1 9 4 1
March
7th Commissioned
for service.
During acceptance trials required for
service.
22nd Took
passage for Milford Haven to embark mines for first operational lay.
Carried out vibration trials by
jettisoning Dummy Mines.
23rd Embarked
mines at Milford Haven
24th Deployed
on A/S minelaying operations in SW Approaches. escorted by HM Destroyers
KIPLING
and KASHMIR for first lay on Little Sole
Bank.
(Operation GV).
(Note: Intended use in Bay of Biscay changed because of material shortage).
25th Despite
machinery defect deployed in minelaying task in Bay of Biscay to hamper
movement of SCHARNHORST and GNE1SNAU
into Atlantic.
29th Carried
out minelay off Brest escorted by HM Destroyers KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN and
JACKAL of 6th Destroyer Flotilla
(Operation GY).
(Note: Congratulated by 1st Sea Lord
on an impressive performance in an unworked
-up ship. For details of activities
in Home waters in 1941 see HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Bamett).
31st Under
machinery repair at Cowes
April
Whilst on passage to Clyde for Full Power Trial required
for priority duty and trial cancelled.
17th Took
passage to Mediterranean after embarking stores required in Malta.
24th Passage
to Malta from Gibraltar with HM Cruiser DIDO, HM Destroyers KELLY, KELVIN,
KASHMIR, KIPLING, JACKAL and JERSEY as Force S.
(Operation SALIENT - Co-incident with
Operation DUNLOP (Malta aircraft delivery and
transfer of reinforcement warships
for Fleet in eastern Mediterranean.)
28th Discharged
stores in Malta and joined HMS DIDO, HM Destroyers JAGUAR, JERVIS, JUNO
and IMPERIAL as escort for HM Supply
Ship BRECONSHIRE during passage to Egypt.
30th Arrived
at Alexandria and joined Mediterranean Fleet.
(For details of naval operations in
the Mediterranean see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY, THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre, THE NAVAL WAR
IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN by Greene and Massignani and
Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001.)
May
6th Deployed
with Mediterranean Fleet to cover passage of military convoy bringing tanks
from UK
for Middle East army (Operation TIGER).
11th Planned minelay
between Lampedusa and Kerkenah Bank cancelled.
(Part of Operation MD4).
21st Carried
out minelay in Ionian Sea between Levkas and Cephalonia against shipping using Corinth
Canal.
Covered by HM Battleships WARSPITE
and VALIANT with HM Cruiser AJAX
(Operation MAT ONE).
(Note:: This field caused loss of
escorts and transports in convoy later that day.)
23rd Deployed
with HM Sloops AUCKLAND and FLAMINGO in support of military defence of
Crete.
24th Carried
troops and stores to Suda Bay.
25th Returned
to Alexandria with wounded and prisoners.
26th Passage
to Suda Bay with HM Destroyers NIZAM and HERO taking troops and stores.
27th Disembarked
personnel and stores and embarked 930 troops.
Took passage to Alexandria.
31st Sailed
from Alexandria with HM Cruiser PHOEBE, HM Destroyers HOTSPUR, JACKAL and
KIMBERLEY carrying medical supplies and for final evacuation of allied
troops.
June
1st Took
passage with 3,900 troops for return to Alexandria arriving
same day.
10th Deployed
for support of Tobruk garrison.
(See Naval and Military Staff
Histories and above references.)
July
Transferred from Tobruk support for
reinforcement of Cyprus.
Deployed with HM Fast Minelayer
LATONA and embarked RAF personnel.
(Operation GUILLOTINE).
August Resumed support of military garrison at Tobruk with
HM Cruiser HOBART (RAN), HM
Minelaying Cruiser LATONA (sister ship), HM
Destroyer NAPIER (RAN) and HM Destroyer
NIZAM.
19th Deployed
for transport of Polish Army units to Tobruk and evacuated ANZAC troops
following
the decision to return them to Australia in view of threat of Japanese entry into hostilities
See above references.)
(Note: 6,300 Polish troops were
carried in the two cruisers.)
September Tobruk support and ferry duties in
continuation.
12th Troop
transport duties till 22nd.
October Tobruk support in continuation.
12th 7,100
troops were carried. in the two cruisers.
to
26th
28th Transferred
for further reinforcement of Cyprus and took passage to Beirut.
Deployed with ten destroyers for
transport of 5th Indian Division.
(Note: Total number of troops to be
carried was over 14,000.)
November
1st Commenced
troop transport duties.
8th On
completion returned to Alexandria for Fleet duties.
December Deployed at Alexandria.
Nominated for transfer to Eastern
Fleet.
Took passage to Trincomalee.
1 9 4 2
January
10th Arrived
at Trincomalee.
27th Laid
four minefields off east coast of South Andaman Island.
Returned to Trincomalee on
completion.
February
1st Laid
three minefields in approaches to MacPherson Strait
On departure from Port Anson grounded
and damaged port shaft.
Returned to Colombo on one
engine.
March Passage to Durban for repair.
April
Docked for investigation of starboard shaft
and A Bracket defects.
Local repair facilities inadequate
for permanent repair.
Temporary repair work was carried out
and permanent repair arranged in UK.
To be relieved by HM Minelaying
Cruiser MANXMAN (Sister Ship)
May
At Durban awaiting
arrival of relief
June
Took passage to UK after HMS MANXMAN arrived on station.
During passage called at Cape Town to embark
gold bullion for tranport to UK.
Refuelled at Pointe Noire, Congo where emergency repairs were effected.
July
Disembarked bullion in Clyde and took passage to Tyne.
Taken in hand for repair and refit at
commercial shipyard.
August Under refit.
to
(Note: The twin 4.7in mountings
fitted on build were replaced by two twin 4" HA mountings
November fitted forward aft to improve defence against air
attack.
Radar Type 290 was installed in place
of the earlier modified RAF outfit and used a
rotating aerial. The set gave surface
and air warning but was of inferior quality.
Fire control radar was fitted for
forward main armament fire-control by Type 285 and
for Close Range weapons by
Type 282. See above reference.)
December On completion of Post refit trials resumed operation
service..
24th Embarked
mines at Milford Haven.
30th Laid
minefield off coast of Brittany near lie Vierge.
1 9 4 3
January Transferred to Mediterranean for minelaying duties.
2nd Embarked
mines at Milford Haven and sailed for Gibraltar.
6th Arrived
at Algiers for Mediterranean minelaying operations required by ANCXF.
9th Laid
first minefield off Skerki Bank in Sicilian Channel after call at Bone.
11th Passage
from Malta to Gibraltar to embark mines being delivered from UK by HM Minelaying
Cruiser ADVENTURE.
31st Abandoned
minelay off Skerki Bank after action against E-Boats.
February
3rd Completed
lay in Skerki Bank and returned to Mers el Kebir to embark mines from
HMS ADVENTURE.
4th Took
passage to Bone escorted by HM Destroyers LIGHTNING and LOYAL.
7th Completed
lay off Skerki Bank and returned to Bone to recover anchor.
8th Sailed
from Algiers for repair in UK.
21st Sailed
for Mediterranean after repair and having embarked full outfit of Mines,
26th Arrived
Algiers to continue minelaying operations.
28th In
action with E-Boats.
Laid minefield off Ras Engela, NW of
Bizerta..
March Embarked mines from HMS ADVENTURE at Mers el
Kebir
5th Carried
out minelay on Skerki Bank covered by HMS LIGHTNING and HMS LOYAL
6th Embarked
mines from HMS ADVENTURE and sailed for Bone to Join HMS LIGHTNING
and HMS
LOYAL.
8th During
passage to Skerki Bank engaged small convoy of landing craft on passage to Sicily
from North Africa.
Commenced minelay but ceased
operation when unknown ship detected by radar..
(Note: All but 16 mines were laid.
Escorted to Malta by HM Destroyers PAKENHAM and PALADIN.
(Note: The minefields in the Sicilian
Channel proved very successful and were responsible
for loss and damage to several enemy
warships).
10th Made
three trips to Haifa to embark mines for storage in Malta for future use.
to
31st
April
4th Resumed
minelaying operations in Sicilian Narrows, escorted by H M Destroyers KELVIN
and PALADIN.
5th Laid
Field off Skerki Bank and returned to Malta.
7th Last minelay off Skerki Bank with same
escort.
11th Redeployed in Eastern Mediterranean for troop transport duties
. 14th Embarked troops in Haifa for passage to Cyprus.
May
Troop
transport duty in continuation.
June
Embarked
troops at Alexandria for passage to Malta prior to planned allied
landings in
Sicily
(Operation
HUSKY – For details see Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION
FLEETS.
by J de Winser.)
Returned
to Alexandria
July
8th Sailed from Alexandria
9th Passage to Assault Area
10th Embarked Allied Naval Commander
Expeditionary Force four tour of the Assault Area
August Deployed
in Central
Mediterranean for support of military operations.
September
Embarked
troops and equipment of 1st Airborne Division at Bizerta for occupation
of
Taranto
(Operation
SLAPSTICK - See above references).
9th Passage to Taranto with HM Cruisers AURORA,
PENELOPE, DIDO, SIRIUS and US
Cruiser
USS BOISE.
10th Soon after arrival in Taranto harbour, the protective
de-gaussing equipment had been
switched
off, and activated recently laid ground mine.
(Note:
The explosion caused extensive flooding and ship sunk within minutes with major
loss
of life.
48
of the ship's company were killed and six wounded.
(Casualty List
-
note on
casualties)
120
of the troops embarked were also killed with 120 wounded.
This
disaster left no fast minelayer on Mediterranean Station.