1
9 1 7
June
Build completion.
to
Accepted into service and commissioned
for duty in Grand Fleet with 6th Light
Cruiser
October
Squadron
Deployed in North
Sea
and NW Approaches based at Scapa
Flow
with Squadron
November
17th
Took part in action against German
warships in Heligoland Bight
December
Deployed with Squadron at Scapa
Flow.
1
9 1 8
January
Squadron duties in Grand Fleet in
continuation
to
October
November
21st
Lead German High Seas Fleet to Scapa
Flow
for surrender.
December
Nominated for service in Baltic in
support of military operations against
Bolshevik forces.
1
9 1 9
Deployed with Squadron in Baltic
Nominated for service as Flagship, 3rd
Light Cruiser Squadron in Mediterranean
1
9 2 0 t
o 1 9 2 7
Mediterranean Fleet
service as Flagship of Squadron in
continuation.
(Note: Commissions lasted 2 years 6
months and ship returned to UK
to
re-commission. Refits were carried out
at Malta
and in UK.
During this period the Mediterranean
Fleet was involved in protection
of
British
interests during unrest in Greece
and Turkey.)
1
9 2 8
January
Mediterranean service in continuation.
to
February
March
Passage to Chatham to refit.
April
3rd
Paid off at Chatham
for refit.
May
On completion transferred to Portsmouth
Depot for manning.
29th
Re-commissioned for further service with
3rd Cruiser Squadron in Mediterranean.
June
Passage to Malta
to join Squadron.
Deployed with
Squadron in Mediterranean.
July
Squadron deployment in continuation.
to
December
1
9 2 9
January
Squadron deployment in Mediterranean in continuation
to
Nominated for Long Refit at Devonport.
July
August
Relieved in Squadron by HM Cruiser
CURACOA
Passage to
Devonport.
September
5th
Paid off
into Dockyard control for refit.
October
Under refit
to
December
1
9 3 0
Under refit.
1
9 3 1
January
Post refit trials
February
Nominated for service as Flagship of 6th
Cruiser Squadron on African Station.
to
Manning Division transferred to Chatham.
March
Passage to Chatham.
April
1st
Commissioned at Chatham
as Flagship, 6th Cruiser Squadron.
Prepared for foreign
service.
May
Passage to South
Africa
after work-up in Home waters.
June
Flagship
deployment in South
Africa
based at Simonstown.
to
Deployed for visits and exercises in South
Atlantic
and Indian
Ocean.
December
1
9 3 2
African Station deployment In
continuation.
1
9 3 3
January
African Station deployment in
continuation.
to
Nominated for transfer to Reserve Fleet.
April
May
Relieved in
6th Cruiser Squadron by HM Cruiser
DORSETSHIRE.
June
Passage to Chatham
to Pay-Off.
July
Reduced to Reserve status.
14th
Re-commissioned as Flagship Reserve
Fleet, Nore Command.
August
Deployed at Chatham for training and administration of
ships in Reserve.
to
December
1
9 3 4
Deployment at
Chatham as Flagship, Reserve Fleet for
training duties.
1
9 3 5
January
Chatham Reserve Fleet deployment In
continuation.
to
Nominated for attendance at Silver
Jubilee Review of the Fleet by H M King
George V
May
at Spithead
June
Prepared for passage to Portsmouth.
July
Passage to Portsmouth.
16th
Attended Review.
August
Return passage to Chatham.
September
Chatham Reserve Fleet Flagship duty in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 3 6
Chatham
deployment in continuation.
1
9 3 7
January
Chatham
deployment in continuation.
to
Nominated for detached service in 9th
Cruiser Squadron to attend the
Coronation
March
Review of the Fleet by H M King George
VI at Spithead.
April
Prepared for passage to Portsmouth.
May
Passage to Portsmouth.
20th
Attended Review with ships of 3rd
Cruiser Squadron.
June
Returned to Chatham.
July
Resumed Reserve Fleet duties at Chatham
to
December
1
9 3 8
January
Deployed at Chatham as Flagship Reserve Fleet.
to
Nominated for operational Service 111
5th Cruiser Squadron, China
Station.
June
Prepared for re-commissioning.
July
Re-commissioned at Chatham for service in 5th Cruiser Squadron.
Deployed in Home waters to prepare for foreign
service.
August
Took passage from Chatham for Singapore
to join Squadron.
September
Passage to Singapore
and joined Squadron on arrival.
October
Deployed with Squadron on China Station
for visits and exercises.
to
Nominated for conversion to AA cruiser.
December
1
9 3 9
January
Deployed with Squadron on China
Station.
to
Refit arranged at Devonport.
March
April
Prepared for return to UK.
29th
Sailed from Hong
Kong
to Pay-Off.
May
Passage to Devonport.
June
Paid-off into Reserve at Devonport.
(Note: Planned conversion for use as an
AA cruiser was cancelled.)
July
At Devonport
in Reserve.
Nominated for attendance at Review of
Reserve Fleet by H M King George VI
Commissioned with
Reservists at Devonport.
August
Passage to Portland
for Review.
9th
Attended Review in Weymouth
Bay.
Retained in
commission in view of political
situation.
15th
Prepared for war service at Devonport.
(Note: Ship ammunition and stored for
operational service and war complement
joined ship.
War Station with 12th Cruiser Squadron
nominated.)
Passage to Scapa
Flow
for Northern Patrol duty with Squadron
to intercept German
ships
attesting to return to Germany
and to enforce blockade.
(For details see ARMED MERCHANT CRUISERS
by K. Poolman
and Naval Staff
History.)
D
e t a i l
s o
f W a
r S e r v i
c e
(for
more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
September
Deployed for patrol in NW Approaches
based at Scapa Flow
6th
Sailed for first patrol.
13th
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
15th
Sailed
for second patrol returning
on 22nd.
22nd
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
October
6th
Sailed for third patrol.
13th
Returned from patrol.
(Note: Transferred to 11th Cruiser
Squadron, Home Fleet during patrol.)
14th
Sailed for fourth patrol.
19th
Returned to Sullom Voe,
25th
Sailed from Sullom Voe for fifth
patrol.
29th
Intercepted Norwegian freighter TARE
JARL which had been reported
as having
been in
contact with German submarine, but was
allowed to proceed.
November
3rd
Returned to Sullom Voe.
6th
Sailed for sixth patrol from Sullom
Voe.
11th
Returned to Sullom Voe.
14th
Passage to Loch
Ewe (Port A) from Sullom Voe.
17th
Sailed for seventh patrol.
Intercepted Norwegian freighter
CARMELFJELL and put a boarding party on
board.
(Note: This ship was stopped on 29th
November by a German submarine but was
again allowed
to proceed.)
20th
Returned to Port A.
23rd
Joined HM Cruisers CALEDON and COLOMBO
for patrol off North Rona
to intercept.
German battleships SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU after loss of the Armed
Merchant
Cruiser HMS
RAWALPINDI.
26th
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
27th
Sailed for eighth patrol
December
1st
Returned to Scapa
Flow
and took passage to Port A
9th
Sailed for ninth patrol.
15th
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
Withdrawn from
Northern Patrol.
(Note: This class of cruiser had been
found unsuitable for service in the Atlantic.
.
See above reference.)
17th
Took passage from Scapa
Flow
to Plymouth
for repair.
19th
Arrived in Clyde.
20th
Continued passage to Plymouth.
23rd
Arrived at HM Dockyard, Devonport for
repair of weather damage.
1
9 4 0
January
Rejoined Home Fleet for service in 2nd
Cruiser Squadron.
(Note: Early intended deployment in West Indies for interception patrol with 8th Cruiser
Squadron was cancelled.)
February
Deployed on convoy defence and patrol in
Home waters.
March
Transferred to Portsmouth Command in
continuation.
to
May
June
Deployed in Nore Command area in support
of the evacuation of British and allied
troops and
civilians from French ports. (Operation
CYCLE)
12th
Provided support at St. Valery
during withdrawal troops evacuation of
personnel.
(Note: Naval gunfire support was not
required.)
For details of naval operations in
Channel area in this period see ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History)
July
Deployed at Sheerness for anti-invasion
patrol in North
Sea
and Channel.
August
Patrol duty in North
Sea.
25th
Deployed in Humber area from Scapa
Flow
with HM Cruiser GALATEA to intercept
enemy craft
during Invasion scare.
September
Returned to Scapa
Flow
for patrol duty in NW Approaches and North Sea.
October
Withdrawn from
operational service.
Prepared for service as Gunnery Training
ship by HM Dockyard Portsmouth
(Note: 20mm
AA guns fitted.)
November
Took passage to Clyde for gunnery training based at Greenock.
to
Carried out training in use of close
range AA weapons in Clyde area.
December.
1
9 4 1
January
Under repair in Clyde
shipyard.
to
February
March
On completion resumed gunnery training
duties In Western Approaches Command.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
Training duties in continuation
to
August
September
Routine docking in Clyde commercial shipyard
October
Resumed training duties.
to
December
1
9 4 3
January
Training duties in continuation
February
Taken in hand for fit of Type 290 radar
outfit to provide warning of approach of
aircraft
and ships.
(Note: This radar was an interim RN
design to replace a modified RAF outfit
used in
destroyers and other escorts before the
introduction of the centimetric
Type 271.
Type 291 was not very successful and
withdrawn when Type 291
became
available In 1943. For details of the
development and use of radar in the
RN see RADAR
AT SEA
by D Howse.)
March
Resumed Gunnery training in Western
Approaches Command.
to
June
July
Under refit for replacement of Type 290
Radar and fit of Type 271
August
Resumed training duties
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Gunnery Training duties in
continuation.
to
(Note: During this period ship was used
for Air Ministry bombing trials and
exercises)
December
1
9 4 5
January
Trials deployment in continuation
to
April
May
After VE Day ceased deployment as
training ship.
Taken in hand for refit in Clyde commercial shipyard
June
Nominated for reduction to Reserve and
refit work suspended
to
August
September
3rd
Paid-off and reduced to Reserve
status.
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s