichy
French ships and escort of RFA Tanker
DERWENTDALE
December
from Durban to Aden in
November.
1
9 4 2
January
Escorted transport MOUNT VERNON
from Mombasa
to join
military
convoy BM1.
Escorted BM1
for
passage to Addu
Atoll.
9th
Escort
joined at Addu
Atoll by HM Cruiser DURBAN, Dutch
cruiser
JAVA
and HM Sloop JUMNA (RIN) for passage to
Singapore
with BM1.
13th
Arrived
at Singapore with HM Cruiser DURBAN, HM
Destroyers
ENCOUNTER,
JUPITER and VAMPIRE (RAN) as escort for
Convoy DM1.
16th
Embarked
Admiral Layton, recently appointed CinC
Eastern
Fleet after death of Admiral
Phillips
at Batavia, Java for passage
to
Trincomalee to set up headquarters for
Eastern Fleet to be
formed
following outbreak of war with Japan.
See Naval Staff History Battle
Summary 15 Appendix A and
WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).
21st
Arrived
at Trincomalee.
28th
Joined
Convoy BM12 as escort for passage to
Singapore.
31st
Joined
Convoy DM2 on passage from Durban
to Singapore
escorted
by
HM Cruiser DANAE and Dutch cruiser JAVA.
Detached when BM12 ships
transferred
and took passage to
Trincomalee.
February
3rd
Arrived
at Trincomalee.
Resumed trade defence and
covering
duties in Indian Ocean.
March
12th
During
passage in Indian Ocean rescued nine
survivors from
British vessel LAKSHIMA GOVINDA
which
had been sunk by
a
Japanese
submarine in Bay of Bengal on 10th.
Passage to Karachi to land
survivors
Deployed with
HM
Cruiser DORSETSHIRE.
23rd
Nominated for transfer to
Eastern Fleet on formation.
25th
Rejoined Squadron at
Trincomalee.
28th
Nominated
with HM Battleship WARSPITE, HM Aircraft
Carriers INDOMITABLE and
FORMIDABLE
with HM
Cruisers CORNWALL, DORSETSHIRE,
ENTERPRISE,
HM Destroyers NAPIER, NESTOR,
PALADIN, PANTHER,
HOTSPUR and
FOXHOUND for service as Force A.
See references.
30th
Sailed
from Trincomalee with Dutch cruiser
HEEMSKERCK
to
join
Force A south of Ceylon.
31st
Deployed
with Force A
in search for Japanese warships reported
on
passage
towards Ceylon.
April
4th
Resumed
search after refuelling at Addu
Atoll
(Note: HMS DORSETSHIRE and HMS
CORNWALL which
had
been
detached from Force A were recalled but
were
sunk
on 5th
after being sighted by Japanese
aircraft.)
7th
Took
passage to Addu
Atoll to refuel when operation
abandoned.
8th
Passage
to Bombay
with ships of Force A.
Passage to Seychelles with HMS
RESOLUTION when Eastern
Fleet transferred to Mombasa
in view of vulnerability of
Ceylon
to Japanese air attacks.
May
Passage from Seychelles to Mombasa
to resume trade defence,
raider
interception patrol and convoy escort in
Indian Ocean.
8th
Arrived
at Mombasa.
30th
Joined
military convoy WS18 to relieve HM
Battleship
RESOLUTION and HM Seaplane
Carrier
ALBATROSS
as
Ocean
Escort
31st
Detached
from WS18 on relief by HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser
WORCESTERSHIRE.
June
Escorted damaged battleship HMS
RAMILLIES
during
passage
from
Aden to Durban with three destroyers.
Detached to carry out patrol 80
miles
east of Durban to
intercept
Japanese commerce raiders acting as
supply ships
for
submarines.
See WAR WITH JAPAN, Volume III
(HMSO).
15th
Escorted
mercantiles
from Durban to join military convoy WS19
and
joined
HMS SHROPSHIRE as Ocean Escort.
23rd
Detached
from WS19 with HM Destroyers BELVOIR and
HURSLEY and took passage to Mombasa
Nominated for
return to UK
for refit.
30th
At Simonstown.
July
Passage to UK from Simonstown
(Note: It may be assumed that the
ship escorted a routine convoy
for
all or
part of passage).
27th
Arrived
in Clyde and took passage to Portsmouth.
August
At
Portsmouth. Paid off and prepared for
refit.
7th
Taken
in hand for refit and modernisation by
HM Dockyard.
September
Under
Dockyard Control.
to
Refit
work included:
December
Aircraft warning radar Type 281
fitted with aerials on new
tripod
mainmast and existing foremast.
IFF
incorporated in aircraft warning radar
fit..
Surface warning radar Type 273
fitted
on Bridge structure.
Fire control radars Type 282 for
close range AA defence
and
Type 285
for main armament
Close range AA defence armament
improved.
No 7 6in mounting transferred to
Quarterdeck site.
After torpedo
tube
mounting replaced by Carley
Float stowage.
F’csle
Plating
extended to midships
forward of waist.
1
9 4 3
January
Under refit.
to
March
April
Post refit trials.
7th
Recommissioned
for service in 4th Cruiser Squadron,
Eastern
Fleet.
Took passage
to Scapa
Flow.
May
Carried out work-up for
operational service
at Scapa Flow
up at
Scapa Flow.
June
Deployed in NW Approaches
July
Joined military convoy KMF19 in
Clyde
as part of escort during
passage
to Gibraltar with troops and equipment
for planned
landings
in Sicily.
Detached from KMF19 on arrival at
Gibraltar and took passage
to
Cape of Good Hope.
(Note: One source records convoy
escort between Freetown
and
Cape of Good Hope.
August
Passage in Indian Ocean.
20th
Arrived
at Kilindini
for redesignated
service with 5th Cruiser
Squadron, Eastern Fleet for trade
defence and convoy escort in
Indian
Ocean..
September
3rd
Joined
military convoy WS32 as Ocean Escort on
passage from
Durban
to Bombay.
10th
Detached from WS32 on arrival
at Bombay.
Took passage to Aden
28th
At Aden.
October
Deployed for convoy defence
between Aden and Durban.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Transferred to Colombo for
Fleet duties with 4th Cruiser
to
Squadron
and took passage from Kilindini.
February
Deployed in Indian Ocean and
Arabian
Sea.
(Note: By February HM
Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM
Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH and
VALIANT
had
joined
Fleet at Trincomalee and were preparing
for
operations against enemy positions in
Sumatra
and
Andaman Islands. See WAR WITH JAPAN and
THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET
by J Winton.)
March
Nominated for return to UK.
3rd
Took
passage from Trincomalee.
22nd
Rescued
32 survivors from British freighter
NANCY
MOLLER sunk by a Japanese
submarine
on 18th.
(Note: Survivors were landed in
Durban)
April
Passage in Atlantic.
Joined Home Fleet on arrival and
took
passage to Rosyth
for
refit.
Nominated for service in support
of
planned allied landings
in
Normandy with Bombarding Force K and to
join Eastern
Task Force on release from Force
K
(Operation NEPTUNE)
Target in Pre-Arranged Fire Plan
–Arromanches
for assault
by
Force G
on GOLD beaches. For details see
LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY,
June 1944 (HMSO).)
May
2nd
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard.
(Note: Aircraft facilities
removed
and additional 20mm
Oerlikon guns fitted.)
On completion joined 10th Cruiser
Squadron at Scapa Flow.
Took part in
bombardment exercises off Cape
Wrath.
31st
Arrived
in Clyde to join ships of Force K
June
3rd
Took
passage to Portsmouth with HM Cruisers
ORION,
AJAX,
ARGONAUT and Dutch Gunboat FLORES,
HM
Destroyers
GRENVILLE
and UNDINE.
4th
Operation
delayed 24 hours.
5th
In
Solent awaiting departure through swept
channel.
6th
Arrived
in Bombardment position.
Carried out
bombardment of batteries off Gold
Beach.
7th
Under
air attack and sustained slight damage
from near
miss.
Provided
naval gunfire support for landing of
Royal Marine
Commando
attack on
Port en Besin.
Towed to position because
of threat from acoustic mines after
DRAGON blew up alongside.
16th
Returned
to Portsmouth to replenish for further
support
duties
in
Eastern Task Force.
July
Eastern Task Force
deployment in continuation.
7th
Provided
naval gunfire support during military
operations
in Caen
area.
On release from Eastern Task
Force
took passage to Rosyth
for
repair
August
Under
repair at Rosyth.
On completion
future service under consideration.
(Note: Transfer to RCN for
training duties was not
implemented.)
September
Withdrawn from operational use
and
Paid-off.
to
Reduced
to Reserve status at Rosyth.
October
Reducing
to Reserve.
November
3rd
Accepted
into Reserve Category B at Rosyth.
December
Laid-up at Rosyth
1
9 4 5
January
Deployed as Senior Officer’s
Ship, Reserve Fleet Rosyth.
to
August
from
March