1
9 3 9
September
7th
Completed refit at HM Dockyard Devonport
and sailed for Scapa Flow to work-up
on 12th
September.
12th
Worked up at Scapa
Flow for
service in Home Fleet.
15th
Joined 18th Cruiser Squadron.
25th
Deployed with Home Fleet to covered return
of damaged
submarine HMS
SPEARFISH from Horns Reef with
HM Battleship NELSON, HM Battlecruisers
HOOD and RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK
ROYAL, HM Cruisers
EDINBURGH
and NORFOLK screened by Home Fleet
destroyers.
October
1st
Transferred to Loch Ewe with Home Fleet
after loss of HM
Battleship ROYAL
OAK by U-boat
attack at Scope Flow.
8th
Searched with HM Battleships NELSON and
RODNEY for German
cruiser
KOLN
and battleship GNEISENAU which had been
reported in North
Sea.
12th
Covered passage of convoy of 19 oil
tankers with HM Cruiser
GLASGOW.
21st
Joined convoy and remained as escort.
25th
Detached from convoy off Lands End.
November
12th
During patrol in Denmark Strait
intercepted German freighter PARANA which
was
set on fire and scuttled by
crew. Boat with survivors attempting to
reach Iceland
was captured.
17th
Returned to Northern Patrol for
interception duty.
23rd
Sighted German battleships SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU rescuing
survivors
from HM Armed Merchant Cruiser RAWALPINDI
which they had sunk
Closed to a range of 6½ miles
before losing contact.
Joined HM Cruiser DELHI and continued the
search without success
due to poor visibility
and rain showers.
28th
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
December
Carried out two patrols in North Sea.
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed on interception
patrol in northern Atlantic.
9th
Sank wreck of German ship BAHIA BLANCA in
Denmark Strait during patrol.
14th
Deployed with HM Cruiser MANCHESTER, HM
Destroyers MAORI, INGLEFIELD, ICARUS
TARTAR,
KHARTOUM, KANDAHAR, KASHMIR, KIMBERLEY and
KELVIN in an
unsuccessful
search for German blockade runner
TRAUTENFELS on passage in North Sea.
23rd
Withdrawn for repair of an accumulation of
defects which
rendered ship below the
standard of
fighting efficiency needed for Fleet
duties.
February
Not deployed operationally.
Repair arranged.
March
26th
Under repair in Tyne
shipyard.
April
Under repair.
May
29th
Carried out post repair trials on
completion of dockyard
work.
June
3rd
Rejoined Home Fleet.
5th
Escorted HM Battlecruisers RENOWN and
REPULSE with HM
Cruiser SUSSEX
screened by five
Home Fleet destroyers during fruitless
search for German battleships
SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU in Iceland
- Faeroes Gap.
10th
Escorted evacuation convoy from Harstad
arriving in Scapa Flow on 11th June.
July
7th
Transferred to Plymouth for anti-invasion
duties.
19th
Docking at Devonport till 21/7/40
August
Deployed in SW Approaches on
anti-invasion patrol.
September
27th
Docking at Devonport.
October
1st
Resumed operational duties.
11th
Deployed with HM Battleship REVENGE,
screened by HM
Destroyers JAVELIN, JUPITER,
KELVIN, KIPLING, JACKAL, JAGUAR
and KASHMIR for bombardment of Cherbourg.
(Operation MEDIUM) 150 rounds of
15in shells were fired on harbour
installations.
HM Cruiser EMERALD provided
Target illumination screened by HM
Destroyers
WANDERER,
BROKE, Polish destroyers, ORP
BURZA and ORP GARLAND
Five motor gunboats also
deployed for defence against E-Boat
attacks.
17th
During patrol between Scillies and Ushant
with HM Cruiser EMERALD screened
by five Fleet destroyers engaged
4 German destroyers off Lands End at range
of
18,000 yards but unable to close
because of enemy speed and withdrew.
Sustained structural damage from
blast effects from forward gun mountings.
23rd
Under repair at Devonport.
27th
Resumed operational duty.
November
Nominated for transfer to
Mediterranean Fleet based at Alexandria.
1st
Sailed from Plymouth with HM Cruiser
NIGERIA screened by HM
Destroyers JERSEY,
JACKAL, JAGUAR,
JUPITER and KASHMIR to intercept German
destroyers reported
on
passage
from
Brest in Channel.
2nd
Returned to Plymouth after unsuccessful
operations
(Note: German
destroyers had returned to Brest.)
6th
Docking at Devonport.
8th
Resumed operational duty.
9th
Embarked 200 RAF personnel and stores at
Plymouth for passage to Malta.
11th
At Gibraltar
13th
Passage to Malta
19th
Arrived in Malta
24th
Under boiler repair at Malta
26th
Sailed from Malta with HM Battleship
RAMILLIES, HM
Cruisers BERWICK and COVENTRY
screened by HM Destroyers
DEFENDER, DIAMOND, GALLANT, GREYHOUND and
HEREWARD deployed as Force D to
provide cover for transit of military
convoy carrying troops
to Alexandria (Operation COLLAR)
27th
After Force D met ships of Force B
providing cover for COLLAR
convoy during passage in
western Mediterranean took part in brief
engagement at long
range with Italian surface force
including two battleships and
seven cruisers with destroyer screen.
Enemy force withdrew and not
followed in order to ensure save passage
of convoy.
(Battle of Cape Spartivento – For details
see Naval Staff History,
HMS0-2001), THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre, HMS
SHEFFIELD by R
Bassett and THE NAVAL
WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and A
Massignani )
(Note: The conduct of this
action was criticised by the Prime
Minister, but at the subsequent Board
of Inquiry, the Admiral’s action
was not considered inappropriate.
28th
Passage to Gibraltar with Force H ships HM
Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM Battleship
RAMILLIES,
HM Cruisers
SHEFFIELD, DESPATCH and destroyer screen.
29th
Arrived at Gibraltar with ships of Force H
December
1st
Transferred to South Atlantic Command as
Flagship for
ships deployed for interception of
blockade
runners and
commerce raiders.
7th
Joined HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND and
ENTERPRISE in search for German raider
THOR
after the Armed Merchant Cruiser CARNARVON
CASTLE had been damaged
in action with the enemy ship
off Rio
de Janeiro
18th
Took part in further search for German
battleship ADMIRAL
SCHEER with HMS
CUMBERLAND
and HMS ENTERPRISE between Rio de Janeiro
and the Plate estuary.
1
9 4 1
January
Deployed in South Atlantic for convoy
defence and interception
duties.
to
(Note: Type 286M Radar
to provide limited warning against
aircraft and surface targets was fitted
March
by this period. This
equipment was an RAF Air-Surface Warning
(ASV) outfit modified for
ship use.)
April
Atlantic deployment in
continuation.
15th
Joined Military convoy WS7 during passage
from Freetown to Cape of Good Hope and
relieved
HM Battleship
NELSON as Ocean Escort.
16th
Remained with convoy on arrival off Cape
Town and continued deployment as Ocean
Escort
during
passage to Durban.
19th
Detached on arrival at Durban and look
passage to Simonstown for
docking and refit.
May
16th
On completion resumed interception duties.
June
Deployed in South Atlantic on trade
protection and interception.
July
23rd
Intercepted German freighter ERLANGEN off
Plate estuary.
August
Nominated for refit at Boston, USA
7th
Passage to USA from Rio de Janeiro via
Freetown.
September
20th
Taken in hand for refit at Boston Navy
Yard.
(Note: Work carried out included
replacement of machine guns by nine single
20mm Oerlikon
guns and preparation for fit of
British design radar equipment.)
October
Under refit.
to
(Note: Radar Type
286M was replaced by an Type 290 an RN
designed outfit.)
November
December
On completion prepared for passage
to UK
29th
Arrived at Plymouth.
1
9 4 2
January
Docking and completion of
installation work not possible in USA,
including
new design
surface and air warning radars (Types 273,
Type 291 and fire-control radar Type
285).
25th
Transferred to 4th Cruiser Squadron,
Eastern Fleet for convoy
defence and interception duties.
February
21st
Joined military convoy WS16 during passage
in Atlantic from Clyde and relieved HM
Battleship MALAYA, HM Aircraft Carrier
EAGLE and screen of
eight Home Fleet
destroyers as Ocean Escort during
passage to Freetown.
(Note: These other ships
detached for Gibraltar.)
March
1st
WS16 arrived at Freetown.
6th
Deployed as Ocean Escort for WS 16 on
departure from Freetown for Cape Town.
17th
WS16 arrived at Cape Town.
22nd
Deployed as Ocean Escort for WS 16 for
passage to Durban from Cape Town.
25th
Detached from WS16 when relieved by HM
Cruiser GLASGOW and HM
Armed
Merchant Cruiser WORCESTERSHIRE
as Ocean Escort.
Joined 4th Cruiser Squadron and
deployed for trade defence in Indian
Ocean.
April
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
(Note: No recorded can be found
as taking part in Eastern Fleet operations
following
the attacks on Ceylon and the losses of HM
Cruiser DORSETSHIRE
and HM
Aircraft Carrier HERMES. This
ship was the only modern cruiser to be
available
as HMS BIRMINGHAM was in dock at
Simonstown and HMS GLASGOW on
passage for repair in the USA.
May
Deployed in Indian Ocean for convoy
defence.
10th
Arrived at Kilindini.
Detached from Eastern Fleet for
service in Mediterranean.
(Note: Reinforcement of
Mediterranean Fleet was essential to
replace ships lost and damaged
in defence of evacuations in Greece and
Crete.)
27th
Passage to Alexandria with HMS BIRMINGHAM,
HM Destroyers
FORTUNE and
GRIFFIN
to reinforce Fleet in Mediterranean for
planned Malta relief operation.
June
Passage in Red Sea.
13th
Deployed with HM Cruisers, BIRMINGHAM,
CLEOPATRA, DIDO, EURYALUS,
HERMIONE and AURORA to escort Malta supply
convoy (MW11}, screened by
Fleet destroyers (Operation VIGOROUS)
14th
Under sustained air attacks and warned of
threat from
superior Italian force.
15th
Damaged by torpedo from German E-Boat S56
in position 90
miles NW of Derna.
The explosion blew a hole 30
feet diameter in starboard side with
serious
damage to structure and
machinery. Forward turret was put out of
action but no casualties caused.
(Note: Details of the disastrous
circumstances relating to conflicting
orders and
hesitation in directives from
shore which lead to failure of this
operation
are available in ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett,
THE
BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D.
MacIntyre and
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
20th
Under temporary repair to allow passage at
reduced speed.
Permanent repair arranged at
Simonstown
Passage to Aden.
25th
Sailed from Aden screened by HM Destroyers
FORTUNE and GRIFFIN.
27th
Sustained serious weather damage including
loss of temporary
plating fitted over hole.
An attempt to steam stern first
was not possible and further passage to
Cape of Good Hope
was abandoned.
Took return passage to Aden
July
1st
Arrive at Aden for temporary repair.
Completion of repair arranged at
Bombay
On completion took passage to Bombay.
30th
Arrived at Bombay for temporary repair.
August
Hole plated over and new
frames fitted to enable safe passage to
USA
(Note: Permanent
repair arranged in US Navy dockyard.)
September
7th
Took passage to USA via Mauritius,
Capetown, Pernambuco and Bermuda.
October
Passage in Atlantic
11th
Under refit and repair at Brooklyn Navy
Yard, New York.
(Note: In addition to repair of
damage work included preparation for fit
of British Radar equipment
These were Type 281 for Long Range
aircraft warning, Type 284 for main
armament fire-
control and an additional Type
285 for secondary armament fire-control.).
November
21st
On completion of shipyard work carried out
trials locally.
Prepared for
Atlantic passage.
December
Passage to Plymouth
18th
Arrived at Plymouth
21st
Taken in hand by HM Dockyard, Devonport
for docking and
completion or installation of British
designed radar outfits.
(Note: Additional 20mm Oerlikon
guns were fitted to improve close range AA
Defence
For details of development and
use of radar see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse.)
1
9 4 3
January
Refit completion in hand at HM
Dockyard Devonport.
to
Nominated for
service in Eastern Fleet.
February
March
30th
On completion took passage to Join Home
Fleet for work-up.
April
2nd
Worked-up at Scapa Flow
with ships of Home Fleet.
Nominated for Ocean escort of
military convoy from UK
to Indian Ocean whilst on passage to join
Eastern Fleet.
6th
Joined Joint Convoy WS29/KMF15 in Clyde
with HM Destroyer RAPID as Ocean Escort.
20th
Remained with WS29 when KMF15 detached to
take passage to Gibraltar.
28th
Arrived at Freetown with WS29,
May
6th
Sailed from Freetown with HM Destroyers as
Ocean Escort for
WS29 during passage to Cape Town.
18th
Detached from WS29 on arrival at Cape Town
and took passage for deployment in Indian
Ocean for
trade defence
and convoy escort as Flagship, 4th Cruiser
Squadron, Eastern Fleet.
June
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
Nominated to carry out search
for the German Supply Ship CHARLOTTE
SCHLIEMANN known
to be on passage from Soerabaya
to support U-Boats operating in Indian Ocean.
24th
Deployed with HM Cruiser SUFFOLK, HM
Destroyers NIZAM, RACEHORSE and
RELENTLESS
south of Madagascar in conjunction with
aircraft.
(Operation PLAYER - This was
activated following decryption of ENIGMA
signal traffic was a
breach of normal procedures.)
30th
Search abandoned after no sighting
July
Resumed Indian Ocean trade defence and
convoy escort duties.
August
On release took passage to
Simonstown for refit and docking.
26th
Taken in hand by HM Dockyard, Simonstown.
September
On completion of post refit trials
rejoined Eastern Fleet for convoy defence
in Indian Ocean based in Ceylon.
October
Indian Ocean trade defence and
interception duties in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
Diverted to take passage to Mauritius for
deployment as Force 62 with HM
Cruiser
SUFFOLK,
HM Frigate BANN in renewed search for
U-Boat Supply Ship CHARLOTTE
SCHLIEMANN in conjunction with
aircraft sent to Mauritius
from East Africa
.
(Operation THWART.)
19th
Sailed from Mauritius with HMS BATTLER to
carry out a search
900 miles south
east of the
island.
21st
Returned to Mauritius with same ships.
24th
HMS SUFFOLK and HMS BANN joined Force 62.
30th
Search abandoned after lack of any
sighting.
(Note: Forces 63 (HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser CANTON and Force 64 (HM
Cruiser
KENYA
and HM Destroyer NEPAL (RAN) were also
deployed in THWART.)
February
Resumed Squadron deployment in Indian
Ocean.
(Note. CHARLOTTE SCHLIEMANN was
intercepted and sunk by HM Destroyer
RELENTLESS on 12th February.)
March
Deployed at Mauritius
5th
Sailed from Mauritius with HM Cruisers
NEWCASTLE, HMS BATTLER
screened by
HM
Destroyers QUADRANT as Force 67 in search
for U-Boat supply tanker BRAKE
SW of Cocos Islands.
12th
Tanker sighted by aircraft from HMS
BATTLER and scuttled
after approach by
HMS ROEBUCK.
(Note: HMS ROEBUCK had joined
Force 67 from Force 58 on 6th March.
See WAR WITH JAPAN Vol iv (HMSO).)
April
16th
Joined Task Force 69 in Eastern Fleet.
Escorted HM
Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH
and VALIANT, French battleship RICHELIEU
with British cruisers HMS NIGERIA,
HMS CEYLON, HMS GAMBIA and Dutch Cruiser
TROMP to
cover air attacks on Sabang
by Task Force 70, the aircraft
carriers HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA.
(Operation COCKPIT).
21st
Returned to Trincomalee.
May
6th.
Escorted HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS VALIANT
and FS RICHELIEU
with HM Cruiser
NIGERIA
and Dutch cruiser TROMP (TF65) to cover
air attacks on Soerabya by
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA
(Operation TRANSOM).
15th
Replenished in Exmouth Gulf, Western
Australia.
17th
Provided cover during attacks on Japanese
bases at Soerabaya.
27th
Returned with TF 65 to Trincomalee.
June
Passage to Simonstown for
refit.
July
Under refit in HM
Dockyard.
to
August
September
7th
Began post refit sea trials and took
passage for Ceylon on completion.
October
10th
Rejoined Eastern Fleet.
November
17th
Escorted HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE
and ILLUSTRIOUS
with HM Cruisers
ARGONAUT and BLACK PRINCE for
air attacks on targets at Pangkalan
Brandan.
(Operation OUTFLANK).
20th
Provided cover during attacks launched on
new targets at
Begawan Deli and
airfields near
Sabang which were changed because of
weather.
December
17th
Escorted HMS INDOMITABLE and HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS with HMS BLACK
PRINCE and HMS ARGONAUT during
carrier raid on targets at Belawan Deli as
Force 67 (Operation ROBSON).
1
9 4 5
January
2nd
Part of covering Eastern Fleet force
during landings on Akyab Peninsula as
Task
Force 61 with HM Cruisers NIGERIA and
PHOEBE (Operation LIGHTNING).
24th
Embarked Royal Marines for landing on
Cheduba Island, Burma.
26th
Deployed with HMS NIGERIA, HMS KENYA, HM
Destroyers PALADIN and
RAPID as Task Force 65.
Landed Royal Marines Commando
unit on Cheduba Island, south of Ramree
(Operation SANKEY).
31st
Re-embarked RM's and bombarded west coast
of Ramree Island.
(For details of operations in Indian Ocean
area including the East Indies see
OPERATION PACIFIC by E. Gray and
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
February
Deployed on convoy defence in Indian
Ocean.
to
March
April
Sailed
from Fremantle for UK.
May
23rd
Arrived at Devonport.
June
Under
refit in Tyne shipyard
to
August
September
Transferred to HM Dockyard Rosyth
for completion.
5th
Passage from Tyne
to Rosyth for completion.