1 9 4 0
January Under conversion for use as an
Auxiliary Minelayer
to
July
August Commissioned for service in
1st Minelaying Squadron
to Conversion
completed and carried out Acceptance Trials.
September Completed storing and prepared for
operational service as a minelayer.
October Passage to join Squadron at
Kyle of Lochalsh
18th Deployed with HM Auxiliary Minelayers PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC,
MENESTHEUS and
SOUTHERN PRINCE in Faroes –Iceland gap for first
minelay escorted by HM Destroyers BATH, BEAGLE and BULLDOG.)
(Operation SN3)
November
12th Deployed for two minelays in North Channel (Operations SN43 and 44
).
26th Deployed for minelay in Northern Barrage with HM Auxiliary Minelayers PORT
QUEBEC and MENESTHEUS escorted by HM Destroyers
BATH and KEPPEL
(Operation
SN11).
(Note: HMS PORT NAPIER was lost when she sank after a
fire on board at Kyle of
Lochalsh on 27th November.)
December Deployed with HM Auxiliary
Minelayer MENESTHEUS for minelay in Faroes–Iceland
gap of Northern Barrage escorted by HM Destroyers BATH,
DOUGLAS, KEPPEL,
and ST
ALBANS with
cover from HM Battlecruiser REPULSE
(Operation
SN10A)
1 9 4 1
January
3rd Deployed with HM Auxiliary Minelayers PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS and
SOUTHERN PRINCE
for minelay south of Faroes in Northern Barrage,
escorted by
HM Destroyers
SIKH, KEPPEL, ESKIMO, ELECTRA, ECHO,
DOUGLAS, BEAGLE
and Free French destroyer OURAGON with cover from HM
Battlecruiser HOOD and
HM Cruiser
EDINBURGH,
(Operation SN6)
4th Deployed with HM Auxiliary Minelayers PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS and
SOUTHERN PRINCE
for minelay south of Faroes in Northern Barrage
escorted by
HM Destroyers
KEPPEL, SIKH, BEAGLE, DOUGLAS, ECHO, ELECTRA, ESKIMO,
PARTRIDGE and FS OURAGON.
(Operation SN65)
(Note: date probably later in the month - 14th or 24th?)
February
6th During passage to carry out minelay in Northern Barrage
deployed to take HMS
MENESTHEUS in
tow to Kyle of Lochalsh after that ship had been
damaged when
she detonated a drifting British mine. Ship had been on
passage for minelay in
Northern Barrage (Operation SN72).
17th Deployed with HMS PORT QUEBEC and HMS SOUTHERN PRINCE for Northern
Barrage minelay
in two positions escorted by HM Destroyers CHARLESTOWN,
BRIGHTON and LANCASTER.
(Operations SN7B
and SN68A)
March
11th Deployed with HM Auxiliary Minelayers PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS and
SOUTHERN PRINCE
for Northern Barrage minelay in Faroes-Iceland Gap
escorted
by HM Destroyers ZULU, COSSACK and ST MARYS,
19th Carried out repeat Northern Barrage minelay with same ships
escorted by HM Destroyers
CHARLESTOWN, CASTLETON and ST MARY'S.
26th During deployment with HMS PORT QUEBEC, HMS MENESTHEUS and HMS
SOUTHERN PRINCE
for minelay North
Rona area,
escorted by HM Destroyers
CHARLESTOWN, CASTLETON, ST MARY'S and LANCASTER,
(Operation SN4)
27th Sustained damage in collision during heavy weather conditions
with HM Destroyer
CASTLETON during return passage.
Repair arranged
with HM Dockyard Rosyth on return to Lochalsh..
April Under repair by HM
Dockyard, Rosyth
6th Deployed with same three ships as for SN4 and carried out
minelay in Denmark
Strait
for Northern Barrage escorted by HM Destroyers COSSACK,
LANCASTER,
ST MARY'S and ANTHONY
(Operation SN8).
May
6th Carried out minelay in Faroes-Iceland
Gap of Northern Barrage with HM Auxiliary
Minelayers PORT QUEBEC and MENESTHEUS escorted by HM Destroyers
INTREPID and
IMPULSIVE (Operation SN9A)
(Note: Flag of
ML1 was worn during this operation.)
15th Deployed with same two ships as SN9A for minelay in Faroes-Iceland Gap of
Northern Barrage
escorted by HM Destroyers ANTELOPE, ANTHONY and ELECTRA
Operation SN9B)
June
10th Carried out minelays in North Rona area of Northern Barrage with HM
Auxiliary
Minelayer
MENESTHEUS escorted by HM Destroyers ANTHONY and IMPULSIVE
(Operations
SN64A & B)
16th Carried out minelay in Northern Barrage with HM Auxiliary
Minelayer MENESTHEUS
escorted by HM Destroyers BRIGHTON, CASTLETON, ST MARYS and
WELLS,
(Operation SN
66)
25th Carried out minelay in Faroes-Iceland
Gap of Northern Barrage with HM Auxiliary
Minelayer
MENESTHEUS escorted by HM Destroyers BRIGHTON, CASTLETON,
and WELLS, covered by HM Cruisers KENYA
(Operation
SN70B)
27th HMS KENYA involved in collision with HMS BRIGHTON
which was relieved by
HM Destroyer
ECLIPSE from Iceland.
July
9th Carried out minelay in Northern Barrage with HM Auxiliary
Minelayers MENESTHEUS
and PORT QUEBEC escorted by HM Destroyers
CASTLETON, HEYTHROP, and
WELLS (Operation
SN67A)
August Deployed at Lochalsh
15th Nominated for refit in USA on completion of planned minelay.
22nd Carried out Deep Field minelay in Butt of Lewis escorted by HM
Destroyer NEWARK
(Operation
SN22B)
September
7th Carried out minelay in North Rona area of Northern Barrage escorted by HM
Destroyer
CASTLETON
(Operation SN61)
Passage to USA for refit
October Under refit.
to
November
December Passage to Lochalsh
to resume duties in 1st Minelaying Squadron.
1 9 4 2
January
3rd Carried out further Deep Field minelay in Butt of Lewis
escorted by HM Destroyer
NEWARK (Operation SN26A)
23rd Continued minelay of Butt of Lewis Deep Field escorted by HM
Destroyer
ST MARYS
(Operation
SN26B)
February
9th Carried out minelay in Faroes
Fjords with HM Auxiliary Minelayer MENESTHEUS
escorted by HM Destroyers LANCASTER, NEWARK and ST MARYS
(Operation SN5B)
16th Carried out minelay in Faroes-Iceland
Gap of Northern Barrage with HM Auxiliary
Minelayers
MENESTHEUS and PORT QUEBEC escorted by LANCASTER and
WELLS (Operation
SN84 )
28th Carried out further Faroes-Iceland
Gap minelay with HM Auxiliary Minelayers
MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE escorted by
HM
Destroyers
LANCASTER and WELLS (Operation SN85)
March
15th Faroes-Iceland Gap minelay in
continuation with same Auxiliary Minelayers escorted
by HM Destroyers LANCASTER, WELLS, ST MARYS and LEDBURY
(Operation SN81)
30th Faroes-Iceland Gap minelay in
continuation with same Auxiliary Minelayers escorted
by HM Destroyers CHARLESTOWN, LANCASTER and WELLS (Operation SN87)
(Note: HM Escort
Sloop SCOTT was deployed with escort to provide accurate
navigational information.)
April
18th Carried out further minelay in Faroes-Iceland
Gap with same ships as SN87 escorted
by HM Destroyers SARDONYX, SALADIN, CHARLESTOWN, WELLS and HMS
SCOTT deployed
for navigational accuracy (Operation SN88 )
May
8th Deployed with HM Cruiser Minelayer ADVENTURE, HM Auxiliary
Minelayers
MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE in
continuation of Deep
Field Northern Barrage minelay in Faroes
Bank (Operation SN3A). Escort included
HM Escort Sloop
SCOTT for navigational accuracy with HM Destroyers BRIGHTON,
CASTLETON, NEWARK and WELLS.
June
1st Carried out first minelay in Denmark Strait section of Northern Barrage with same
minelayers as SN3A escorted by HM Destroyers NEWARK, ST MARY'S, SALADIN,
SARDONYX
(Operation SN72)
11th Carried out further minelay in Faroes
Deep Anti-submarine Field of Northern Barrage
with HM Cruiser Minelayer ADVENTURE, HM Auxiliary Minelayers
MENESTHEUS,
PORT QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE escorted by HM Sloop
SCOTT for accurate
navigation, HM Destroyers BRIGHTON, CASTLETON, NEWARK and WELLS.
(Operation SN3B)
20th Detached with HM Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS, SOUTHERN
PRINCE,
HM Destroyers
CASTLETON and ST MARY'S of Squadron for special operation in
support of passage of Russian Convoy (Operation ES)
Deployed to form
Dummy Convoy intended to act as a diversion during transit of
Convoy PQ17.
(Note: For
details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, CONVOY
! by P Kemp
and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield.
PQ17 was
scattered due to threat of imminent attack.
See references
and Naval Staff History.)
Resumed service with Squadron on release from ES.
July
11th Deployed to continue lay of Faroes
Deep A/S Field with HM Cruiser Minelayer
ADVENTURE, HM
Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC and
SOUTHERN PRINCE
escorted by HM Destroyers BRIGHTON and ST MARY'S.
(Operation SN3C)
31st Carried out Faroes-Iceland Gap
minelay in Northern Barrage with HM Cruiser
Minelayer
ADVENTURE, HM Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS, PORT
QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE escorted by HMS
SCOTT for navigational
purposes, HM Destroyers VANQUISHER, BRIGHTON, CASTLETON,
LANCASTER and NEWARK (Operation SN82).
August
21st Carried out further minelay in Denmark Strait with same ships as SN82 escorted by
HM Destroyers
BRIGHTON, CASTLETON and NEWARK covered by HM
Cruiser AURORA (Operation SN73).
September
2nd Carried out further Faroes-Iceland
Gap minelay in Northern Barrage with same
ships as SN73 escorted by HMS SCOTT for navigational
accuracy, HM
Destroyers BRIGHTON, CASTLETON and LANCASTER covered by HM
Cruiser JAMAICA (Operation SN89).
15th Faroes-Iceland Gap minelay in
continuation with same ships as SN73 escorted by
HM Destroyers NEWARK, CHARLESTOWN and PUCKERIDGE.
(Operation
SN65A.)
(Note: This
operation was delayed by U-Boat activity in the area designated.)
October
18th Carried out minelay west of Orkneys in Northern Barrage with
HM Auxiliary
Minelayers
MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC, SOUTHERN PRINCE and
HMS ADVENTURE
escorted by HM Escort Sloop SCOTT for navigational
accuracy, HM Destroyers CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN and WELLS.
(Operation SN3E
– Start delayed by U-Boat activity in the area.)
November
1st Minelay in area west of Orkneys continued with same ships
as SN3E escorted
HM Destroyers BRIGHTON, CASTLETON, LANCASTER and WELLS
4th Passage to Thames for refit in
commercial shipyard.
December Under refit.
1 9 4 3
January Under refit
to
February
March On completion of Post Refit
Trials took passage to Lochalsh to resume duties
in 1st Minelaying Squadron.
21st Deployed west of Iceland for Deep minelay in Northern Barrage
with HMS
MENESTHEUS and
HMS PORT QUEBEC escorted by HM Destroyers
NEWARK, ST MARY'S and WELLS covered by HM Cruiser
CHARYBDIS.
April Deployed at Lochalsh
(Note: This
interruption may have been due to the consideration of future
minelaying policy and also by the intense U-Boat activity at
the peak
of the Battle of the Atlantic. See Naval Staff History)
May
5th Carried out continuation of lay of Deep Field off Iceland with HMS PORT
QUEBEC and HMS MENESTHEUS escorted by HMS SCOTT
for accurate
navigation, HM Destroyers NEWARK and FURY (Operation SN111A)
15th Deployed independently for lay of experimental Minefield in
Butt of Lewis
escorted by HM Destroyers CASTLETON, LANCASTER and ST MARY'S
(Operation
SN123A)
(Note: This
Field was made up of modified M Mark I Mines).
26th Lay of experimental minefield in Butt of Lewis in
continuation with HMS
MENESTHEUS and
HMS PORT QUEBEC escorted by HMS SCOTT,
HM Destroyers
CASTLETON, NEWARK and ST MARY'S covered by
HM Cruiser BELFAST.
June
11th Deployed in Butt of Lewis for further lay of experimental
minefield with same
auxiliary minelayers as SN 123B escorted by HMS SCOTT. HM
Destroyers
NEWARK and ST MARY'S covered by HMS BELFAST.
(Operation SN
123C)
26th Carried out lay of minefield SE of Iceland in Northern
Barrage with HMS
MENESTHEUS and
HMS PORT QUEBEC escorted by HM Sloop SCOTT
for navigational accuracy, HM Destroyers LANCASTER, NEWARK and
ST MARY'S, covered by HM Cruiser GLASGOW
(Operation SN222A).
July Deployed at Lochalsh
August
16th Carried out reinforcement of minefield in Denmark Strait with HMS
MENESTHEUS and
HMS PORT QUEBEC escorted by HM Destroyers
ST MARY'S, WELLS, SALADIN, SABRE, MIDDLETON and
IMPULSIVE and
HMS SCOTT for navigational accuracy (Operation SN74)
September
4th Continued lay of Deep Field SE of Iceland minefield with
same two ships
and HMS SCOTT escorted by HM Destroyers METEOR, NEWARK,
SARDONYX and LANCASTER (Operation SN222B)
26th Carried out final lay in Northern Barrage to complete Field
SE of Iceland
with same two ships of Squadron as SN222B escorted by HM
Destroyers
METEOR, NEWARK, SARDONYX, LANCASTER with navigational
accuracy from HM Escort Sloop SCOTT (Operation SN222C).
October 1st Minelaying Squadron
disbanded.
(Note: Ship will
have remained at Lochalsh pending decision on future
use.)
November Future under consideration
to December
1 9 4 4
January Nominated
for conversion for use as an Amenities Ship
to October To
be deployed for support of British Pacific Fleet after refit in Canada
(See THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton)
November Passage to Vancouver, British Columbia, on Pacific Coast..
December Taken in hand for conversion.
1 9 4 5
January Under conversion
to July
August Conversion abandoned after VJ
Day
P o s t
W a r N o t e s