1 9 4 1
June
Contractors trials
7th
Commissioned
for service with 1st Minelaying
Squadron.
10th
Build
completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials,
25th
During work-up laid dummy minefield
off Orkneys for submarine
training.
July
Deployed for delivery of mines to
Murmansk.
Nominated for
detached service with Home Fleet ships
in support of Malta
relief operation.
15th
Deployed
with HM Battleship NELSON, HM Cruisers
ARETHUSA, EDINBURGH and
MANCHESTER
,
HM Destroyers COSSACK, LIGHTNING, MAORI,
NESTOR
(RAN),
SIKH, AVONVALE, ERIDGE and FARNDALE
as escort for military convoy WS9C for
passage to
Gibraltar.
(Note: Mercantiles
destined for Malta detached and became
Convoy GM1 (Operation
SUBSTANCE)
19th
Embarked
stores and personnel at Gibraltar for
passage to Malta
22nd
Deployed
with HM Cruisers ARETHUSA, EDINBURGH and
HERMIONE,
HM Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, NESTOR
(RAN), FEARLESS, FOXHOUND,
FIREDRAKE, ENCOUNTER, ERIDGE and
FARNDALE for escort of convoy through
Sicilian Narrows into Malta as Force X.
Cover was provided for passage in
western
Mediterranean by ships of Force H based
at Gibraltar
(Note: For details of passage of
SUBSTANCE Convoy and subsequent similar
Malta relief
operations
see MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman. THE
BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre,
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C Barnett
and the Naval Staff History.)
23rd
Under air attacks with Force X and mercantiles.
(Note: : HMS
MANCHESTER and HMS FEARLESS were hit by
torpedoes.
HMS FEARLESS had to be sunk by HMS
FORESTER but the cruiser
had to
return to Gibraltar escorted by HMS
AVONVALE.)
Force H ships detached and remained
west of Narrows.
24th
Discharged
stores on arrival in Malta and sailed
for return passage to Gibraltar with ships of
Force X.
27th
On
arrival at Gibraltar embarked stores
including aviation fuel with
passengers
for
transport to Malta.
(Note: Troopship LEINSTER intended to take passage with SUBSTANCE convoy
had grounded
on departure and not able to continue.
Her passengers and
stores were
also embarked in HMS ARETHUSA and HMS
HERMIONE
in a special
additional relief operation (Operation
STYLE.)
30th
Sailed
from Gibraltar with the two cruisers
escorted by HM Destroyers SIKH
and
LIGHTNING for speedy passage to Malta as
Force X. Cover was again provided
by Force H
August
1st
Transit
of Sicilian
Narrows with Force X.
2nd
Italian
submarine TEMBIEN sunk by HMS HERMIONE.
Disembarked stores in Malta and sailed
for Gibraltar with Force X ships.
4th
Returned
to Gibraltar
with ships of Forces H and X.
5th
Took
passage to UK
for planned minelaying operations.
13th
Prepared
for minelay in Mediterranean at Kyle of
Lochalsh
(Operation MINCEMEAT)
(Note: These included adoption of a
disguise to ship so it appeared similar
to Vichy
French LEOPARD during the passage
through French coastal waters for a
mine lay off
west coast of Italy. Some sources record that this was the only
occasion
when a British warships displayed French
colours as part of a
deception
plan)
15th
Embarked
mines at Milford Haven
16th
Sailed
from Milford Haven for Gibraltar.
19th
At Gibraltar
to collect orders for MINCEMEAT.
22nd
Hoisted
French colours during passage near
Balearics and headed for Toulon.
24th
Laid
150 mines in Gulf of Genoa
minefield.
(Note: Diversionary air attacks were
carried out on Sardinia in Cover
operation by
ships of
Force H. See Naval Staff History.)
25th
Return
passage to Gibraltar with same procedure
when in French coastal waters.
30th
Arrived
at Kyle of Lochalsh
after successful operation
September
4th
Detached
for duty with Home Fleet and deployed
with HM Cruiser KENYA and HM
Destroyer LIGHTNING for lay of
anti-shipping field off Norwegian coast.
(Operation EH)
Resumed service
with Squadron on return to Kyle of Lochalsh.
17th
Nominated
for minelay in English Channel and took
passage to embark mines at
Milford
Haven.
18th
Carried
out unescorted minelay off Les Heaux
(Field HF)
20th
Carried
out further unescorted minelay of Le
Havre (Field JT)
Returned to Kyle of
Lochalsh
on completion.
Nominated for minelaying duty in East
Coast Barrier with HM Fast Minelayer
WELSHMAN of
Squadron.
28th
Laid
Field SN16Ain East Coast Barrier off
Aberdeen
October
3rd
Laid
Field SN16B north of Aberdeen
9th
Laid
Field SN16C north of Aberdeen.
13th
Nominated
for further minelaying operations in English Channel and
embarked mines
18th
Laid
Field HF off St Valery
sur Somme
without escort.
21st
Deployed
with HMS WELSHMAN and carried out lay of
Field HG off Lorient
without
escort.
25th
Carried
out lay of Field JX(B))
off St Valery
sur Somme
unescorted.
(Note: HMS WELSHMAN laid Field JX(A)
concurrently.)
26th
Under repair by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
31st
Passage to Kyle of Lochalsh
on
completion of repair.
November
Nominated for minelay in Northern
Barrage.
Planned lay of Field 7C cancelled and
took passage to Scapa Flow for detached
duty
with Home
Fleet.
Planned minelay cancelled and
transferred to Channel for minelay in Bay of Biscay.
December
Diverted for delivery of stores to
Gibraltar and took passage.
20th
Returned
to Milford Haven to embark mines for
anti-submarine mine lay in Bay
of Biscay
23rd
Carried out lay of Field HJ3 in Bay
of Biscay.
On completion took passage to Liverpool.
24th
Taken in hand for routine docking at Liverpool.
1
9 4 2
January
28th
On
completion of docking and maintenance
too passage to Plymouth to resume
Channel duties.
February
3rd
Carried
out minelay off Bellisle
in perceived path of likely
to be used in the event of
break-out
from Brest by the German warships
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU
to return to
Germany by passage through English
Channel.
5th
Laid
Field HL1 off Ile
Verges.
7th
Laid
Field HL2 off Ile
de Bas.
On completion took passage to Milford
Haven to embark mines for further
planned
minelays
in Bay of Biscay.
11th
During
passage to carry out minelay of Field
HJ5 engaged aircraft attacking convoy
and
completed lay without interference.
15th
Deployed with HMS WELSHMAN and carried
out lay of Field HJ7.
18th
Laid Field HJ8 independently.
19th
Laid Field HJ9 independently.
23rd
Took passage from Plymouth
to resume Squadron duties at Kyle
of Lochalsh.
March
Deployed at Kyle of Lochalsh
with Squadron.
Nominated for service in Indian Ocean to
relieve HM Fast Minelayer ABDIEL
Serving with
Eastern Fleet which had been damaged
by grounding and was under repair.
April
Embarked stores and
personnel for passage to Gibraltar,
West Africa and Simons Town.
18th
Sailed from Plymouth
to join Eastern Fleet.
May
Passage in Indian Ocean after
intermediate calls.
15th
Arrived
at Kilindini and joined Eastern Fleet
(Note: Eastern Fleet units were based
at Kilindini after the losses of RN
ships in
April when a
Japanese aircraft carrier force
attacked Ceylon.
One source records that after call at
Durban on 9th this ship went to Diego
Suarez which had just been captured
during landings in Northern
Madagascar (Operation IRONCLAD)
Nominated for special duty to assess
requirements for storage and supply of
mines
for use in
Indian Ocean during planned operations.
June
Deployed for an extended cruise to
Colombo, Trincomalee, Bombay, Addu
Atoll,
Calcutta
and Vizgapatan
for local discussions and assessment
of facilities.
July
On arrival at Madras at end of cruise
nominated for support of special
diversion
operation in
Indian Ocean (Operation STAB).
Prepared for escort of Dummy convoy
nominated as Force M to suggest an
imminent
landing on the Andaman Islands.
August
1st
Sailed
from Madras with HM Corvette ASTER and
HM Indian Auxiliary
SONAVATI as escort for four mercantiles
during passage in Bay of Bengal
as an
Assault Convoy.
(Note: The mercantiles
were ss
TASMANIA, ss
HOPERANGE, ss
CLAN MCIVER,
ss
YVENSANG and ss
CUSTODIAN.)
2nd
Took
return passage to Madras.
(Note: This was to imply the
cancellation of landing operations.)
On return nominated for support of
planned landings to complete the
occupation of
Vichy French held Madagascar (Operation
ESME B.)
Passage to
Kilindini to join Force M.
September
3rd
Arrived at Kilindini and took part in
Exercise TOUCHDOWN with Force M
ships in
preparation for ESME B and main landings
at Majunga
(Operation STREAM)
(Note: Other Ships in Force M
included HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM,
DAUNTLESS
GAMBIA and CARADOC, HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Monitor
EREBUS, HM Seaplane Carrier ALBATROSS
(As HQ Ship), HM Destroyers
NAPIER (RAN), NORMAN, NIZAM,
FOXHOUND, HOTSPUR, ARROW,
BLACKMORE. ACTIVE, INCONSTANT, FORTUNE, NEPAL (RAN),
Dutch destroyers VAN GALEN and TJERK
HIDDES, HM Corvette FREESIA,
HM Fleet Minesweepers CROMER,
CROMARTY, ROMNEY, HM Whalers
LURCHER, MASTIFF, SIGFAR (?) and HM
Auxiliary Netlayer
BRITTANY with
twelve mercantiles
carrying Assault Force with equipment
and
stores for
planned
landings
8th
Embarked
Royal Marines detachment from HMS
CARADOC and troops of Pretoria
Highlanders to capture island of Noise Be off NW coast of
Madagascar.
9th
Passage
to Noise Be.
10th
Moored
inside harbour at Heleville,
Noise B and carried out
support bombardment
including use
of
mortars carried by landing parties prior
to landings (Operation ESME B)
(Note: Port was captured with only
one casualty.)
14th
Deployed
to land military force from position in
river below Maromandia
on main island
of
Madagascar.
15th
Royal
Marines occupied town after surrender of
Vichy French troops.
29th
Deployed to carry out reconnaissance
of Fort
Dauphin on southern tip of Madagascar.
Found local authorities friendly.
October
Released from STREAM before
final armistice in Madagascar.
For details of Madagascar operations see
WAR WITH JAPAN and Naval Staff
History.
Transferred to Mediterranean
for minelaying operations.
16th
Took passage to join Fleet at Alexandria.
30th
Arrived at Port
Said after passage in Red Sea.
November
Joined Mediterranean Fleet and
deployed at Alexandria.
10th
Took
passage from Alexandria to Malta with
stores and personnel escorted by six
destroyers also
carrying
stores and personnel.
12th
Arrived in Malta.
(Note: First surface ships to arrive
from Egypt for 12 weeks.
13th
Embarked and prepared mines for first
minelay with great
difficulty because of
local
conditions.
25th
Took
passage to Algiers with mines embarked
for first lay.
29th
Laid
minefield off Cani
rocks in Sicilian Channel and
returned to Algiers
(Note: Although an E-Boat was sighted
and passed near ship the lay was
completed
successfully
December
1st
Took
passage from Algiers
to Gibraltar to collect supply of
mines for
future minelays.
Hit by torpedo from U375 off Algiers in
position 36.39N 00.15E and sustained
serious
damage.
Torpedo struck port side causing
flooding of Engine and Gearing Rooms
which disabled
ship and
caused 12 degree list.
Taken in tow by HM Destroyer
PATHFINDER and escorted by HM Destroyer
ESKIMO
under HM Tug
RESTIVE arrived to take over operation.
2nd
Arrived
at Mers-el
Kebir, Oran
under tow.
5th
Under
emergency repair to allow passage
under tow to Gibraltar.
18th
Took passage to Gibraltar
under tow.
20th
Arrived
at Gibraltar.
22nd
Under repair by HM Dockyard Gibraltar
to allow permanent repair in UK
shipyard.
1
9 4
3
January
Under repair and docking at Gibraltar
to
May
Permanent
repair arranged at Hawthorn Leslie
shipyard in Newcastle.
June
Prepared for Atlantic passage under tow
by HM
Tug BUSTLER.
23rd
Sailed
from Gibraltar under tow as part of
Convoy MKS15G
24th
Joined
Convoy SL131 with ships of MKS15G for
passage to Liverpool
July
4th
Detached
from SL131 on arrival at Liverpool
8th
Arrived
in Newcastle under tow.
9th
Taken
in hand for repair by Hawthorn Leslie
August
Under repair
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Under repair
to
December
Nominated
for service in British Pacific Fleet on
completion of work-up
1
9 4 5
January
Under repair
to
March.
(Special
Note: One source records that ship went
to Rosyth for completion of some
work before
recommissioning. This is in doubt and is
being further
investigated.
Revised record will be provided when
confirmed.)
April
Contractors trials
Nominated for Dummy
Minelay on completion of post refit
sea trials.
10th
Recommissioned for service in BPF.
Carried out sea
trials including Full Power on
measured mile.
Embarked Dummy mines at NIC Quay,
Newcastle.
Carried out Dummy minelay and on
completion took passage to Sheerness.
May
Leave period and prepared for foreign
service.
Passage to Portsmouth
Embarked Mines at Priddy’s
Hard for delivery to Royal Australian
Navy Mine
Depot.
at Geelong.
Sailed from Portsmouth
with stores for Gibraltar and Malta.
June.
Worked-up for
operational
service in Mediterranean with ships of
Mediterranean Fleet.
July
4th
Transit
of Suez Canal
14th
Arrived
at Colombo
Passage to Australia
to join BPF with call at Cocos
Islands.
27th
Called
Fremantle on passage
August
Passage to Geelong.
(Note: Ships of British Pacific Fleet
which had been under US Navy control
were
returned to
RN control after VJ Day. For details see
OPERATION PACIFIC,
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET
by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).
Disembarked mines at RAN Depot and
took passage to Melbourne
Docked at RAN Dockyard, Williamstown
for repairs to propeller shafts
(Note: The repair involved us of
lathes suitable for this type of work
which were
not
available in Williamstown dockyard and
completion was delayed by need
for transfer
to another facility.)
Nominated for support of repatriation
operations and for transport of stores
to RN
ships and
bases in Pacific.
September.
Passage
to Sydney to prepare for transport of
repatriated personnel
Passage to Tokyo
for first trooping mission with
calls at Manus and Guam.