1 9 3 9
September Deployed
in Australian waters for anti-submarine patrol.
8th Carried out
patrol off Fremantle with HM Cruiser SYDNEY (RAN).
and HM Destroyer VOYAGER (RAN).
October Transferred
at Admiralty request to join RN ships at Singapore.
14th Took passage from Fremantle to Sydney to prepare for RN service
based at Singapore.
Sailed to Singapore for service
on China Station.
(Note : The Australian destroyers STUART, VENDETTA, VOYAGER
and WATERHEN were also transferred.)
29th At Singapore.
November Deployment
at Singapore cancelled and ship required to
join the
Fleet in the Mediterranean.
13th Took passage from Singapore to Colombo
16th Detached with HMAS VOYAGER to join HM
Cruiser KENT and
French
cruiser SUFFREN in search for commerce raider GRAF SPEE
in Indian Ocean.
December On
release from Hunting Group took passage to joined the Fleet
in Malta.
24th Arrived in Malta via Suez Canal and joined
Mediterranean Fleet.
as part of 19th Division with HMAS STUART (Leader),
VENDETTA,
VOYAGER
and WATERHEN
1 9 4 0
January 19th
Division deployment for contraband control and exercises with
to April Fleet units.
May
27th Joined newly formed 10th Destroyer
Flotilla with RAN ships and HM
Destroyers DAINTY, DECOY and DEFENDER of 20th Division.
June Took part in Fleet exercises prior to
outbreak of war with Italy.
Provided
cover with HM Destroyer VOYAGER (RAN) for convoys
to and from the Dardanelles
11th Deployed with screen for HM Battleship MALAYA and WARSPITE,
HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE and ships of 7th Cruiser Squadron during
passage from Alexandria for offensive sweep in Aegean Sea.
12th Detached from
screen and joined ships of Flotilla at Alexandria.
for anti-submarine patrol during which two Italian
minefields
were located.
13th Carried out further patrol off Alexandria with Flotilla and engaged
in gun action with Italian submarine in process of
minelaying.
Submarine
was damaged but further pursuit deterred by existence
of mines.
26th Deployed with HM Destroyer GARLAND as escort for HM Cruiser
CALEDON for passage
to join escort for convoy to Greece.
27th Detached and joined incoming convoy to Port Said as escort.
July Nominated
for Fleet screening duties.
7th Deployed with HM Destroyers DAINTY,
DEFENDER, HASTY,
HOSTILE,
HYPERION, ILEX, IMPERIAL, JANUS, JUNO and
VOYAGER
(RAN) as screen for HM Battleships MALAYA, ROYAL
SOVEREIGN,
WARSPITE, HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, NEPTUNE, ORION and SYDNEY(RAN)
to provide cover for transit of Convoys MF1 and MF2 from Malta
(Operation
MA5)
(Note : These convoys were supply ships carrying naval stores
and some passenger ships evacuating civilians from
Malta. An earlier operation had been
cancelled after the
warships involved had expended huge quantities of
ammunition in an engagement with Italian warships and
had to return to Alexandria. See MALTA CONVOYS by
R
Woodman, THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre and THE NAVAL WAR IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and A Massignani.)
9th Took part in
brief engagement with Italian warships.
(Battle of Calabria – See
references.)
10th Detached and joined Slow Convoy MS1 with
HMS DECOY and
HMAS
VOYAGER as escort for passage to Port Said.
11th Replaced in escort by HMS JANUS after
sustaining damage from near
miss in an air attack. On man was killed by splinters.
Took passage independently to Alexandria.
23rd Deployed with HM Cruiser ORION and HMAS
VENDETTA
for a diversionary operation during passage of landing ships
from Alexandria for simulated assault at Castelloriza..
26th Joined HMS ORION, HM Auxiliaries FIONA
and CHAKLA
off Castelloriza.
27th Carried out bombardment during simulated
landing operation
(Note : Enemy shore defences did not react.)
29th Return passage to Alexandria with Mediterranean Fleet ships.
August Flotilla deployment in continuation.
30th Deployed with HM Destroyers GARLAND, DECOY, ILEX,
IMPERIAL,
MOHAWK, NUBIAN and VENDETTA as screen
for HMS EAGLE, HMS MALAYA, HMS WARSPITE, HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, KENT, LIVERPOOL and ORION to provide Distant
Cover
for passage of Convoy MS2 during passage to Malta and
passage of reinforcement warships to join Fleet at Alexandria from
western Mediterranean (Operation MB3)
(Note : This was part of a Operation HATS involving ships of
Force
H from Gibraltar.
September
2nd Part of screen for major units of
reinforced Fleet during passage
from Malta to Alexandria.
5th Arrived at Alexandria with Fleet units after an air
attack on Rhodes
by HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS.
14th At Port Taufik
for routine docking
24th Resumed Flotilla
duties at Alexandria.
October Flotilla
duties including convoy escort in continuation.
9th Deployed with HM Destroyers DAINTY,
DECOY, IMPERIAL,
JANUS,
JERVIS, JUNO, MOHAWK, STUART and VAMPIRE
in screen for HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS EAGLE, HMS MALAYA,
HMS
RAMILLIES, HMS VALIANT, HMS WARSPITE, HM
Cruisers
AJAX, GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, ORION, SYDNEY
and YORK to provide Distant Cover during
passage of Convoy
MF3 from Egypt and MF4 from Malta.
12th Under attack by Italian destroyers
during which HMS AJAX hit
and disabled the Italian ARTIGLIERE.
Rescued
survivors from ARTIGLIERE after it had been sunk by
HMS YORK. See above references for
details of this engagement.
14th Under attack by torpedo aircraft during
which HMS LIVERPOOL
was damaged. Detached to screen HMS LIVERPOOL during passage
under tow by HMS ORION.
16th Boiler cleaning at
Alexandria with disinfection.
25th Resumed Flotilla duties and deployed
with HMAS VOYAGER
as screen for HMS MALAYA during offensive patrol in Kaso
Strait as cover for passage of convoy.
28th On return sailed with HM Netlayer PROTECTOR, HMAS VOYAGER
and HMAS WATERHEN as escort for first military convoy to Crete.
30th Arrived at Suda Bay.
November
4th Deployed with HM Cruisers COVENTRY CARLISLE, HM
Destroyers
DAINTY, DIAMOND, VOYAGER (RAN) and
WATERHEN
(RAN) to escort Convoy AN6 during passage to Crete
(Note : The passage of this convoy was part of a major Fleet
movement to pass convoys to Malta (MW3) and from
Malta
(ME3) as well as to cover the passage of warships
from the western Mediterranean to reinforce the
Mediterranean
Fleet based at Alexandria (Operation
COAT
– See above references.)
8th Passage to Malta to join Convoy ME3 as escort
during passage to
from Malta to Port Said.
10th Joined ME3 in Malta with HM Battleship RAMILLIES,
HMS
COVENTRY, HM Destroyers DECOY, DEFENDER
and WATERHEN.
13th Under air attack
during which HMS DECOY was damaged.
14th Detached from ME3
and resumed Fleet duties with Flotilla.
Transferred
with ships of Flotilla for support of military operations
(Note : During following week under persistent air raids whilst
at
Alexandria.)
December Deployed
as Force B with HMAS VENDETTA, VOYAGER and
WATERHEN
for duty in Inshore Squadron for bombardment
of coastal positions in support of the military offensive.
(Note : Inshore Squadron also included Force A HM Monitor
TERROR,
HM River Gunboats APHIS, LADYBIRD and
GNAT,
Force C HM Battleships BARHAM and MALAYA,
Force
D HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE with destroyer screen.
11th At Sollum prior to planned bombardment
of Bardia with HMAS
VENDETTA and HMAS WATERHEN.
12th Took passage to Alexandria when bombardment cancelled due
to
sandstorm in target area.
15th Sailed from Alexandra with HM Monitor
TERROR, HMAS
VENDETTA,
VOYAGER and WATERHEN as Inshore Squadron
to carry out bombardments of retreating Italian army units
on North African coast.
16th Deployed to give cover for ships of
Inshore Squadron during
bombardment.
18th Return passage to Alexandria.
19th Taken in hand for
machinery repairs.
1 9 4 1
January
9th Resumed Flotilla
duties.
11th Deployed with HMAS STUART, VENDETTA and
VOYAGER
as screen for HMS EAGLE and HMS BARHAM for attacks on
Dodecanese islands.
16th Return passage to Alexandria after planned operation
cancelled.
17th Detached on
arrival and resumed Flotilla duties.
21st Provided naval gunfire support from
inside harbour during attack
on Tobruk by 6th Australian Division.
22nd Carried out unsuccessful search for
Italian cruiser SAN GIORGI
off Tobruk. Captured Italian schooner
carrying lubricating oil.
February
7th RAN ships visited
by Australian Prime Minister.
12th Took passage to Benghazi to carry out clearance of
obstructions
preventing discharge of cargoes.
13th Deployed at Benghazi and on completion took passage
to Bardia.
17th Escorted HMS
TERROR to Tobruk from Bardia.
Passage to Alexandria.
On
arrival took passage to escort of military convoy GA2
from Pireaus to Egypt.
March Escort
of military convoys to and from Greece in continuation.
(Operation
LUSTRE)
12th Escorted Convoy
AG3 to Pireaus.
April LUSTRE
deployment in continuation.
12th Escorted Convoy AN27 to Pireaus and AS26 from Greece
to with HM
Sloop AUCKLAND.
18th
24th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS AUCKLAND and HM
Destroyer KIMBERLEY as escort for
Convoy AG15 to Piraeus.
27th Detached on arrival and took passage to
assist in the evacuation
of allied troops from Greece.
28th Joined HM Cruisers CALCUTTA, COVENTRY, HM Destroyers
STUART,
VENDETTA and WATERHEN for escort of Convoy
GA14 from Nauphlia to Alexandria.
29th On arrival deployed with screen for HMS
FORMIDABLE and
other ships of Mediterranean Fleet to provide cover for
passage
of Convoy GA15 from coast of Greece.
May
3rd Returned to Alexandria after
diversions for support of evacuation.
6th Deployed with HMAS STUART, HM Sloops AUCKLAND and
FLAMINGO
as escort for Convoy AN30 from Alexandria to Suda
Bay
for collection of troops evacuated from Greece.
9th Returned to Alexandria.
10th Deployed with HMAS VOYAGER as escort for
Convoy AS30 on
passage from Suda Bay to Egypt.
11th Resumed Inshore Squadron duties and
embarked stores and
supplied for transit to Tobruk.
21st Withdrawn from Tobruk support because
of increase in
defect rate, particularly propulsion relating to machinery
25th Released from RN deployment
in Mediterranean.
28th Took passage from Alexandria for refit at Singapore, via Red Sea.
June Passage in Indian Ocean.
16th Taken in hand for
refit by HM Dockyard at Singapore.
July Under refit.
to
October
November On
completion of post refit trials remained at Singapore
for convoy defence duties.
December
3rd Transferred to Force G, Eastern Fleet
5th Sailed from Singapore with HM Destroyer TENEDOS as
escort for HM Battlecruiser REPULSE during passage to
Darwin.
6th Returned to Singapore with HMS REPULSE after Japanese
convoys reported in Gulf of Siam.
8th Deployed with HM Destroyers TENEDOS,
ELECTRA and
EXPRESS
as screen for HMS REPULSE and HM Battleship
PRINCE
OF WALES as Force Z to intercept Japanese invasion
Fleet covering landings on east coast of Malaya.
9th Report of sighting Japanese aircraft
ignored.
Under
attack by Japanese high level bombers but unable
to carry out effective fire due to poor AA armament.
HMS
REPULSE and HMS PRINCE OF WALES were
subsequently overwhelmed by bomb and torpedo attacks
and sunk. See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton,
THE
SINKING OF FORCE Z by R Hough and WAR WITH
JAPAN (HMSO).
Rescued
225 survivors from the two major warships and
returned to Singapore.
15th Deployed for cover of minelaying
operation off Kuantan..
19th Deployed with HM Cruisers DRAGON and DURBAN as
escort for troopships during passage from Singapore to
Colombo.
1 9 4 2
January
10th Deployed with HM Destroyers ENCOUNTER
and JUPITER
and joined HM Cruisers DURBAN, EXETER and HM Sloop
JUMNA
(RIN) in escort of military convoy DM1 during
passage from Addu Atoll to Singapore with reinforcement
troops from UK
13th Detached from DM1
on arrival at Singapore.
Resumed
local convoy escort
20th Transferred to
ABDA Command for convoy escort.
(See
WAR WITH JAPAN).
24th Escorted Convoy
MS2A from Ratan Bay with HMS
THANET.
26th Deployed with HM Destroyer THANET with
air cover for the
interception of Japanese convoy off Endai,
east coast of Malaya.
(Note : Japanese force included cruiser SENDAI with six
destroyers and five minesweepers.)
27th Engaged Japanese destroyer SHIRAYUKI and
fired two
torpedoes unsuccessfully Under heavy return fire but able
to escape unscathed.
(Note : HMS THANET was sunk in this action.)
28th Deployed with HM Sloop YARRA (RAN) as
escort for convoy
during passage from Singapore to Sunda
Straits.
29th Detached at Sunda Strait and took passage to Padang.
February
1st Deployed with HMS EXETER and HMS
JUPITER as escort
for two transports on passage from Batavia to Sunda.
2nd Joined military convoy DM2 and Convoy
BM12 from
Indian Ocean with HMS JUPITER and joined HM
Cruiser
DANAE,
Dutch cruiser JAVA, HM Sloop SUTLEJ (RIN),
and HMAS YARRA for escort to Batavia.
3rd Detached on
arrival at Batavia.
5th Deployed as escort for mercantile
convoy on passage from
Tandjong Priok to Colombo.
11th Arrived at Colombo.
Joined Eastern Fleet.
March
1st Deployed with HM Destroyers EXPRESS,
NIZAM, HM
Corvette
HOLLYHOCK as screen for HM Battleship ROYAL
SOVEREIGN,
HM Cruiser CORNWALL and HM Armed
Merchant
Cruiser MANOORA (RAN) for escort of military
convoy SU1 during Indian Ocean passage.
(Note : This convoy was taking troops returning to Australia
from the Middle East.)
Later
detached from SU1 to prepare for planned landings
in Madagascar and took passage to Ceylon.
April Eastern Fleet deployment in continuation.
8th Sailed from Trincomalee with HM
Aircraft Carrier HERMES,
HM
Corvette HOLLYHOCK, HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT
BANK
and RFA Tanker PEAR LEAF to avoid impending
air attack on Ceylon from Japanese aircraft
carriers.
9th After sighting by Japanese aircraft
provision of air cover
from shore delayed by failure of communications in Ceylon.
Both
ships came under attack. HMS HERMES was the initial
target and sank after several bomb hits.
Subsequently
ship under heavy attacks and broke in half
after several hits and near misses. One aircraft reported
destroyed.
See
WAR WITH JAPAN for details.
Captain
and seven others of ship’s company were killed.
(Note : Hospital ship VITA near by whose immunity was
respected and which was not attacked rescued the
survivors from both ships.)
