1 9 3 9
September Deployed
with
New Zealand Division.
3rd On passage to
Fanning
Island in mid Pacific (Part of Gilbert
and Ellis Group, south
of
Hawaii with 35 troops to protect cable
installation.
13th Landed troops with stores and returned to
Auckland.
25th Sailed to
Auckland
Islands and
Campbell
Islands in Southern Ocean to
investigate the
likelihood
of their use by
Germany for bases.
October
1st Called at Wellington during return
passage to
Auckland.
November Deployed
for further visit to
Auckland and
Campbell
Islands.
December On
return remained at short notice for sea in
Auckland.
24th Transferred to
Wellington and remained at short notice.
Nominated for
escort of military convoy.
1 9 4 0
January
5th Escorted troopships DUNERA II and
SOBIESKI to join Convoy US1
6th Joined HM Battleship RAMILLIES as
escort for US1 during passage to
Australia with NZ
Army
contingent.
(Note: mv
CANBERRA and other troops ships were in
US1)
11th On relief by HM Australian Cruisers
AUSTRALIA and
SYDNEY too return passage to
Auckland
February Deployed
at Auckland.
6th At Waitanga for anniversaries marking New Zealand foundation.
23rd At Auckland when HMNZS
ACHILLES arrived on return from River Plate victory.
March Deployed in
New Zealand waters.
April Nominated for escort of military
convoy.
24th At
Wellington waiting for departure of
military convoy
May
2nd Escorted troopships AQUTTANIA, EMPRESS
OF BRITAIN and EMPRESS OF JAPAN
during passage to
Australia as Convoy US2 taking second
batch of troops of 1st NZ Army
Division for active service.
(Note:
HM Australian Cruisers AUSTRALIA and
CANBERRA also escorted US2).
5th Convoy US2 joined by rms QUEEN
MARY,
MAURITANIA and another liner.
(Note:
HM Australian Cruiser
PERTH also part of escort of redesignated convoy now
identified as US3).
Detached on arrival at Sydney.
12th Rejoined Convoy US3 to escort troopships
in Indian Ocean from Australia
after call at
Fremantle.
15th Convoy destination of Ceylon
changed.
Diverted to Cape of
Good Hope in case Italy
entered war
16th Re-deployed and transferred to
Mediterranean Fleet.
Detached from US3 and took
passage to Colombo. Arrived at Colombo.
21st Passage to Alexandria with call at Aden.
26th Arrived at
Alexandria and joined HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, ORION, NEPTUNE and
SYDNEY in 7th
Cruiser Squadron.
31st Transferred to
East Indies Squadron.
June
1st Took Passage to
Port Sudan to join Red Sea Force.
8th During Red Sea Patrol intercepted
Italian liner
UMBRIA which was being shadowed by
HM Sloop
GRIMSBY.
11th Took off crew of UMBRIA which
scuttled at
Port Sudan.
12th Passage to Aden and patrol.
16th Searched with
aircraft for Italian submarine off Aden.
(Note: This submarine GALILEO GALILEI
was later captured by HM Trawler
MOONSTONE and taken as Prize to
Aden).
27th Deployed with HM Destroyers KANDAHAR and
KINGSTON in search for submarine
reported aground in
Red Sea.
Located Italian TORRICELLI which was engaged and sunk by gunfire.
Under air attack on return passage during which two aircraft were
destroyed.
July Red Sea
Force deployment in continuation.
to Escorted convoys from Men to
Port Sudan area and
Suez convoys to
Bombay into the Indian
August Ocean south of Men, with HM
Australian Cruiser HOBART, HM Australian Sloops YARRA
and
PARRAMATTA.
September Red Sea Force deployment in continuation.
6th Under air attack
during escort of Convoy BNW with HM Sloop AUCKLAND.
Two aircraft destroyed.
20th Stood by merchant ship damaged during
attacks on Convoy BN5 with HMS AUCKLAND
One aircraft destroyed.
24th Under air attack
in
Red Sea.
Deployed as
escort for Convoy BN6 44 ships).
October Escorted Convoy BN7 (32 ships)
with HMS KIMBERLEY, HMS AUCKLAND, HMAS
YARRA and HM
Indian Sloop
INDUS.
20th Under air attack
without damage.
21st In action against Italian destroyers
LEONE, NULLO, PANTERA and SAURO in defence of
Red Sea convoy.
Enemy
ships escaped under cover of smoke screen.
(Note:
Italian NULLO was later intercepted by HMS HMBERLEY and sunk by torpedoes
when under fire from shore batteries off Horni
Island.
HMS
KIMBERLEY hit in boiler room and disabled.
22nd Towed HMS
KIMBERLEY back to convoy and transferred
tow to HM Destroyer
KINGSTON.
29th Ship’s aircraft used to bomb Italian
positions at Mogadishu.
November Red Sea convoy defence in continuation.
Escorted
Convoys BN8 and BN9.
26th Relieved in
Red Sea Force by HM Australian Cruiser
HOBART.
Transferred to
Indian Ocean for support of military
operations in
Somaliland.
28th Deployed in
Indian Ocean.
29th Aircraft launched for attack en factory
at Banda Abula,
Italian Somaliland.
After recovery bombarded shore
targets firing 98 rounds of 6".
December Deployed
for trade defence in Indian Ocean.
Passage to Bombay for routine
docking.
27th On completion prepared for trade defence
duties.
28th Joined escort of
Indian Ocean convoy to
Aden.
1 9 4 1
January
Indian Ocean trade defence in continuation.
14th Deployed on
interception patrol in
Indian Ocean during
passage to
Colombo.
21st Joined 4th Cruiser
Squadron at
Colombo.
24th Deployed in search for ss MANADOR after distress call from position 150 miles west
of
Seychelles.
30th Returned to Colombo without
success having refuelled at Addu Atoll.
31st Resumed Indian
Ocean patrol.
February
9th Returned to Colombo after patrol.
10th Joined escort of military Convoy US9 as
relief for HM Australian Cruiser
CANBERRA
in
position 150 miles south of
Ceylon.
(Note: Convoy included troopship
AQUITANIA,
MAURITANIA and NIEUW AMSTERDAM).
22nd Deployed in search
for German warship ADMIRAL SCHEER off Maldives.
25th Escorted coastal convoy from
Colombo to
Bombay.
27th Resumed interception patrol and sighted
unknown vessel off
Maldives.
Ship
proved to be Italian raider RAMS I that opened fire when at 3,000 yards range
and shots
fell short.
Engaged
enemy ships which was hit and them scuttled. Rescued survivors and took passage
to
Addu Atoll.
28th Landed prisoners and resumed patrol
March
2nd Joined HMAS CANBERRA for joint search.
4th Detached from HMAS CANBERRA but
rejoined to assist in rescue of survivors from two
German supply ships intercepted by CANBERRA.
On
completion continued Joint search.
(Note:
German Supply COBURG and KETTY BROVKK (captured Norwegian tanker)
scuttled on approach.).
8th At Mauritius with HMAS
CANBERRA to refuel.
10th Sailed from
Mauritius with HMAS CANBERRA to meet H M
Armed Merchant Cruiser
CITY
OF
DURBAN for a combined search in area
400 miles SE of Madagascar for commerce raiders
and
supply ships.
20th Detached to refuel
in
Mauritius.
21st Resumed search between
Mauritius and
Madagascar.
23rd Intercepted Vichy
French merchant ship CHARLES LD (5267 grt) and
boarded.
Scuttling
charges thrown overboard and ship taken to Mauritius by naval
party.
27th Located tanker TROCAS reported missing
and escorted her to
Mauritius.
29th Passage to Colombo.
April
2nd Arrived at
Colombo.
11th Escorted convoy from
Madras to
Singapore
12th Relieved by HM Cruiser CERES and
returned to Colombo.
14th Deployed for
support of military operations in
Persian Gulf.
Escorted
convoy BM7 to
Basra.
18th Joined HM Cruiser EMERALD on arrival in
Persian Gulf.
19th Covered landings at Shatt
el Arab.
22nd When released from support duties took
passage to Colombo to Join Hunting Group V.
(Note: Group comprised HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Cruisers CORNWALL and
HAWKINS to
search for raiders operating in
Indian Ocean).
29th Took part in
search for German raider PINGUIN south of Maldives.
May
3rd Arrived at
Colombo.
6th Escorted military Convoy US10B in
Indian Ocean.
(Convoy included troopships
AQUITANIA,
ILE
DE
FRANCE and
MAURITANIA).
7th Detached for interception patrol duty.
14th Returned to
Colombo
Nominated for
service in
Mediterranean.
23rd Took passage to
Aden
29th At Aden.
June
1st. Took passage to Alexandria to join 7th
Cruiser Squadron.
(Note:
This deployment was made necessary because of heavy losses sustained during
operations off
Crete. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MDRE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and Naval Staff History (HMSO-2002)
4th On arrival 2 pdr
pom-pom fitted (Ex HM Cruiser LIVERPOOL)
13th Relieved HM Cruiser
AJAX in support duty of military
operations in
Syria.
(Operation
EXPORTER
Deployed
with HM Cruiser PHOEBE, HM Destroyers JACKAL, JANUS,
KANDAHAR and
KIMBERLEY.
Bombarded
shore targets in
Sidon.
14th Repeated
bombardment of shore targets.
Carried
out search to north near
Beirut with HM Cruiser
COVENTRY and destroyers
Intercepted two Vichy French GUEPARD Class destroyers which
withdrew at high speed.
Under
fire, liable to overtake and withdrew.
15th Resumed patrol with HMS PHOEBE, HMS
COVENTRY and destroyers.
Provided further gunfire support
to military advance.
22nd Deployed with HM Cruiser NAIAD, HM
Destroyers JAGUAR and
KINGSTON in search close
inshore north of
Beirut.
Engaged Vichy French destroyers GUEPARD and VALNY which withdrew.
Sustained slight damage from unexploded 6" shell.
25th Repeated offensive sweep north of
Beirut with HM Destroyers DECOY.HAVOCK
and
NORMAN
26th HM Cruisers PERTH and
CARLISLE joined as reliefs.
Took passage
with
COVENTRY to Alexandria.
July Deployed for transfer of Army
and RAF personnel to reinforce garrison in
Cyprus.
(Operation GUILLOTINE).
Took passage
to
Haifa.
19th Embarked Army and
RAF personnel at
Haifa for passage
to
Cyprus with HMS
KINGSTON.
20th Embarked troops at
Port Said for passage to
Cyprus.
21st Passage to Haifa from Cyprus.
(Note:
Other ships deployed on GUILLOTINE included HM Cruiser NEPTUNE, destroyers
of 14th Flotilla, HM Sloops PARAMATTA(RAN) and FLAMINGO.
22nd Deployed with HMS AJAX, HM Destroyers
JAGUAR, JERVIS,
KANDAHAR and
KINGSTON for patrol
south of
Crete as part of Mediterranean Fleet
operation.
24th Detached with HMS
JAGUAR to embark troops for Cyprus at Port Said.
26th After disembarking passengers returned
to Port Said.
31st Took passage to Colombo for return to
New Zealand after
embarking RNZVR personnel.
(Note:
Signal from Admiralty to NZ Navy Board was sent in appreciation of the very
significant contribution made by this cruiser during service
with the fleet in the
Mediterranean at a very
crucial stage).
August Docked in
Colombo for routine inspections.
On
completion took passage to Fremantle.
Escorted ss CERAMIC from Fremantle to Sydney.
28th On arrival in
Sydney rejoined New Zealand Division.
September
September
5th Escorted troopship AQUITANIA to
Wellington
Passage to Auckland.
8th Arrived at
Auckland.
12th Taken in hand for
refit in HM Dockyard
Auckland.
(Note: Aircraft facilities
removed and additional close range AA armament fitted.
October Under refit.
1st Royal New Zealand Navy formed and
ship became HMNZS LEANDER.
November Carried
out Post refit trials.
8th On completion deployed for escort of
ships on passage between
New Zealand and Equator,
Two successive trips were made
before redeployment.
December Escorted
two military convoys to
Suva.
1 9 4 2
January
10th Deployed on escort and cover of military
convoys to Suva with HMAS
AUSTRALIA,
HMNZS ACHILLES
and HMAS
PERTH.
19th Returned to
Sydney with HMAS
AUSTRALIA and HMAS
PERTH.
29th Passage to
Melbourne with HMAS
AUSTRALIA, HMAS
PERTH, HMAS
ADELAIDE
and USN
ships.
31st Nominated to join ANZAC Squadron with
HMAS
AUSTRALIA for joint operations in
South West
Pacific with US Navy.
February
3rd Relieved HMNZS ACHILLES in escort of
convoy to Brisbane.
On arrival took passage to
Suva.
12th Joined ANZAC Squadron at
Suva with HMAS
AUSTRALIA, HMAS ACHILLES, HM
Australian Armed Merchant
Cruiser MONOWAI,
US cruiser USS CHICAGO and two
US
Navy
destroyers.
14th Deployed on patrol
between
Fiji and New
Caledonia.
18th Deployed with all
Squadron to join Task Force 11 for assault on Rabaul.
20th Under intense
Japanese air attacks which seriously reduced fuel and ammunition supply.
Returned to
Suva to re-arm and refuel.
March
3rd Escorted Convoy PW3034 to
Brisbane from
Suva with HMNZS ACHILLES and
US cruiser
USS PORTLAND.
17th On return from
Brisbane took passage with HMNZS
ACHILLES as escort for
ss WESTRALIA to Etape,
New Hebrides with stores and personnel to
build airstrip.-
18th Remained at Etape with ss WESTRALIA during
unloading of stores and personnel.
Sailed for Noumea on completion.
28th Deployed with
Squadron as escort for military convoy to Suva.
April
1st Joined Convoy BT 201 during passage
from
Panama and escorted it to
Brisbane.
8th Arrived at
Brisbane.
10th Took independent
passage to Noumea.
28th Joined Task Group
12.2 with USS LAMSON, HMNZS
ACHILLES, US Destroyers USS
HELM and USS
HENLEY.
Escorted
Convoy PW2059 off Pago Pago for passage
to
Vila.
May
5th Carried out night patrols in
New Hebrides.
19th Re-deployed for support of planned
assault operations.
28th Landed troops troops
from Vila at Espiritu Santo to occupy island.
June
1st Sailed from Vila with US
destroyers to join SW Pacific Force at Suva.
4th Joined Convoy PW2076 and escorted some
ships to Suva.
11th Deployed for
escort of convoys from Auckland and Fiji.
July Pacific
convoy escort in continuation.
August Transferred to Pago Pago and escorted convoy from
San Francisco to Noumea.
September Transferred
to Task Force 64 based at
Espiritu Santo.
Passage to
join Task Force.
12th Joined Task Force on arrival.
14th Deployed on escort
duty with convoy to Tonga.
18th Carried cut patrol off
Guadalcanal anchorage off Lung Point with
TF64 ships.
Escorted enpty merchant ships from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santo.
October Task Force 64 convoy escort and
support in continuation.
10th Joined convoy south of
Fiji and escorted to
Auckland.
November Passage from Auckland to Noumea.
December
6th At Auckland.
16th Passage from Noumea to Espiritu Santo to join TG16.6.
19th Withdrawn from operational service for
repair of cracked plating of fuel tank.
Took passage
to
Auckland.
On arrival, taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Auckland.
1 9 4 3
January Under repair
to
February
March Post refit
trials and prepared for operational service.
Took passage
to Espiritu Santo to rejoin US Task Force.
April Deployed on escort duty between
Pearl
Harbour, Bora Bora and Noumea
to
May
June Nominated for transfer to Task
Force 18.
17th Passage to Espiritu Santu. Joined Task Force at Espiritu Santo.
July Task
Force deployment in continuation.
7th Replaced
US cruiser USS
HELENA after she had been lost in Battle
of Kula Gulf.
11th Rejoined TF18 off Savo
Island and deployed on patrol off
Guadalcanal for the interception
of Japanese
troopships attempting to reinforce garrison on Munda,
New Georgia.
12th Refuelled at Tulagi
and joined USS HONOLULU, USS ST. LOUIS and destroyers for
continuation
of interception patrol off
Guadalcanal.
13th During deployment in
Guadalcanal area took part in Battle of Kolambangara in Gulf
Casualties:
3 killed; 24 Missing and 8 injured).
14th Arrived at Tulagi.
15th Under temporary repair off Tulagi with combined US/RAN force.
Engaged
Japanese cruiser JINTSU and destroyers HAMAKAZE, KIYONAMI, MIKAZUKI,
YUGURE and YUKIKAZE.
(Note:
Although JINTSU was sunk the torpedoes fired failed to hit any destroyer.)
Hit
by 24" LONG LANCE torpedo on port side amidships causing extensive damage and
wrecking No 1 Boiler Room.
Considerable
flooding and fuel supply contaminated by sea water.
Good
damage control enable steam to be maintained from No 3 Boiler Room and ship was
able to return to base.
(Note:
Hole in A Boiler Room measured 3m x 6m.
21st Passage to New Zealand via Espiritu Santu.
29th Arrived at Auckland for further repair.
August Permanent repair arranged in US Navy
Dockyard, Boston, Mass.
to Under repair to allow passage.
October
November
23rd Took passage via Panama for refit and
repair.
December
14th Panama Canal transit.
23rd Arrived at
Boston for repair and refit
1 9 4 4
January Under
repair.
to (Note: Reverted to RN control in
May)
December "X"
Turret was removed and replaced by Quadruple Pom-Pom mounting)
Some preparatory work to fit new
radar and change secondary armament was done.)
1 9 4 5
January Under repair and refit
to
June
July Carried out Port Refit trials
August Prepared for return passage to
UK on completion of trials.