H e r
a l d i c
D a t a
Badge:
On a Field White, two spurs in saltire
black the rowels
Red within an annulet also
Red.
1
9 4 2
October
Contractors trials.
November
Commissioned
for service with 8th Destroyer Flotilla, Home
Fleet.
16th
Build completion and
acceptance trials.
Passage
to Scapa
Flow
for work-up with Home Fleet
December
Joined Flotilla
on completion of working-up.
19th
Deployed with H M Destroyers QUADRANT and
MUSKETEER as screen for HM
Battleship KING GEORGE V and H M Cruiser
BERWICK providing Distant Cover
for Russian Convey
JW51A during passage to Kola Inlet.
(Note: For
details
of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by RA
Ruegg, CONVOY!
by P Kemp, THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS
by B Schoefield
and
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman.)
22nd
Ceased Distant Cover and remained in area with
same ships.
30th
Deployed with same
ships to provide
Distant Cover for passage of return Convoy
RA51.
(Note: This
convoy had an uninterrupted passage as German
forces were carrying out
attacks on
following
inward Convoy JW51B. See references.)
1
9 4 3
January
2nd
Deployed with HM Destroyers MONTROSE,
MUSKETEER,
QUEENBOROUGH,
WORCESTER
and the Polish destroyer ORP PIORUN as screen
for HM Cruiser
BERMUDA,
HM Battleships KING GEORGE V
and HOWE to provide Distant Cover
for passage of
returning Convoy RA51.
23rd
Deployed with HM Destroyers ECHO,
ECLIPSE, FAULKNOR,
INGLEFIELD,
QUEENBOROUGH, MONTROSE and ORP PIORUN to
screen HM
Battleship
ANSON and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD during provision of Distant Cover for
passage of Russian
Convoy JW52.
February
Deployed
with Flotilla based at Scapa Flow for screening and patrol duties.
Nominated
for foreign service
in East
Indies.
Prepared
for foreign service.
27th
Joined military convoy WS27 with HM Battleship
MALAYA, HM Destroyers
QUEENBOROUGH,
QUAIL and WOLVERINE
as Ocean Escort during Atlantic passage.
March
8th
Detached from WS27
on arrival at Freetown.
11th
Rejoined WS27 with same ships for Ocean Escort
during passage to Durban.
29th
Detached from WS27
on arrival at Durban.
April
Deployed
at Durban for Indian Ocean
convoy defence.
18th
Joined military convoy WS28 with HM Destroyer
NAPIER as Ocean Escort during the
passage in Indian Ocean.
20th
Detached from WS28 during passage
and returned to Durban.
May
Indian
Ocean convoy escort and patrol
duties in continuation!).
Nominated for return to
Home Fleet for support
of planned operations.
June
Passage to UK
to Scapa
Flow.
Rejoined Flotilla.
July
Deployed
with Hone Fleet and took passage to Gibraltar
for escort of major units
providing
cover for allied landings in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY)
10th
Deployed as screen for HM Battleships NELSON,
RODNEY, WARSPITE and
VALIANT,
HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, FORMIDABLE,
HM Cruisers
AURORA,
PENELOPE, CLEOPATRA and EURYALUS with HM
Destroyers
QUILLIAM,
QUEENBOROUGH, QUAIL, ISIS, FAULKNOR, ECHO, INTREPID,
ECLIPSE,
FURY, INGLEFIELD, ILEX, TROUBRIDGE, TYRIAN,
TUMULT, OFFA,
ORP
PIORUN and Greek VASILISSA OLGA to provide
cover during allied landings
.
(Note: For
details of Sicily
operations see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY
by C. BARNETT, THE NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
by J Greene and A Massignani
and Naval
Staff History.)
August
Flotilla
duties in Mediterranean for support of military operations.
September
10th
Part of screen for HM Battleships WARSPITE
and VALIANT with H M Destroyers
ECHO,
FAULKNOR, FURY, INTREPID, Greek
VASILISSA OLGA AND French
LE
TERRIBLE which met Italian Fleet units on
passage to Malta
after Italian
surrender. See
above references.
12th
Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
INTREPID,
ECLIPSE, INGLEFIELD,
ILEX,
ECHO
and Greek VASILISSA OLGA to provide
cover during allied landings at
Salerno.
(Operation AVALANCHE. See above
references.
October
Mediterranean Fleet and support
duties in continuation.
to
(Note: Did not take an active part in defence
of Aegean Islands.)
November
December
Nominated
for service in Eastern Fleet with 11th
Destroyer Flotilla.
Took passage to join
Flotilla at Trincomalee. (Note:
HM Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH
and VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS,
HM Cruiser SUSSEX
were also on passage to join
Eastern Fleet as
part of a
reinforcement agreed with USA.)
See
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by
John Winton
and
WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).
1
9 4 4
January
Passage to Trincomalee.
to
(Note: When complete Flotilla comprised HM
Destroyers RACEHORSE, RAIDER
March
RAPID,
REDOUBT, RELENTLESS, ROCKET, ROEBUCK and
ROTHERHAM.)
Prepared for Eastern Fleet
duties.
April
Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
for convoy defence, interception, patrol and
Fleet duties,
May
Deployed
for anti-submarine operations in conjunction
with aircraft and HM Sloop
FALMOUTH
off coast of
East Africa.
2nd
Assisted in capture of survivors from U852
which had been damaged in air attacks and
unable to dive.
Submarine had been abandoned after deliberate
grounding at Banda
Beira,
50 m. south
of Cape
Guardafui.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp
and
WAR WITH JAPAN.)
June
Deployed
for Fleet duties with Flotilla.
19th
Deployed with HM Destroyers QUALITY, QUILLIAM,
QUICKMATCH,
ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE, RELENTLESS and ROEBUCK
as screen for HMS
RENOWN, French
battleship RICHELIEU,
HM Cruisers GAMBIA, NIGERIA,
KENYA
and CEYLON
during air
attacks en Port Blair in Andamans.
(Operation PEDAL - See WAR
WITH JAPAN).
July
Deployed
for anti-submarine patrol and interception
duties.
8th
Carried out search
for U537 with HMS RACEHORSE
NE
of Chagos
Islands.
(Note: This
submarine was on passage to Penang
with stores and equipment from
Europe
for use by
Japan.)
22nd
Joined Force 62 with
HM Destroyers RELENTLESS. ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE,
ROEBUCK,
RAPID, QUILLIAM, QUALITY and QUICKMATCH for
screening of
HMS
QUEEN ELIZABETH, VALIANT, French RICHELIEU, HM
Aircraft Carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS
and VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers CEYLON,
CUMBERLAND,
GAMBIA,
KENYA,
NIGERIA,
PHOEBE and Dutch TROMP during
passage in Indian
Ocean for air strikes and
bombardments at Sabang,
Sumatra.
(Operation
CRIMSON - See above references.)
Sailed
from Trincomalee
25th
Deployed with HMS PHOEBE and HMS ROEBUCK
as screen for HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
and HMS
VICTORIOUS during
air operations.
August
19th
Joined Force 64 with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
REDOUBT, ROEBUCK, RAPID,
and ROCKET as
screen for HM Battleship HOWE, HM Aircraft
Carriers
INDOMITABLE
and VICTORIOUS, HMS
CEYLON and HMS KENYA during air strikes on
Padang
and
photo-reconnaissance
of the airfield.
(Operation
BANQUET. See above references.)
Took passage from
Trincomalee.
24th
Deployed with screen
during air operations.
(Note: During
BANQUET it was discovered that HMS HOWE could
not
attain designed
speed of 29 knots.)
September
14th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
REDOUBT, RAPID, ROCKET
and RELENTLESS as
screen for HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS INDOMITABLE
.
HMS
HOWE, HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND and KENYA
during air operations
in northern Sumatra
(Operation
LIGHT. See above references).
Sailed from Trincomalee.
17th
Planned fighter sweep cancelled due to adverse
weather.
(Operation LIGHT A).
18th
Deployed with screen during
photo-reconnaissance
flights and air attacks
.
20th
Returned to Trincomalee with Force 63.
October
15th
Joined
Force 63 and allocated with HM Destroyers
RELENTLESS, NORMAN,
and the Dutch VAN
GALEN as Group 2 for screening of HMS
CUMBERLAND,
LONDON
and SUFFOLK
during air attacks on shipping
by HMS INDOMITABLE
and HMS VICTORIOUS
and bombardments.
(Operation
MILLET. This was an Eastern Fleet diversionary
operation during the
US landings at Leyte.
See WAR WITH JAPAN for details
of Groups in Force 63.)
17th
Took part in bombardment of targets in Malacca
area with ships of Group 2
.
Remained with HMS
RELENTLESS as screen for HMS SUFFOLK and HMS
CUMBERLAND
when HMS NORMAN and Dutch VAN
GALEN detached for
bombardment of Car
Nicobar.
19th
Carried cut bombardment of targets at Car
Nicobar with HMS
RENOWN, HMS
SUFFOLK,
HMS QUILLIAM
and HMS QUEENBOROUGH.
Air attack on Force
intercepted by fighter aircraft from HMS
VICTORIOUS.
Took passage to return to
Trincomalee with Force 64 ships.
November
Flotilla
duties In
continuation.
22nd
Transferred to East Indies Fleet with Flotilla
when Eastern Fleet reorganised on
formation of
British Pacific Fleet. Continued
service
at Trincomalee.
December
Indian
Ocean
deployment
in continuation with Flotilla.
27th
Allocated with HM Destroyers RAPID and
PATHFINDER
as part of
Bombarding Force 61 during
planned assault on Akyab,
Burma.
(Operation
TALON).
(Note: Other
ships in Force were HM Cruisers NEWCASTLE,
PHOEBE and NIGERIA.)
Took passage to Chittagong
to join Force
61.
1
9 4 5
January
Deployed
at Chittagong
and embarked assault troops for
passage to Akyab.
3rd
Took passage with HM Destroyer NAPIER and
HM Sloop SHOREHAM for assault
landings
as part of Convoy
CHARLIE (Operation LIGHTNING.)
Operation
TALON cancelled as Japanese had evacuated Akyab.
5th
Despatched to meet damaged submarine HMS
SHAKESPEARE escorted by
HM Submarine
STYGIAN.
Took HMS SHAKESPEARE in
tow until relieved by HM Destroyer WHELP.
(Note: Submarine
had been badly damaged in air attacks on 2nd..
7th
Returned to Trincomalee
to resume support duties with East Indies
Fleet.
18th
Took
passage from Trincomalee as escort for HI
Escort Aircraft Carrier AMEER
to provide air
support for planned landings on the northern
part of Ramree
Island
(Operation MATADOR).
21st
Deployed as screen for HMS AMEER during
air operations in support of landings by
4th British and 71st
Indian Brigades. See above references
for
details.
(Note: Ships of
Bombarding Force included HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH,
HMS
PHOEBE, HMAS NAPIER and HM
Indian Sloop KISTNA.
HMS PHOEBE
also carried out
aircraft control duties.
Whole
Force designated Force 64.)
24th
Provided cover during landings
26th
Deployed with HMS AMEER, HMS PHOEBE, HMS
NORMAN, HM Frigates SPEY
and TEVIOT for
bombardment of Cheduba
Island
south of Ramree
prior to landings
by Royal Marines.
(Operation
SANKEY. See above references.)
(Note: This was
the only purely naval assault landing during
WW2.
HM
Cruisers NEWCASTLE, KENYA and NIGERIA
escorted by HM
Destroyer
PALADIN also took part.)
30th
Deployed with HMS NORMAN
to land personnel on Sagu
Island
south of Ramree.
February
Burma
coast deployment in continuation
with HM Destroyers NORMAN,
PATHFINDER and
NEPAL.
4th
Returned to Akyab
for support duties with Flotilla.
March
Flotilla
deployment for screening, support and patrol
in continuation.
April
Deployed
for convoy defence and patrol in Indian Ocean.
May
Deployed
with Flotilla for interception of craft
evacuating Japanese from Indian
to
Ocean island garrisons and convoy defence.
June
July
Deployed
for Fleet duties at Trincomalee.
Took part in preparatory
Fleet exercises for planned landings in Malaya.
(Operation
ZIPPER).
(Note: The
execution of these landings was delayed by
requirements
to implement
PYTHON
Scheme for return of servicemen to UK
from SE Asia Command
after the end of
hostilities in Europe
See Final Report by
Supreme Commander SEAC
(HMSO)).
17th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE and PALADIN as
screen for ships of
Force 63 covering mine clearance operations
by the 7th
Minesweeping Flotilla off
Pukhet
Island
(Operation
LIVERY).
(Note: Force 63
included HM Battleship NELSON, HM Cruiser SUSSEX,
HM Escort
Carriers AMEER and EMPEROR.
See above references.)
24th
During first day of Operation HM Minesweeper
SQUIRREL was mined and was
sunk by
one of screening
ships.
28th
Under attack by KAMIKAZE
aircraft on last day of Operation.
(Note: HM
Minesweeper VESTAL was hit by a suicide
aircraft and
was sunk
by
HMS RACEHORSE after
survivors rescued.
Last naval operation in
WW2.)
August
Deployed at Trincomalee pending approval
to carry out ZIPPER landings.
8th
Sailed with East Indies Fleet ships to
re-occupy Penang
(Operation
JURIST).
11th
Jurist delayed at US insistence pending main
Japanese surrender.
15th
Took passage to Penang
with Fleet.
20th
Remained off coast
of Sumatra
pending approval to proceed with
occupation.
28th
Deployed at Sabang
with HMS NELSON and HMS LONDON during
attendance
of Japanese
representatives to
provide details of minefields in Malacca
Strait
September
4th
At Penang
with Flotilla during initial
surrender of local forces.