1 9 4 0
September Contractors trials.
30th Build completion
and commenced Acceptance Trials.
October On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.
28th Began work-up at Scapa Flow with 10th
Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
Nominated
for detached duty in SW Approaches for interception cf
enemy coastal convoys
and allied convoy defence based at Plymouth.
November On
completion deployed in SW Approach and returned to Scapa Flew for duty with
Home
Fleet in NW Approaches.
December
26th Covered passage of Atlantic convoys with
HM Battlecruiser REPULSE after Convoy WS5A
to the Middle East had been attacked by the German cruiser HIPPER.
For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Burnett and the Naval
Staff History.
1 9 4 1
January Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
February
6th Provided ocean escort for ships during
minelay in Northern Barrage by ships of 1st
Minelaying Squadron (Operation SN7A).
For
details of all minelaying operations in WW2 see Naval Staff History (Mining).).
On
completion deployed with HM Battleship NELSON for patrol off Iceland.
17th Covered minelay by ships of 1st
Minelaying Squadron in Northern Barrage.
(Operation
SN7B/68A)
Escorted military convoy to Middle East for initial
stare of passage.
March Deployed
as escort For landings ships to Lofoten Islands for raid by No 1, and No 4
Commando and covered landing and evacuation.
(Note:
HM Cruiser EDINBURGH was also deployed as Distant Cover),
(Operation
CLAYMORE).
8th Carried out search in North Sea for German warship reported on
passage into the
Atlantic to attack
allied convoys.
11th Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying
Squadron during minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation
SN68B).
17th Deployed on patrol off Iceland with HMS NELSON to intercept
German battleships
SCHARNHORST
and GNEISENAU reported on passage into the Atlantic.
26th Deployed on patrol
in Denmark Strait with HM
Cruiser FIJI.
28th Joined HM Battleship KING GEORGE V and
two other Home Fleet cruisers in search for
German cruiser ADMIRAL SCHEER on passage to Kiel. The enemy ship was not found.
30th Deployed with HM Battlecruiser HOOD and
IM Cruiser FIJI to cover convoys between
UK and Gibraltar (Operation
SN9B).
May Home
Fleet deployment in NW Approaches for convoy defence continuation.
June
28th Intercepted German
weather ship LAUENBURG with HM Destroyer TARTAR.
Enemy
ship detonated scuttling charges but the ENIGMA code books were by recovered
by boarding party from HMS TARTAR before German ship sank.
July
25th Deployed with HM Cruiser AURORA, HM
Destroyers PUNJABI and TARTAR.
Took passage to assess possible use for refuelling Russian Convoy
escorts.
August
1st Evacuated Norwegian nationals and
destroyed weather station on Bear Island.
On
completion carried out offensive sweep off Norway.
19th Escorted troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
taking Canadian Commando force for a raid
on Spitzbergen with HMS AURORA (Operation GAUNTLET).
23rd Provided gunfire support during landings
and assisted in the destruction of coalming
equipment. See ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE WATERY
MAZE
by B Fergusson for details.
Embarked Russian nationals at Barentsburg.
24th Landed Russian passengers in Archangel and returned to Langyearby in
Spitsbergen to
collect Norwegian nationals for passage to UK.
September
1st Escorted colliers and other craft to Scapa Flow with HMS AURORA.
7th During sweep off Norway with HMS AURORA intercepted
small convoy of two troopships
near Porshanger Fjord.
In
poor weather conditions engaged and sank German training ship BREMSE but the
troopships escaped in poor visibility.
Sustained
damage to bow structure
(Note:
Post War analysis suggested ship may have detonated a mine)
October Under
repair and refit at Tyne commercial shipyard
to (Note:
Work done included installation of Type 284 fire control radar for forward main
November armament.
December
15th Carried out Post
Refit trials on completion.
1 9 4 2
January Rejoined
10th Cruiser Squadron in Home Fleet.
Nominated for duty as Flagship for convoy defence and patrol in NW
Approaches.
8th Escorted Russian Convoy PQ8 from Iceland to Murmansk
(Note: To be confirmed.)
(Note:
For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOY! by P. Kemp,
CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B. Schoefield,
ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
17th Remained in Murmansk to supplement defence of future
convoys for passage from
Bear Island to Kola
Inlet.
February Passage
to join Russian Convoy PQ9/10 with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR and INTREPID.
5th Joined convoy escort.
8th Detached from PQ9/10.
13th Covered passage of returning Convoy QP7.
15th Detached from QP7.
22nd Escorted inward Russian Convoy PQ11 with
Russian destroyers for final stage of transit.
March
2nd Provided Distant Cover for passage of
returning Convoy QP8
7th Detached from Distant Cover for QP8.
22nd Deployed with Home Fleet covering force
for passage of Russian Convoy PQ13 and
returning QP9.
April
5th Escorted HM
Battleship KING GEORGE V from Rosyth to Scapa Flow to join
Fleet.
10th Part of Home Fleet Distant Cover for
passage of Convoy PQ11 and returning Convoy OP10
with HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF YORK, H M Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS
and HM Cruiser KENT, screened by Fleet destroyers.
11th Detached from Distant Cover.
28th Escorted Russian Convoy PQ15
May
1st Detached from PQ15 escort for
returning convoy QP11 after the loss of HM Cruiser
EDINBURGH.
13th Part of Home Fleet covering force with
HMS DUKE OF YORK, HMS VICTORIOUS,.
HM
Cruisers KENT, LIVERPOOL, LONDON and NORFOLK screened by Fleet destroyers
for passage of damaged cruiser HMS TRINIDAD to UK for repair.
(Note:
HMS TRINIDAD was sunk on 15th May by our own forces after being hit during
heavy air attacks).
Came under air attacks on return passage.
23rd Provided cruiser cover with HM Cruisers KENT, LIVERPOOL and NORFOLK screened by
HM
Destroyers MARNE, ONSLOW and ORIBI for Russian Convoy PQ16 and for returning
Convoy
QP12 until 28th
June Deployed
for convoy and Fleet defence in NW Approaches.
30th Joined Home Fleet Distant Cover for
Russian Convoy PQ17 with HMS DUKE OF YORK,
US battleship WASHINGTON, HMS VICTORIOUS and HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND
with Fleet destroyer screen until convoy was scattered by
Admiralty on 4th July.
Remained
to west of Bear Island for cover of returning Convoy QP 13 passage.
See
above references.
July
7th After arrival of Convoy OP13 at Reykjavik resumed Home Fleet deployment.
August
2nd Detached with HM Battleship NELSON, HMS
VICTORIOUS, HMS KENYA, HM
Cruiser
MANCHESTER, HM AA Cruiser CAIRO screened by Home Fleet
destroyers to
reinforce escort of military supply convoy WS21s to Malta.
(Operation
PEDESTAL).
10th Joined Force "X" at Gibraltar with HM Cruisers KENYA, MANCHESTER and CA1RO
screened by 12 destroyers for escort of convoy to Malta and for fighter direction
duties.
11th Under attack by
U-Boats followed by torpedo and dive bombing.
(HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE whs sunk during the submarine
attacks)
13th Hit by torpedo from Italian submarine AXUM during air attacks when
entering
Skerki Channel.
Sustained serious damage.
Detached
with escorted by HM Escort Destroyers WILTON, BICESTER and DERWENT to
return to Gibraltar.
(For
details of this operation see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by Donald
MacIntyre,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, PEDESTAL by Peter Smith and
MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodhead. ).
15th Under temporary
repair in Gibraltar.
September Under repair at Gibraltar.
Permanent
repair arranged in USA.
October
7th Passage to USA.
23rd Taken in hand for repair and refit at Charleston US navy Yard..
(Note:
Work done included:
Removal
of aircraft
Preparation
for fit of AA Fire control radar on return to UK
Preparation for fit of aircraft warning radar Type 279 by Type 281.
Preparation
for replacement of Surface radar Type 272..
November Under
refit
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Under refit.
to
August
September Passage
to UK on completion of post refit trials.
October Completion
of refit and A & A work at Chatham.
to (For
details of development and use of radar see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
December Nominated
for duty with Eastern Fleet in 4th Cruiser Squadron.
1 9 4 4
January On
completion of trials, calibrations and storing took passage to Scapa Flow
Worked-up for operational service with 10th Cruiser Squadron.
February Deployed
at Scapa
Flow
with Home Fleet for convoy defence in NW Approaches.
March Passage
to Ceylon.
27th Joined Squadron.
April
16th Deployed with HM Cruisers NEWCASTLE,
CEYLON and GAMBIA and Dutch cruiser
TROMP
to escort HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH, VALIANT and the French
battleship RICHELIEU, screened by Fleet destroyers as Task Force 69.
(Operation
COCKPIT).
(Note:
These ships covered air attacks on airfields and other targets at Sabang, Sumatra by
the aircraft carriers IMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA.
May
6th Joined HMS NEWCASTLE and Dutch TROMP as escort for
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH,
HMS
VALIANT and French RICHELIEU with Fleet destroyer screen as Task Force 65 for
cover of HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA during passage for
Joint RN/USN
attacks on oil refineries at Soerabaya
(Operation TRANSOM).
15th Replenished in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia.
17th Screened carriers during attacks.
June Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
for patrol and convoy defence..
July Deployed
with HM Cruisers KENYA, CEYLON and GAMBIA with Fleet destroyer screen
to escort HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS VALIANT, HMS RENOWN
and French
battleship RICHELIEU during bombardment of targets at Sabang
(Operation CRIMSON).
25th Detached to escort
HM Submarine Depot Ship MAIDSTONE for passage to Fremantle.
August Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
for convoy defence.
to (For
details of Indian Ocean deployments 1943-45 see OPERATION PACIFIC by E. Gray,
September ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, SINK THE HAGURO by John Winton and
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).).
October
11th Passage to
Trincomalee from Fremantle.
November Joined
5th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet when British Pacific Fleet formed.
December
1st Deployed with HMS KENYA, HMS
NEWCASTLE and HMS PHOEBE as Force 61 for
support of military operations in Burma (See Naval Staff History).
1 9 4 5
January
1st Deployed with HM Escort Carrier
AMEER, HMS NEWCASTLE, HMS PHOEBE and
three Fleet Destroyers in support of landings by 3rd
Commando Brigade on Akyab
Peninsula.
Gunfire
support not required as Japanese had left (Operation LIGHTNING).
22nd Embarked Royal Marines at Akyab for landing on Cheduba Island, Burma.
26th Landed Royal Marines and supported
operation with HMS NEWCASTLE and HMS
KENYA escorted by HM Destroyers RAPID
and PALADIN (Operation SANKEY).
31st Re-embarked RM's
and bombarded west coast of Ramree Island with HMS
KENYA and
HMS NEWCASTLE.
February Passage to Simonstown.
March Under
Refit and Rest and Recreation period.
May Post
refit trials.
3rd Returned to Ceylon with call at Durban.
13th Deployed with HM Destroyers ROEBUCK,
RACEHORSE and REDOUBT as Task Force 62
to reinforce ships of Force 61 during operation to intercept
Japanese evacuation craft.
18th Returned to Trincomalee.
June Deployed
in Indian
Ocean
with Eastern Fleet.
July
5th Joined HMS AMEER and HMS EMPEROR to
cover minesweeping operations escorted by
HM Destroyers ROEBUCK, ESKIMO and VIGILANT.
(Operation
COLLIE - Preparation for Malayan coast landings..
Bombarded Car Nicobar during the
minesweeping task.
15th Bombarded Nacowry.
August Prepared
for operations in Malacca Strait in support of landings.
15th Joined H M Battleship NELSON, HM Escort
Carriers ATTACKER, HUNTER, SHAH
and STALKER for passage to Penang for occupation.
Landings
delayed on passage because of political pressure by USA and implementation of
PYTHON
release scheme to enable SEAC personnel to return to UK.
See
references and Final Report from Supreme Commander, SEAC (HMSO).
24th Returned to
Trincomalee with IMS SHAH and HMS STALKER to refuel.
September
4th Passage to Port Swettenham
to join HM Cruisers CEYLON, CLEOPATRA, ROYALIST
and Escort Carriers of 21st Carrier Squadron.
9th Covered allied landings north of Port
Dickson with HMS NELSON, RICHELIEU, HM
Cruisers
CEYLON, HMS CLEOPATRA and 21st
Aircraft Carrier Squadron with destroyer
screen (Operation ZIPPER - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS NIGERIA remained in full commission on return to UK from East Indies in 1945. Between 1946 and
1950 she served as Flagship, South Atlantic based at Simonstown.
After paying off in 1951 she was placed in Reserve and three years later purchased by
the Indian government. This ship was extensively refitted before
recommissioning into the RIN as IS MYSORE in 1957. Following Fleet duties
until 1975 she was used as a training ship for several years until being
scrapped.
S u m m
a r y o f P o s t W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 6
Commissioned for
service and took passage to Simonstown.
Visited
Lagos.
1 9 4 7
Deployed for
visits and exercises including ships of the newly
formed South African Navy
(Note: Supervision of
sovereignty of Falkland Islands was part
of the responsibility of CinC South Atlantic Station.
1 9 4 8
South Atlantic deployment in continuation
(Note: During
this period an increase in presence of Argentine warships
became evident and whilst in Falklands area and the ship made
formal protest to Argentine naval tugs lying at Melchior, 800
miles south of Cape Horn.)
1 9 4 9 to 1 9 5 0
South
Atlantic deployment in continuation.
1 9 5 1
Returned to UK to pay-off and reduce to
Reserve status.
Paid-off and destored.
Accepted into Reserve.
1 9 5 2 to 1 9 5 3
Laid-up in
Reserve and placed on Sales List
.
1 9 5 4
Sold to the
Indian Government for £300,000 and to be refitted with
equipment brought up to current standards of an RN cruiser
of this Class.
1 9 5 5 t o
1 9 5 6
Under refit and modernisation at Birkenhead by Cammell
Laird shipyard.
(Note: Amongst
the changes made during this period were:
Radar equipment
replaced.
Aircraft Warning
Type 960 in place of Type 279
Surface Warning
Types 277 and 293 in place of Type 272
Under refit and modernisation at Birkenhead by Cammell
Laird shipyard.
(Note: Amongst
the changes made during this period were:
Main Armament
Fire Control Type 274 in place of Type 284.
Two Type 275
Fire Control Type 275 in place of Type 285
Display
equipment modernised and installed in
compartments designed for the RN Action
Information System.
New Type 974
Radar fitted for navigational purposes
Bridge structure
replaced by new design.
Lattice masts
fitted to replace earlier Tripod type.
Triple “6”
mounting in “X” position aft removed.
Two triple
torpedo tube mountings removed.
Electrical power
supply system modified to suit new equipment
requirements.
S e r v i c e i n I n d i a n N a v y
1 9 5 7
Commissioned on
29th August as INS MYSORE for service
as Flagship of the Indian Navy.
Passage to
Bombay for
operational service.
1 9 5 8
Flagship duties
in continuation including exercises with other
Commonwealth Navies of SEATO Powers.
1 9 5 9
Flagship duties
in continuation
Involved in
collision with HM Destroyer HOGUE in Indian
Ocean during Exercise JET59.
(Note: HMS HOGUE
sustained major structural damage and
on survey was found beyond economical repair.)
1 9 6 0 to
1 9 7 4
Flagship duties in continuation.
1 9 7 5 t o
1 9 8 0
Redeployed for
training duties before being placed on Disposal List
Sold for breaking-up.