1 9 3 9
September Part of
3rd Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
3rd Deployed with in Mediterranean Fleet
on contraband control and patrol duty.
(For
details of Fleet deployments in Mediterranean before Italy entered the war, see
WAR
AT SEA Vol 1 by S H Roskill and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by
C. Barnett).
November Mediterranean
deployment in continuation
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Transferred
to Home Fleet.
5th Passage to UK with call at Gibraltar.
11th Arrived at Portsmouth
February Joined
2nd Cruiser Squadron and deployed in NW Approaches and North Sea.
In
addition to covering transit of convoys against attack by commerce raiders,
this deployment
included
interception of blockade runners.
See THE BLOCKADERS by C. Hampshire).
March Home
Fleet duties in continuation.
Boiler
cleaning at Rosyth.
April
5th Returned to Scapa Flow to rejoin Squadron.
7th Took part in search with HM
Battleships RODNEY and VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser
REPULSE
and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD for German warships reported on passage to Atlantic.
April
8th Detached with HMS REPULSE, HM
Destroyers BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, PUNJABI and
KIMBERLEY to assist HM Destroyer
GLOWWORM after attack by HIPPER.
Joined
HM Battlecruisers RENOWN and REPULSE in Vestfjord after fruitless search.
9th Deployed with Fleet off Norway in support of allied
landings (Operation WILFRED/R4).
(For
details of the disastrous operations off Norway In 1940 see NARVIK by Donald
Macintyre,
CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
and
the Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001)).
10th Remained off Vestfjord during 1st Battle
of Narvik and supported withdrawal of the destroyers
of
2nd Flotilla.
Sustained
slight damage by near miss during air attacks.
11th Detached with HM Destroyers ESKIMO and KIMBERLEY for attack on transports
reported
at
Bodo.
Grounded
whilst attempting to enter fjord at Fleinvaer.
Holed
forward and boiler room flooded.
Towed
to Skelsfjord by HM Destroyer ESKIMO.
14th Remained in Norwegian waters to
supplement available defence against continuing air
attacks,
later moved to Harstad.
May Deployment
at Harstad in continuation.
11th Passage to UK under tow with HM Cruisers
COVENTRY and CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers
ISIS, ZULU, CAMPBELL
and WITCH.
18th Taken in hand for repair at Greenock.
June Under
temporary repair.
to Permanent
repair arranged in Tyne shipyard.
July
August
15th Passage to Tyne
Paid-off.
September Under
repair.
to (Note:
Major structural repair carried out including renewal of bottom plating. Close Range
December 20mm
guns fitted for anti-aircraft defence. Tripod masts fitted to support warning
radar
aerials.
Aircraft
Warning Radar Type 281 installed.
Fire Control radar equipment for main
armament (Type 284) and secondary armament
(Type 285) fitted.
For details of development and use of
radar in RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
1 9 4 1
January Under
repair.
to Re-commissioned
for service.
June
July Post
refit harbour and sea trials.
August Worked-up
for operational service.
17th Rejoined Squadron at Scapa Flow.
September Deployed
with Home Fleet for interception and defence of convoys, based in Clyde.
9th Detached with HM Destroyers ICARUS and
LIGHTNING for escort of HM Battleship DUKE
OF
YORK to Rosyth from Clyde.
(Note:
Build had been completed by John Brown and armament work prior to acceptance
was
to be carried out by HM Dockyard, Rosyth.)
After
arrival at Rosyth took passage to rejoined Home Fleet ships in Iceland.
October
5th Deployed with HMS KING GEORGE V and
six Home Fleet destroyers as screen to cover HM
Aircraft
Carrier VICTORIOUS during air strikes on coastal shipping off Bodo, Norway.
(Operation
EJ).
9th Cover of HMS VICTORIOUS continued
during further air operations which 13,000 tons of
shipping
was sunk
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
12th Transferred to 3rd Cruiser Squadron,
Mediterranean Fleet with HM Cruiser AURORA.
(Note:
Ships were both to be deployed in Malta for interception of enemy
supply convoys to
North Africa.)
Passage
to Gibraltar with HMS AURORA.
19th After embarking ammunition at Gibraltar met HM Destroyers LANCE and
LIVELY with HMS
AURORA to form Force
K.
Took
passage to Malta as escort for two supply
ships.
(Part
of Operation CALLBOY - For details of operations in Mediterranean see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY, THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D.Macintyre
and
Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2002).).
21st Deployed with Force K to
intercept convoy on passage to Brindisi but returned when no ships
sighted
November
8th In action with HMS AURORA against
supply convoy and escort during which 7 ships were
sunk
as well as Italian destroyer FULMINE.
Another
escort, Italian destroyer GRECALE
was badly damaged.
18th Carried out diversionary sweep from Malta during Army operations in
western desert.
21st Escorted ‘dummy’ convoy towards North
African coast as further diversionary move.
24th Intercepted two ships carrying supplies
to Benghazi.
Two
escorting destroyers were damaged and both mercantiles were sunk.
28th Deployed with Force K to
meet HM Cruisers AJAX and NEPTUNE, HM Destroyers
KINGSTON and KIMBERLEY on passage to reinforce
Force K in Malta.
30th Deployed with Force K ships
and reinforcements as Force B for convoy attacks.
December
1st Intercepted and sank Italian naval
auxiliary ADRIATICO and later the tanker IRIDIO
MANTOVANI
with her escorting destroyer ALVISO DA MOSTA.
9th Carried out an unsuccessful search for
convoy with HM Cruisers AURORA and NEPTUNE
screened
by HM Destroyers JAGUAR and KANDAHAR.
15th Deployed with Force K to escort HM
Supply Ship BRECONSHIRE for last stage of passage
into
Malta from Alexandria.
17th Took part in 1st Battle of Sirte.
Superior Italian force which was covering passage
of
a convoy to Libya withdrew in the face of
possible night action and an incorrect
assumption
that British force included a battleship.
HMS
BRECONSHIRE completed her passage safely.
18th During operation with HMS NEPTUNE, HMS
AURORA and HM Destroyers LANCE,
LIVELY,
KANDAHAR and HAVOCK to intercept ships
reported waiting off Tripoli
ran
into enemy minefield 20 miles north of port.
Detonated
mine in port paravane abreast bridge damaging fire control director.
(Note:
Both HMS NEPTUNE and HMS AURORA also hit mines, the former ship being
sunk
with only one of her ships’ company of 763 surviving. He was rescued
and
taken prisoner.)
Stood-by
with HMS LIVELY whilst HMS LANCE and HMS HAVOCK escorted damaged
HMS
AURORA to Malta.
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History.).
20th Under repair in Malta
1 9 4 2
January On
completion of repair resumed operational service.
19th Escorted Malta relief convoy from Alexandria with HM Destroyers SIKH,
ZULU, LANCE,
LIVELY
and JAGUAR.
Under
sustained air attacks.
25th Deployed with HM Destroyers MAORI, ZULU,
LANCE, LEGION and LIVELY as escort for
HM
Supply Ship GLENGYLE and mv ROWALLAN CASTLE returning from Malta to
Alexandria.
26th Relieved Mediterranean Fleet ships from Alexandria as escort for HM Supply Ship
BRECONSHIRE
for remainder
of passage to Malta.
February
15th Escorted HMS BRECONSHIRE, ss AJAX, ss CITY OF CALCUTTA and ss CLAN
FERGUSON as Convoy ME10 for first
part of return passage to Alexandria with HM Destroyers
SIKH,
ZULU, LEGION, LIVELY FORTUNE
and DECOY (Operation MF5)
14th Met HM Cruiser CARLISLE and escorts joining from Alexandria.
Again
under heavy and sustained air
attacks during which ss ROWALLAN CASTLE was
damaged
and although taken in tow by HMS
ZULU later had to be sunk by HMS LIVELY.
15th Returned to Malta after this disastrous
attempt to pass convoy into Malta had failed.
March
Malta deployment in continuation.
22nd Sailed from Malta with HMS LEGION to take over
escort for supply convoy (MW10) being
escorted
ships of 15th Cruiser Squadron and destroyers from Alexandria.
(Operation
MG1).
Deployed
as 2nd Division for defence of convoy during attack by Italian force with HM cruiser
DIDO
and HMS LEGION (2nd Battle of Sirte).
(For
details see MEDITERRANEAN MAELSTROM by G. Cornell, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY and Naval Staff History.)
Escorted
surviving ships to Malta with HM Destroyers LEGION, KINGSTON, HAVOCK and
HM Cruiser CARLISLE.
(Note: Ships in
Convoy had been detached during the engagement.)
23rd Passage delayed by weather and continued
air attacks after arrival off Malta.
Attempt to tow
disabled HMS BRECONSHIRE when hit by bomb proved impossible and ship
had
to be beached at Marsaxlokk in Malta.
26th Sustained damage by near miss during air
raid on Malta whilst alongside.
27th Docked for repair in HM Dockyard, Malta and sustained further
damage.
Provided
additional AA defence whilst work In progress and almost wore out new gun barrels
(See
HMS PEPPERPOT by E Gordon.)
April
8th Sustained further significant damaged
by near miss during air raid whilst still in dock.
but
sailed from Malta after further temporary
repair (See above reference).
9th Under air attacks during westward
passage.
11th Taken hand for temporary repair in dry
dock by HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
Permanent
repair arranged in USA.
May Under
temporary repair and prepared for passage to USA.
10th Took passage to New York with call at Bermuda.
19th Taken in hand for repair at Brooklyn
Navy Yard on arrival.
June Under
repair
to
July
August On
completion carried cut post refit harbour and sea trials.
September
1st Took passage to Norfolk, Va.
17th Passage to Portsmouth with call at Bermuda.
October Nominated
for service with 12th Cruiser Squadron in Mediterranean.
1st Arrived at Portsmouth for completion of work not
done in USA.
November Modification
work and preparation for operational service..
December Passage
to Scapa
Flow
2nd Arrived at Scapa Flow and deployed with Home
Fleet..
1 9 4 3
January Passage
from Scapa Flow to relieve HM Cruiser AJAX in Force Q at
Bone.
22nd Called at Gibraltar on passage.
On
arrival at Bone deployed with Force Q to search for enemy shipping
with HM Cruisers
DIDO,
AURORA and SIRIUS.
February Force
Q deployment in continuation for shipping strikes and support of
military
to operations
in Algeria and Tunisia with Force
May (See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
June
1st Carried out bombardment of
Pantelleria with HM Destroyers PALADIN and PETARD prior
to
landings by 1st British Division.
Hit
by shore fire (Operation CORKSCREW).
8th Took part in Dress Rehearsal for
Pantelleria assault off that island.
10th Provided cover for landings on
Pantelleria with HM Cruisers AURORA, NEWFOUNDLAND,
EURYALUS
and ORION
screened by Fleet destroyers.
12th Bombarded Lampedusa with HMS ORION and
HMS NEWFOUNDLAND.
Island
capitulated.
July
5th Passage to Alexandria with HMS AURORA and 6 destroyers
for cover of military convoys
during
passage to Sicily
(Note:
HM Battleships WARSPITE, VALIANT and HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE
were
deployed to prevent any interference by Italian warships to landings
(Operation
HUSKY).)
7th Escorted Convoy KMS18 through Tunisian
Channel before joining Force H ships in the
Gulf of Sirte prior to assault phase of
landings.
9th Bombarded
Catania and Taormina with HMS AURORA and two destroyers.
(Operation
ARSENAL)
10th Cruised in Ionian Sea to cover landings operations
in Sicily with combined Force H and
Mediterranean
Fleet capital ships.
(See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).
11th Carried out bombardment of northern flank of British advance
in Sicily.
August Passage to Bizerta with call
at Malta when
released from HUSKY.
Deployed with HM
Cruisers AURORA, DIDO and SIRIUS.
September
8th Embarked 1st Airborne Division for
passage to Taranto from Bizerta with HM Cruisers
AURORA,
DIDO and SIRIUS and sailed to join HMS KING GEORGE V off Taranto
(Operation
SLAPSTICK).
9th Landed troops covered by HM
Battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE.
Detached
to join 12th Cruiser Squadron in support of landings at Salerno.
11th Joined US cruiser USS BOISE to replace HM cruiser UGANDA, US cruisers USS
SAVANNAH and USS
PHILADELPHIA which had been damaged off beach head
(Operation
AVALANCHE).
14th Provided naval gunfire support to
military during defence of beach heads.
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History.)
26th Returned to Malta from beach head.
October
4th Transferred with Squadron to Levant
Command to intercept craft taking German troops
to
Aegean Islands after Italian surrender.
7th Intercepted convoy of transports
taking German garrison to Cos with HMS SIRIUS,
HM
Destroyers FAULKNOR and FURY south of Levita.
Four
small transports and F Lighters with
escorting trawlers were attacked and either sunk
or
set on fire.
Under
heavy air attacks in Scarpanto Strait and sustained serious
damaged by direct hit
abreast
Y turret and near misses.
List
corrected by damage control and continued passage.
12
of ships’ company were killed at 29 injured during this attack.
Returned
to Alexandria with HMS SIRIUS escorted by HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR and
FURY.
9th Under repair in Alexandria.
November On
completion rejoined Levant Command for support of military operations.
Based
at Haifa.
(Note:
During this period Operation ACCOLADE was being considered to re-occupy the
Aegean Islands but the failure to hold Cos
and Leros resulted in this being
cancelled.
In
any case operation of major warships had been shown as hazardous and
cruiser
deployment was only likely if adequate cover by allied aircraft were
possible.)
December On
release from Levant Command transferred to Gibraltar.
22nd Deployed for Atlantic convoy defence and
interception of blockade runners.
Searched
for German blockade runner ALSTERUFER with HM Cruiser GAMBIA and HM
Minelaying
cruiser ARIADNE.
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
29th Returned to Gibraltar after ALSTRUFER had been
sunk.
1 9 4 4
January
19th Deployed with 15th Cruiser Squadron at Naples for duty in support of
landings
at
Anzio (Operation SHINGLE).
(See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).
21st Deployed as part of Southern Attack
Force (X-Ray) with USS BROOKLYN,
HM
Fighter Direction Ship PALOMARES and USN and RN destroyers
22nd Provided naval gunfire support at X
Beach.
25th Deployed as a pair with HMS DIDO, to
provide naval gunfire support to shore
military
operations
as required.
(Note:
These two cruisers were deployed in rotation with HM Cruiser DELHI and USS
BROOKLYN, HMS PHOEBE and HMS ORION,
HM Cruiser MAURITIUS and
USS
PHILADELPHIA
27th Bombarded Formia
(Note:
During the period up to 17th February, ships in the assault area came under
several
U-Boat attacks.).
February Military
support role in continuation with ships of Force X.
8th Carried out five bombardments in
support of military operations at Anzio beachhead.
17th During passage to Naples to replenish ammunition hit
by acoustic torpedo (T5) fired
from
U410 35 miles west of Naples off Cape Circe.
Sank
10 minutes after further torpedo attack by U410 which caused major explosion.
415
of the ships’ company were lost with 250 survivors rescued by landing craft
(Casualty
List -
note
on casualties)
