1
9 4 3
October
Contractor's trials.
31st
Build completion and carried out sea
trials.
November
3rd
Formal transfer and renamed HMS PREMIER.
Passage to Esquimalt
for modifications to suit RN use.
11th
Taken in hand for modification by HM
Canadian Dockyard,
December
Under
modification
1
9 4 4
January
Prepared for ocean passage on completion
of dockyard work
9th
Sailed for Panama
from Esquimalt.
(Note: Call
in west coast USA
port to be confirmed.)
February
17th
Transit of Panama
Canal.
25th
Arrived in Norfolk,
Va
March
6th
Took passage to UK
(Note:
Embarkation of aircraft for transport to UK
and passage with a routine convoy
to be
confirmed.)
20th
Arrived in Liverpool
29th
Allocated for deployment as a ferry
carrier and took passage for Norfolk.
April
11th
Arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard and embarked
aircraft for transport to
UK
26th
Arrived in Liverpool
and unloaded aircraft.
Nominated for further
ferry trip.
May
Passage to Norfolk
to collect aircraft.
12th
Arrived at Norfolk
31st
Arrived in Liverpool
and taken in hand for repair
(Note:
Passage with a routine convoy to be
confirmed.)
June
Under repair.
July
Under repair.
7th
Nominated for future deployment as an
operational carrier
August
Under repair.
September
5th
Carried out post repair trials on
completion of shipyard work.
13th
Embarked 12 AVENGER aircraft and
personnel of 856 Squadron.
Deployed in Clyde
area to wok-up for operational service
in Home Fleet.
October
13th
On completion of work-up took passage to Clyde
for routine maintenance.
November
Nominated for air
minelay operations and attacks on
shipping off Norway.
10th
Took passage to join Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
17th
Deployed with HM Cruiser DIADEM and HM
Escort Aircraft Carrier PURSUER screened
by HM Destroyers
ONSLAUGHT. SCORPION and SCOURGE
as Force 3 for air minelay.
(Operation
HANDFAST).
20th
Carried out minelaying in Kara
Sound.
21st
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with Force 3.
26th
Deployed with HM Fleet Aircraft Carrier
IMPLACABLE and HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
PURSUER to carry out air attacks on
shipping between Mosjoen
and Rorvik.
(Operation
PROVIDENT).
27th
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with HMS PURSUER due to weather
conditions.
(Note HMS
IMPLACABLE was able to execute attacks
during which two ships were sunk.
December
Embarked four AVENGER aircraft and
personnel of 846 Squadron.
6th
Deployed with HM Aircraft Carriers
IMPLACABLE and TRUMPETER, HM Cruiser
DIADEM
screened by HM
Destroyers ZEALOUS, ZAMBESI, VIGILANT,
SAVAGE, SERAPIS, Canadian
destroyers
ALGONQUIN, SIOUX and Norwegian destroyer
STORD as Force 1 for a joint
anti-shipping
strike and air minelay off Norwegian coast
(Operation URBANE).
7th
Aircraft carried out minelay in Kara
Sound
and attacks on shore targets.
8th
Aircraft carried out attacks on shipping
between Bergen and Stavanger.
9th
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with Force 1.
12th
Sailed from Scapa
Flow
for minelay.
14th
Deployed with HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE,
HM Escort Aircraft Carrier PREMIER and a
destroyer
screen comprising HM Destroyers ZEALOUS,
ZEPHYR, SAVAGE, SERAPIS,
SIOUX (RCN)
and ALGONQUIN (RCN)
(Force 2) for joint shipping strike and
air minelay.
(Operation LACERATE).
Air minelay carried out in Ramosund.
Under air attack by Ju88, one of which was
destroyed.
Two AVENGER aircraft crashed on landing
without casualties.
Diversionary air strikes on air fields at
Hammerfest
and Banak not
possible due to low cloud
in target
areas.
Later one aircraft ranged on deck lost
overboard. in
bad weather.
Planned air minelay in Skatestromme
cancelled due to deteriorating weather
(Note:
Minelay in Skatestrommen
was cancelled after Force was shadowed.
15th
Ship sustained weather damage.
17th
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with Force 2
Repair arranged in Clyde
shipyard and passage to Greenock
23rd
Under repair in commercial shipyard.
1
9 4 5
January
Returned passage to resume Home Fleet
duties.
Embarked 20 WILDCAT aircraft and personnel
of 881 Squadron
11th
Deployed as Force 3 with HM Cruiser DIDO,
HMS TRUMPETER, HM Destroyers
OPPORTUNE, CAVENDISH, ZEST, ZODIAC and
Motor Torpedo Boats for Air-Sea
Rescue duties.
(Operation GRATIS - This was an air
minelay in Karm
Sound and was a part of major
Home Fleet operation to attack shipping
and lay a minefield off Utsira
Is. by HM Cruiser
Cruiser APOLLO
(Operation SPELLBINDER).
12th
Carried out mixed air minelay in Karm
Sound.
13th
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with Force 3.
(For details of all minelaying operations
see the Naval Staff History (Mining)).
24th
Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
PREMIER to cover night air attacks by
HM Escort Aircraft Carrier CAMPANIA
on shipping off Vaagso,
Norway
(Operation WINDED)
28th
Deployed with HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
CAMPANIA and NAIRANA to carry
out night air
attacks on shipping near Vaagso.
Provided cover during air strikes by HMS CAMPANIA.
29th
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
February
11th
Deployed with HMS DEVONSHIRE,
HM Escort Aircraft Carrier PUNCHER
screened by HM
Destroyers CAVENDISH, CAVALIER, SCOURGE
and ZEBRA as Force 2 to carry out an air
minelay in Skatestrommen
(Operation SELENIUM)
(Note: This
was part of a coincident shipping strike
by Force 1 off Bud which
was
unsuccessful. See above reference.)
13th
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with Force 2.
22nd
Deployed as Force 4 with HMS DIDO, HMS
PUNCHER, HM Destroyers MYNGS, SCORPION
and CAVALIER
for
a combined air
minelay and shipping strike in Karm
Sound.
(Operation GROUNDSHEET).
(Note: This
was part of Home Fleet Operation SHRED and
included the clearance of
mines by 10th
Minesweeping Flotilla to reduce length of
passage to Norway
(Operation WINNER).
The minelay was carried out under fire and
two aircraft were lost.
23rd
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with Force 4.
March
19th
Deployed with HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM
Escort Aircraft Carriers SEARCHER and
QUEEN
screened by HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, ZEST, SERAPIS, HAIDA (RCN)
and IROQUOIS (RCN)
as Force 1 to
carry out dual shipping and shore strikes
and air minelay.
(Operation CUPOLA).
20th
Carried out aircraft minelay at Askevold
and attacks on shore targets.
(Note: This
was first operation by HMS SEARCHER and
HMS QUEEN was still working-
up for service.
The minelay was later declared as very
successful.)
Last dual
minelay with airstrikes,
the first was in August 1944.)
21st
Returned to Scapa
Flow
with Force 1
Passage to Clyde
for repair of defects.
April
1st
Resumed Home Fleet duties at Scapa
Flow.
18th
Joined Russian Convoy JW66 with HMS
BELLONA, HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
V1NDEX, HM
Destroyers OFFA, ZEALOUS, ZEPHYR, ZEST,
ZODIAC, Canadian destroyers HAIDA,
HURON, IROQUOIS and Norwegian destroyer
STORD to support Close Escort during
passage
to Kola Inlet
(Operation ROUNDEL – Provision of air
cover.).
26th
Arrived at Kola Inlet with JW66 after
uninterrupted passage.
(Note:
Passage into Kola Inlet was cleared of
awaiting submarines by a special
anti-submarine
'Search and Destroy'
operation.)
29th
Sailed from Kola Inlet as escort for
passage to UK
on return Convoy RA66 with the
same ships and
also Home Fleet units previously engaged
in anti-submarine minelay
off Kola Inlet
(Operation TRAMMEL).
(Note:
Anti-submarine operations were carried out
off Kola Inlet before sailing
of RA66 by
Close Escort. For details of all Russian
Convoys see CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA
by RA Ruegg,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and CONVOY! by
P Kemp. This was the last Russian
May
6th
Detached from RA66 with HMS BELLONA and
HMS VINDEX to resume Home Fleet duties.
21st
Nominated for service as a deck landing
training carrier based in Clyde.
Under repair in Clyde.
June
Under repair
July
24th
Commenced deck landing training role in Clyde.
August
Deck landing training duties in
continuation.