1 9 3 9
September Deployed
with 1st Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
October Nominated
for return to Home Waters for duty with 2nd Battle Squadron,
and took passage to Scapa
Flow.
November Deployed
to cover transit of Atlantic convoys.
23rd Detached from convoy escort to join Home
Fleet search for the German
battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU after sinking of HM
Armed
Merchant Cruiser RAWALPINDI.
Carried
out patrol in Denmark Strait to cover possible return passage north of
Iceland.
December Home Fleet deployment in
continuation.
6th Became Flagship of CinC Home Fleet. after HM
Battleship NELSON was damaged
by mine at Loch Ewe.
Escorted first Canadian Troop Convoy.
(For
details of naval activities in Home waters during 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff History)
1 9 4 0
January to February
Deployed
in NW Approaches with Home Fleet.
Carried
out interception patrol and search for German warships in transit to carry out
attacks on
convoys.
March Transferred
to Mediterranean
April Recalled
on passage to rejoin Home Fleet
(Note:
PINK LIST of 9th April shows the ship as part of Home Fleet and ship may have
been
deployed in NW Approaches when ordered to rejoin Home Fleet
ships in North Sea.
See
Naval Staff History (HMS0 – 2001)
9th Deployed with
Home Fleet off Norway.
(Note:
Presence with Home Fleet during aid attacks to be confirmed)
12th Deployed with HM Battleship RODNEY, HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier
FURIOUS and screen of six Fleet destroyers in southern approaches
to Narvik.
13th Took part in 2nd
Battle of Narvik. Ship’s aircraft sank U64 in Vaagsfjord.
(For
details see NARVIK by D Macintyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).
15th Remained off Narvik screened by HOSTILE, HAVOCK and FOXHOUND
pending arrival of other warships from UK.
17th Covered HM
Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS during flying operations west of Lofotens.
(Note:
No fighter aircraft available on board and role strictly limited.
Warning
of approach of German aircraft from shore by observers such as lighthouses !).
24th Provided naval gunfire support during
Narvik landings with HM Cruisers
AURORA, EFFINGHAM, ENTERPRISE and eight destroyers.
(For
details of disastrous naval operations off Norway
see above reference
and NARVIK by D Macintyre).
27th On relief by HMS
RESOLUTION nominated for transfer to Mediterranean Fleet as Flagship. P
foreign service on arrival
Took
passage to Mediterranean and to join Fleet at Alexandria for service
as Flagship, Mediterranean Fleet.
May On
arrival deployed with Fleet units for extensive exercises in anticipation of
Italian
entry into the war.
Returned to Alexandria on completion.
June Deployed
at Alexandria.
11th Sailed from Alexandria with HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE. HM Battleship
MALAYA, HM Cruisers ORION,
SYDNEY (RAN), NEPTUNE,
LIVERPOOL, GLOUCESTER, CALEDON and CALYPSO
to carry out
offensive sweep against Italian merchant shipping with return
south towards
Tobruk and Benghazi.
July Joined
Mediterranean Fleet as Flagship.
4th Took part in
negotiations with French Fleet after capitulation of France.
(Operation
CATAPULT. See RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute).
7th Sailed from Alexandria to cover
passage of Convoys MF1 and MS1 from
Malta
with HM Battleships MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, HM
Aircraft
Carrier EAGLE, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL,
NEPTUNE,
ORION and SYDNEY (RAN) screened by 11 destroyers.
Deployed
with 3 destroyers as Force 'B’ (Operation MEl)
8th Slightly damaged during high-level
bombing attacks.
9th In brief engagement with Italian
surface units off Calabria and made a direct
hit on both the battleship CESARE and the cruiser BOLZANO. The
Italian
ships withdrew after this ineffectual action.
(Battle of Punto Stilo
- See Naval Staff History).
27th Deployed with HMS MALAYA, HMS RAMILLIES,
HMS EAGLE, HMS
NEPTUNE
and HMAS SYDNEY in shipping search south of Crete. Under
air attack.
August Under refit at Alexandria.
17th On completion bombarded Bardia in support of military operations with HM
Cruiser KENT as Force 'A'.
30th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS
MALAYA, HMS EAGLE, HMS
GLOUCESTER, HMS KENT, HMS ORION and HMAS SYDNEY and
screen of 17 destroyers to cover transit of’ Convoy MS2
during passage to Malta.
31st Under air attack.
September
2nd Covered passage of HM Battleship
VALIANT, HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS,
HM Cruisers COVENTRY and CALCUTTA as Force 'F'
from Sicilian Channel to Alexandria to
reinforce Mediterranean Fleet.
(Operation
HATS - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre).
28th Deployed with HMS Valiant and HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS to cover passage of
HMS LIVERPOOL and HMS KENT taking troops to Malta.
October
8th Sailed with HMS MALAYA, HMS RAMILLIES,
HMS VALIANT, HMS
EAGLE,
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS AJAX, HMS GLOUCESTER and
screen of Fleet destroyers to cover transit of Convoy MF3 to
Malta and
Convoy
MF4 of empty ships from Malta to Egypt (Operation MB6).
12th Under attack by 8
Italian torpedo boats, three of which were sunk.
14th Cover air
operations against Leros with Fleet units.
November
7th Covered transit of Convoys MW3 to Malta and
AN6 to Piraeus with HMS
VALIANT,
HMS MALAYA, HMS RAMILLIES, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS,
HM
Cruisers GLOUCESTER, ORION, SYDNEY (RAN) and YORK
screened by 13 Fleet destroyer’s (Operation MB6).
10th Joined by HM Battleship BARHAM, HM
Cruisers BERWICK and
GLASGOW as Force
'F' from Gibraltar reinforcing Fleet in Eastern
Mediterranean (Operation COAT).
(Note:
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS detached for Taranto attack (Operation
JUDGEMENT
11th Covered passage of Convoy ME3 from Malta to Port Said with
Fleet units.
25th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS
VALIANT, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Cruisers
AJAX and SYDNEY (RAN) screened by nine Fleet destroyers as
Force
'A' to escort convoy to Suda Bay, Crete and cover air attack on Rhodes
(Operation
MB9).
28th Joined Force 'A' of Mediterranean Fleet
and newly joined HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON (Force 'F') to escort convoy ME4 to Egypt.
(Operation
COLLAR - A joint operation with Force 'H' which covered
passage to the Sicilian Narrows during
which Italian warships attempted to
prevent passage off Cape Spartivento.
See above references).
December
16th Deployed with HMS VALIANT, HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruisers AJAX,
GLOUCESTER, ORION, SYDNEY and YORK screened by 11 Fleet
destroyers to provide distant cover for the passage of
Convoy MW5 to Malta,
Convoy
ME5 to Egypt as well as attacks on Rhodes and Stampalia
by aircraft
from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS (Operation MC2).
(Note:
This was part of Operation HIDE which included passage of HM
Battleship
MALAYA
being withdrawn from Fleet at Alexandria).
18th Carried out bombardment
of Valona, Albania with HMS VALIANT.
20th Took return passage to Malta
24th Sailed to Alexandria from Malta.
1 9 4 1
January
3rd Bombarded Bardia
with Valiant and BARHAM (Force 'A') screened by
nine destroyers and HM Cruiser CARLISLE as AA guardship.
7th Deployed with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and HMS
VALIANT with screen of 8
Fleet
destroyers to provide distant cover for the passage of convoys to and
from Malta. (Operation MC4).
9th Joined by Force 'D' (HM Cruisers ORION
PERTH (RAN) and YORK) south
of Crete.
Passage to join military stores convoy south of Pantalleria.
(Operation
EXCESS - See above references).
Under
air attacks by aircraft of Fligerkorps X during which
HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS
was seriously damaged.
24th Covered passage of damaged HMS
ILLUSRTRIOUS to Alexandria with
HMS VALI ANT.
February
2nd Deployed with major units of Fleet in Eastern Mediterranean as a
diversion
during attacks on Tirso Dam in Sardinia by HM Aircraft Carrier ARK
ROYAL of Force 'H' from Gibraltar.
20th Deployed with HM Aircraft Carrier
FORMIDABLE, HM Battleships
BARHAM
and VALIANT, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER and YORK
screened by destroyers to provide distant cover for passage
of Convoy MW6
to Malta (Operation MC.).
Later joined by Cruisers AJAX, ORION and PERTH from Suda Bay.
March Deployed
with HMS VALIANT, HMS BARHAM, HMS FORMIDABLE
and destroyer screen in the Eastern Mediterranean to cover
military convoys
to Greece.
28th In action with Mediterranean Fleet units
against Italian Fleet at Battle of
Cape Matapan (For details see
MATAPAN by SWC Pack and Naval Staff
History).
April
18th Deployed with HMS BARHAM, HMS VALIANT,
HMS FORMIDABLE,
HM
Cruisers CALCUTTA, ORION, GLOUCESTER and PHOEBE with
screen of Fleet destroyers to cover passage of Supply Ship
HMS
BRECONSHIRE
to Malta and return convoy ME7 from Malta.
20th Deployed with HMS BARHAM and VALIANT, HM
Cruiser
GLOUCESTER and
screen of 9 Fleet destroyers for bombardment of Tripoli
as Force 'B' (Operation MD3 - see Naval Staff History and
above
references).
21st Carried out
bombardment of harbour from close inshore.
May
5th Covered passage of Convoy MW7 to Malta
with HM Battleships VALIANT
and BARHAM, HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE, HM Cruisers AJAX,
ORION,
PERTH (RAN), ABDIEL and HMS BRECONSHIRE for refuelling
with screen of 12 destroyers (Operation TIGER).
(Note:
This major operation also included transit of military convoy of tanks
to Egypt and the transfer of HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH,
HM
Cruiser FIJI and HM Cruiser NAIAD to reinforce the Fleet at
Alexandria).
9th Joined by HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM
Cruisers NAIAD, FIJI and
GLOUCESTER.
10th Provided distant
cover for passage of TIGER convoy to Alexandria.
11th Under air attacks which were repelled by
HMS Formidable and ship AA
defences.
21st Covered cruiser and destroyer
operations to intercept invasion craft on
passage to Crete after initial airborne landings.
22nd Under air attacks west of Kithera Channel and hit by 550lb SAP bomb on
starboard side which exploded in 6" gun battery causing
extensive damage
and some fires. 38 of ship's company were killed and 31
injured.
24th Returned to Alexandria for temporary repair.
June After
repair remained at Alexandria
Permanent
repair arranged in US Navy Dockyard.
23rd Sustained further damage after 'near
miss' by 1,000lb bomb.
Bulge
structure fracture caused some flooding.
25th Took passage to USA with
calls at Colombo and Sydney
July On passage through
Pacific.
August
11th Taken in hand for
refit at Bremerton Navy Yard, Puget Sound, Washington.
September to October
Under refit.
November Surface
warning radar Type 271 and aircraft warning Type 281 fitted.
Fire
control radar for main armament (Type 284), HA armament (Type
285)
and for Close Range AA guns (Type 282) installed
December Post
refit harbour trials.
Nominated for service with Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee.
28th Refit completed
1 9 4 2
January Post
refit trials and prepared for operational service.
Took passage to Australia.
February Passage in Indian Ocean.
March
12th Joined 3rd Battle Squadron, Eastern Fleet at Colombo.
29th Flagship of
Eastern Fleet.
31st Joined HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE
and FORMIDABLE, HM
Cruisers
ENTERPRISE, CORNWALL and EMERALD and 6 Fleet
destroyers in Force 'A'.
April
1st Deployed with Force 'A' in search for Japanese naval force reported on
passage to Ceylon
with Force 'A'. Unsuccessful outcome.
5th After refuelling
at Addu Attol carried out
further search for Japanese warships
with HMS INDOMITABLE, HMS FORMIDABLE, HMS EMERALD and
HMS ENTERPRISE.
6th Returned to Addu
Atoll after the sinking of HM Cruisers DORSETSHIRE and
CORNWALL by Japanese aircraft.
7th Transferred with HMS INDOMITABLE and
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS to Colombo.
(Note:
Use of Ceylon was unacceptable in view of earlier air raids).
19th Embarked Field Marshall Wavell for passage to Colombo from Bombay,
Passage
to Kilindini
May Transferred
to Kilindini with Fleet units
Deployed
for trade defence based at Kilindini
29th Passage
to Ceylon with HM Cruiser GAMBIA, HM Aircraft Carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS
and
FORMIDABLE.
June Deployed
for convoy defence and interception in the Indian Ocean.
July Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
August Transferred
with major Fleet units to re-establish Fleet base in Ceylon.
Nominated
for support of planned operations in Madagascar
September Passage
to operational area.
8th Covered landings of 29th Infantry Bde to complete occupation of Madagascar
with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruisers GAMBIA
and BIRMINGHAM,
screened by destroyers of 7th Flotilla (Operation STREAM).
14th Sailed from Majunga
to cover landings at Tamatave (Operation JANE)
19th Took part in demonstration off Tamatave in place of the planned
bombardment.
21st Released from JANE and took passage to Durban for refit.
October to December
Under refit in Durban. Surface warning
radar Type 271 replaced by Type 273
1 9 4 3
January Rejoined
Eastern Fleet on completion of post refit trials and work-up.
February Covered
passage of military convoy taking 9th Australian Division to
Australia
in Indian Ocean with HM Battleships RESOLUTION and
REVENGE,
HM Cruiser MAURITIUS and 6 destroyers as Force ’A’
(Operation
PAMPHLET)
March Passage
to UK for refit.
April On
arrival prepared for refit prior to service in Mediterranean.
May Under refit.
Aircraft facilities removed.
June On
completion of post refit trials joined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow to work up.
17th Transferred to Force ‘H’ at Gibraltar.
Deployed
with HM Battleships NELSON, RODNEY and VALIANT, HMS
INDOMITABLE
and ships of 4th, 8th and 24th Destroyer Flotilla for defence
of military convoys prior to allied landings in Sicily (Operation
HUSKY).
July Passage to Alexandria.
7th Escorted troop convoys from Alexandria with HMS
VALIANT, HMS
FORMIDABLE,
HM Cruisers AURORA and PENELOPE and screen of 9
destroyers.
9th Joined major units from Oran to cover
passage of assault convoys.
10th Deployed with HM Battleships NELSON,
RODNEY and VALIANT, HM
Aircraft
Carriers INDOMITABLE and FORMIDABLE in Ionian
Sea to
intercept any Italian surface warship approaching beaches
(Operation
HUSKY
- See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and The Naval
Staff History).
August
17th Bombarded artillery positions at Catania, Sicily.
On
release from HUSKY passage to Malta and
first battleship to moor in
Grand Harbour since December 1940.
September
2nd Bombarded Calabrian
coast prior to landings by British XIII Corps on the
mainland of Italy
with HMS VALIANT, HM Cruisers ORION and
MAURITIUS
(Operation BAYTOWN).
7th Held in reserve at Malta to
support landing at Salerno
(Operation
AVALANCHE).
9th Deployed with HMS VALIANT to provided
gunfire support and cover at Salerno
and joined HMS NELSON, HMS RODNEY, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and
FORMIDABLE
screened by Fleet destroyers.
Detached
from AVALANCHE support and took passage to meet surrendered Italian
battleship CESARE and other surrendered warships from Spezia/Genoa east of
Bizerta during
their passage for formal surrender in Malta.
(Note:
Escort provided by seven destroyers, five of which were British,
10th Return passage to Salerno from Malta after formal
surrender.
Gunfire
support operations for Salerno landings in continuation.
15th Bombarded enemy forces engaged in
counter attack on beachhead areas.
16th Continued
bombardment role and under heavy air attacks with Glider Bombs.
Hit
by FX1400 radio controlled glider bomb and near missed by a second.
Bomb
penetrated to No 4 Boiler Room and exploded in Reserve Feed Tank.
Near
miss caused additional damage in another Boiler Room.
Extensive flooding with total disruption of services.
Ship
took in 5,000 tons of water.
(Note:
Ship was thus unable to return to UK as
planned.)
19th Arrived at Malta in
tow of USN tug HOPI with air defence cover provided
by HM
Cruiser DELHI.
October Under temporary repair at HM Dockyard, Malta.
November
1st Passage to Gibraltar under tow of 4 tugs.
12th Docked at Gibraltar for repair to allow ocean passage.
December Under repair at Gibraltar.
1 9 4 4
January to February
Under repair at Gibraltar.
Repair
arranged at Rosyth
March
9th Took passage to UK.
April Under repair at Rosyth.
Damage
to No 4 Boiler Room was not undertaken and caisson fitted over
hole in ship’s bottom.
May Allocated
for support of allied landings in Normandy with
Bombarding
Force. (HM Battleship RAMILLIES, HM Monitor ROBERTS, HM
Cruisers
MAURITIUS, ARETHUSA, FROBISHER, DANAE and Polish
ORP DRAGON in Eastern Task Force (Operation NEPTUNE).
Target
in Pre-arranged Fire Plan – Gun Batteries at Villerville.
Carried out bombardment exercises with Force ‘D’ in NW Approaches.
(For
more details of naval activities prior to and during landings see
LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY JUNE 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards).
(Note:
Some repair work could not be completed but ships was considered
able to meet the requirements for NEPTUNE)(
June Passage to Clyde assembly area with Force ‘D’ ships.
3rd Sailed from Clyde.
4th Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th Sailed from Solent with Force ‘D’ as Convoy S6 escorted by HM
Destroyers
SAUMAREZ, SWIFT, Norwegian STENNER and STORD,
HM
Frigates ROWLEY and HIOLMES through swept channel to
bombardment anchorage.
6th Provided gunfire
support for assault landings on SWORD area beaches.
(Note:
Only 3 turrets were available.
Under E-Boat attack in which HM Norwegian Destroyer SVENNER was
sunk.
7th Bombarded Benerville.
9th Re-armed for further gunfire support
duties.
10th Transferred to Western Task Force Area.
Bombarded
shore targets in support of US Army operations off UTAH Area.
11th Returned to Eastern Task Force and
bombarded positions at Arromanches
in support of British 50th Division during German
counter-attack.
19th Took passage to Portsmouth
Gun
Barrel replacement arranged at Rosyth.
July Took
passage to Rosyth for replacement of gun barrels and complete outstanding
work.
13th Detonated acoustic or pressure mine in
swept channel at depth of 17 fathoms in a
position miles east of Harwich during passage.
Explosion
on port side abreast ‘Y’ turret, jammed rudder and stopped main engines.
Structural
damage caused much flooding and propulsion machinery damaged by
shock.
Both
port hafts were unusable. Ship list corrected by counter flooding.
Completed passage to Rosyth on starboard shafts.
(Note:
Port outer shaft was beyond repair in view of future bombardment
requirements in support of military operations and ship
returned to service
with limited speed of 15 knots. The replacement of the shaft
was never
carried out.)
20th Repair by HM
Dockyard Rosyth and replacement of gun barrels.
July Under
repair at Rosyth
August Completed
limited repair to allow further use for bombardment duties.
Trials
on 3 shafts only achieved speed of 15.5 knots.
15th Rejoined bombardment ships off Normandy.
25th Shelled targets at Brest in support of
US army operation to occupy.
(Note:
Brest did not fall until 15th September)
September Deployed
with HM Monitor EREBUS to provided gunfire support for British
49th and 51st Divisions during shore operations to occupy Le Havre.
(For
details see CAMPAIGN IN NORTH WEST EUROPE, JUNE 1944 (HMSO).
October On
release from Normandy support retained for further gunfire support
duty.
November Deployed
in support of assault on Walcheren (Operation INFATUATE).
1st Bombarded shore batteries in Domburg area with HM Monitors EREBUS
and ROBERTS.
Returned to UK because of extensive wear to gun barrels.
8th Withdrawn from operational service
after Walcheren surrendered.
December Not
deployed pending decision on future service.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
at Portsmouth
Reduced
to Reserve Status,
February to April
Paid-off
and reducing to Reserve at Portsmouth.
