1 9 4 2
November
Contractors
trials
23rd - Commissioned
for service. Commenced Acceptance Trials
December
On completion
of acceptance trials and storing deployed for work-up in Sydney area prior to operational service
1 9 4 3
January
Work up in
continuation
February
On completion
of work-up deployed for convoy defence.
10th - Carried
out failed towing attempt on US Liberty Ship STAR KING which had been torpedoed by Japanese submarine I21 in position 150 miles off
Sydney.
Deployed for defence of military
convoys on passage to and from New Guinea
March
Convoy defence
in continuation. Nominated for service in US Navy
Seventh Fleet in Task Force 74 under overall US Navy command. Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed
to D10 to suit US Navy designation for
destroyers.
Joined US Desdron 5 in 7th US Fleeet
with HM Australian Destroyer ARUNTA (Note:
Desdron is the US Navy equivalent of RN Destroyer Flotilla and Desdron 5 also included seven US Navy destroyers.)
Deployed for escort of convoys between Queensland and
New Guinea.
April
Convoy defence
duties in continuation.
May
Re-joined TF74
and deployed with HMAS AUSTRALIA and HMAS ARUNTA.
Provided
cover for landings by US 158th Infantry Regiment on Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands
June
Resumed convoy
defence duties in SW Pacific.
23rd - Deployed
with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HMAS HOBART, HMAS ARUNTA and US Destroyer
LAMSON of TF74 to provide cover for US landings on New Georgia in Solomons (Operation CARTWHEEL)
July
4th - Released
from covering force and resumed convoy defence duties.
August
Convoy defence
in continuation.
21st - Deployed
with HMAS ARUNTA for escort of damaged cruiser HMAS HOBART during passage from Espiritu Santo to Sydney for
repair. (Note: HMAS HOBART had been damaged
by torpedo from Japanese submarine I11.)
26th - Detached
from HMAS HOBART on arrival at Sydney.
September to
October
Deployed for convoy escort
in SW Pacific.
November
5th - Transferred
with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HM Australian Cruiser SHROPSHIRE, HMAS ARUNTA, US Destroyers RALPH TALBOT and HELM to
reinforce TF74 for planned operations in New Hebrides.
Passage from Milne Bay, New Guinea.
29th - Provided
Naval Gunfire Support during landings at Gasmata on south coast of New Hebrides with same ships.
December
13th - Provided
cover for US landings at Arawe, New Britain with HMAS AUSTRALIA,
SHROPSHIRE and ARUNTA.
26th - Provided
Naval Gunfire Support during US landings at Cape Gloucester with same ships.
1 9 4 4
January
2nd - Provided
cover for US landings near Saidor, New Guinea with same ships and joined US cruisers NASHVILLE, PHOENIX and six US Navy
destroyers of TF74 (Operation DEXTERITY).
3rd - Released
from TF74 and took passage to Sydney for refit and leave.
Taken in hand for refit.
February
Under refit.
March
On completion
of post refit trials resumed operational duties with Task Group 76.1
2nd - Deployed
with US Navy destroyers AMMEN, MULLANY and minesweeper USS HAMILTON as escort for landing ships and craft during
passage to disembark troops on Los Negros,
Admiralty Islands. Under shore fire from batteries
north of Seeadler Harbour which were later silenced by cruiser
gunfire support.
10th - Deployed
as escort for fourth convoy taking assault troops to Los Negros.
15th - Arrived
at Los Negros
April
Deployed with
TF74
22nd to 29th - Provided
cover for US landings on Hollandia (Operation RECKLESS) and Aitape
with Task 74 which also included HMAS AUSTRALIA,
SHROPSHIRE,
ARUNTA and USS AMMEN and MULLANY. (Operation
PERSECUTION)
29th - Provided
Naval Gunfire support during assault with US cruisers PHOENIX,
NASHVILLE and BOISE screened by 6 US destroyers. (Note: General MacArthur was
embarked in NASHVILLE.)
May
TF74 deployment
in continuation
5th - Sailed
from Hollandia as part of Task Group 77.2 to provide cover for US landings on south coast of Biak (Operation HORLICKS. Note: Task Group also included HMAS AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE,
ARUNTA and two US destroyers.)
Bombarded positions at Sarwa and
Sarmi
25th - Provided
cover and Naval Gunfire Support during landings to 29th
June
Deployed off
Biak for support of assault.
Deployed with HMAS AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE,
USS BOISE and PHOENIX, HMAS ARUNTA and 11 US Navy
destroyers to intercept Japanese naval force sighted by air
reconnaissance. Unable to engage enemy ships which
retired.
July
Support of
military operations at Biak in continuation
2nd - Carried
out bombardment of airstrip at Kamari on Biak with HMAS SHROPSHIRE and HMAS ARUNTA
14th to 26th - Carried
out bombardments on troops west of Aitape with HMAS AUSTRALIA,
SHROPSHIRE, ARUNTA and two US destroyers to
deter an advance.
On
release took passage to Sydney for leave and maintenance.
August
Deployed at
Sydney
September
Resumed
operational service and joined HMAS AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE,
ARUNTA and two US destroyers as Task Group
77.2 to provide cover and Naval Gunfire
Support during planned landings at Morotai
10th - Sailed
from Aitape with ships of TF77.
15th - Deployed
during assault at Morotai
October
Nominated for
service in Task Group 77.3 to provide cover during planned attacks on Leyte, Cebu and North Mindanao. Joined US cruisers PHOENIX and BOISE, HMAS
AUSTRALIA and SHROPSHIRE, five US destroyers and HMAS ARUNTA.
17th - Entered
Leyte Gulf as part of Desdron 24.
20th - Under
air attacks and destroyed one aircraft.
24th - Took
part in Battle of Leyte Gulf. (For details see WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).)
November
Took part in
operations in Leyte Gulf.
1st - Under air
attacks including suicide bombers. (See above reference.)
25th - Took
part in unsuccessful engagement against Japanese battleships FUSO and YAMASHIRO with HMAS ARUNTA and US Navy destroyer
December
Leyte
deployment in continuation.
15th - Provided
cover for landings at Mindoro with HMAS SHROPSHIRE, USS BOISE and
PHOENIX, HMAS ARUNTA and five US destroyers.
On release took passage to British Forward Base at
Manus, Admiralty Islands.
1 9 4 5
January
Nominated for
escort and support of planned US landings at Lingayen with Task Group 77.2. (See above reference.)
Passage from Manus with HMAS AUSTRALIA SHROPSHIRE
and
ARUNTA to join ships of Unit 2. Deployed with ships of Desdron 56 with ARUNTA. (Note: Desdron 56 included five US Navy Destroyers..)
5th - Under
attacks by KAMIKAZE aircraft in Lingayen Gulf during which HMAS ARUNTA sustained damage by near miss.
6th to 8th - Provided
Naval Gunfire Support during assault and under sustained air attacks. Stood by US destroyer BROOKS which had
been damaged in
KAMIKAZE
attack.
9th - Released
from support duties and took passage to Leyte with other damaged warships.
Taken in hand for emergency repair before resuming
cover duties at Lingayen.
February
Deployed in
Lingayen Gulf with Reserve Fire Support Unit CTU 77.2.5 with
HMAS SHROPSHIRE, US cruisers MINNEAPOLIS, and
PORTLAND, HMAS ARUNTA and four US Navy destroyers. (See
above reference.)
Deployed in support of operations
including attacks at entrance to Manila Bay.
March
Deployed for
support of military operations in Borneo with Cruiser Covering Force designated Task Group 78.1 which also included
Australian cruiser HOBART
26th - Present
at landings on Cebu Island during which no gunfire support was required. (See above reference.)
April
Deployment with
Task Group 78/1 in continuation.
Passage to Tarakan to provide
support during planned landings
May
1st - Provided
support during landings on Tarakan Island with HMAS HOBART.
On release took passage from Tarakan with HOBART
for New Guinea to join Wewak Support Force.
9th - Arrived
at Wewak and joined HM Cruiser NEWFOUNDLAND and HMAS ARUNTA
for support of landings by Australian troops. Took
part in bombardments prior to assault
10th - Bombarded
Cape Hoem area with HMS NEWFOUNDLAND.
11th - Provided
gunfire support in Dove Bay during landings (Operation DELUGE).
On release from DELUGE took passage to Sydney and
taken in hand for refit
June to July
Under refit.
August
On completion
of dockyard work carried out post refit trials. Prepared
for service with Commonwealth warships deployed off Japan.
Took passage to Leyte to join HMAS SHROPSHIRE and HOBART.
Sailed from Leyte with ships of
TG70.9 and HM Minesweepers IPSWICH, BALLARAT
and CESSNOCK to attend surrender ceremony Japan
31st - Joined
Commonwealth warships in Sagami Bay
September
2nd - Present
at Tokyo Bay for formal surrender ceremony.
