1 9 3 9
September
3rd Part of 3rd Battle Squadron in Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
Deployed
for trade defence and interception duties in NW Approaches
and North
Sea.
October to December
Home
Fleet deployment in continuation.
(Note: During this
period Home Fleet units covered passage of convoys
to
and from Norway and searched for German commerce raiders.)
(For
details see The Naval Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C. Bamett.).
1 9 4 0
January to March
Transferred
to Halifax for Atlantic convoy defence.
(Note: There was an
increase in military convoys bringing Canadian troops to UK.)
Nominated
for transfer to Mediterranean.
April Passage
to Alexandria to join Mediterranean Fleet
May Joined
Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
Carried
out exercises in eastern Mediterranean in preparation for war with
Italy.
June
27th Joined HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM
Battleship RAMILLIES, HM Cruisers
LIVERPOOL, NEPTUNE, ORION and SYDNEY (RAN) screened by HM Destroyers
DAINTY,
DECOY, DEFENDER, DIAMNOND, ILEX, JERVIS, JUNO and VOYAGER
(RAN)
to provide cover for the passage of Convoys MF1 and MS1 from Malta to
Alexandria (Operation MA5).
(Note:
These convoys were evacuating non-essential personnel.
During
operation cruisers sighted Italian supply convoy on passage to Tobruk
and engaged escort sinking Italian destroyer ESPERO.)
(See
THE NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and A Massignani.)
28th Operation abandoned after heavy
expenditure of ammunition by cruisers had
depleted available remaining stock below minimum required
for any immediate
encounter.
Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.
July
7th Joined Force C of Mediterranean Fleet
in Malta with HM Battleship MALAYA
and
HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE screened by HM Destroyers HYPERION, HASTY,
HOSTILE,
ILEX, DAINTY, DEFENDER, JUNO, JANUS, VAMPIRE (RAN) and
VOYAGER
(RAN) to provide cover for passage of the two convoys from Malta which
had returned after cancellation of the earlier operation.
(Note:
Cruisers of Mediterranean Fleet were deployed as Force A and HM
Battleship
WARSPITE with destroyer screen was deployed as Force B.)
Sighted by Italian aircraft whilst leaving Alexandria.
9th When Italian Fleet units were sighted
ship unable to maintain speed to reach the
position required for engagement and as a result took no
part in this encounter.
(Battle of Calabria or Punta Stilo. See above reference and Naval Staff History.)
10th Detached from
Force C to refuel in Malta and rejoined Fleet later.
14th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units after the two convoys had arrived.
August to December
Transferred
to Red Sea for convoy defence.
(Note: Italian
destroyers were being used to attack traffic to and from Aden.)
Torpedo
attack by Italian submarine during passage in Red Sea was unsuccessful.
Deployed in Red Sea and Indian Ocean for trade defence.
1 9 4 1
January to May
Trade
defence in continuation in Red
Sea and Indian Ocean.
Nominated for return
to UK for refit.
June Passage
to UK.
July Taken
in hand for refit.
August to October
Under
refit.
(Note: During this
period Type 284 fire control radar was fitted for 15" armament
and
Type 285 forward and aft for secondary armament. A modified RAF
radar outfit Type 286 was also installed for aircraft
warning and a centimetric
radar Type 273 fitted on the mainmast for surface warning
use.
For
details of the development and use of radar in the RN see RADAR AT
SEA by D Howse)
Nominated for service in Indian Ocean.
November On
completion of post refit trials prepared for foreign service.
16th Joined military convoy WS12Z with HM
Destroyers DULVERTON and SOUTHWOLD
as Ocean Escort during Atlantic passage from Clyde
December Ocean
Escort of WS12Z in continuation.
14th Remained with WS12Z when HMS DULVERTON
and HMS SOUTHWOLD detached
during passage to Durban.
18th Remained with
WS12Z on arrival at Durban.
24th Deployed as Ocean
Escort for WS12Z on departure.
1 9 4 2
January Detached
from WS12Z when Aden and Bombay Sections split in position 1.26S
28.44E.
(Note:
These sections were escorted by HM Cruisers COLOMBO and CORNWALL.)
19th Joined military convoy DM2 in Indian Ocean as Ocean Escort to Addu
Atoll.
(Note:
This convoy had been part of WS14 and was on passage to Singapore.)
26th Detached from DM2 at Addu
Atoll.
February Joined
military convoy SU1 at Colombo with HM Cruiser CORNWALL, HM
Destroyers
EXPRESS, NIZAM and VAMPIRE (RAN) as Ocean Escort during
passage to Fremantle.
(Note:
This convoy was taking ANZAC troops to Australia from Middle
East
service after Japanese threat to Australia. See OPERATION PACIFIC
by E Gray.)
March Passage
from Fremantle to Colombo.
26th Joined 3rd Battle Squadron, Eastern
Fleet on formation with HM Battleships
WARSPITE, RESOLUTION, RAMILLIES and REVENGE.
Carried out Gunnery and tactical exercises at Addu
Atoll with Squadron.
31st Deployed as Force B with HMS RAMILLIES,
HMS RESOLUTION, HMS
REVENGE,
HMS HERMES, HM Cruisers CALEDON,
DRAGON and Dutch
cruiser HEEEMSKERK screened by 8 destroyers.
Covered
Force A during search for Japanese warships reported as heading
towards Ceylon (See above reference.)
April Covering
deployment in continuation.
2nd Returned to Addu Atoll when search abandoned.
4th Deployed with Force B in support of
Force A"during further search operation
to south of Ceylon (See above reference.)
8th Transferred to Kilindini after air
attacks on Ceylon made use of Trincomalee
and Colombo unsafe. Deployed on convoy
protection in Indian Ocean.
May Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.
7th Deployed as Ocean Escort for military
convoy WS17 with HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser
CORFU during passage in Indian Ocean from Durban,
11th Remained as Ocean Escort for ships
destined for Bombay and redesignated
Convoy
WS17B.
16th Detached from
WS17B on arrival at Bombay.
June Indian Ocean deployment for convoy defence and
interception in continuation.
July Escorted
military convoy CM29 in Indian
Ocean.
(See
WAR WITH JAPAN Volume III (HMSO).)
August to December
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
(Note: There was a
substantial number of military convoys to and from the
Middle East during this period and the area was becoming increasingly
vulnerable to submarine and surface raider attacks.
1 9 4 3
January to February
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
Nominated for refit
in USA.
Passage
to Norfolk Va.
March Taken
in hand at Norfolk Navy Yard.
Aircraft
warning radar Type 79 fitted.
(Note:
This outfit had already been fitted in other battleships.
See
above reference.)
April to July
Under
refit.
August Nominated
for further service in Eastern Fleet based in Ceylon.
September On
completion of post refit trials took passage to rejoin Eastern Fleet
October to December
Deployed
for trade defence in Indian
Ocean.
Nominated for return
to UK.
(Note:
This ship was clearly unsuitable for Fleet operations due to limited speed
and was withdrawn for Eastern Fleet service with HM Battleship
RAMILLIES.)
1 9 4 4
January Passage
to UK.
February Paid
Off and reduced to Reserve status.
(Note:
Arrangements for transfer of this ship to Russia had been made and
ship was to be refitted before passage to Russia.)
March Taken
in hand for refit.
April Under
refit
May Under
refit
31st Transferred to
Soviet Navy and renamed ARKHANGELSK.
June Under
refit
(Note:
Russian personnel had arrived in UK after passage in ships of
the escort for Convoy RA59. See CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by RA Ruegg.)
July Post
refit trials.
August Prepared
for passage to Murmansk.
15th Joined Russian Convoy JW59 with 12
Russian manned US Navy PT Boats
also being lent to Soviet Navy. See above reference.
24th Detached on
arrival of JW59 at Kola Inlet.
September to December
Served
with Soviet Northern Fleet.
1 9 4 5
January to August
Soviet
Northern Fleet service in continuation.
