1 9 3 9
August Deployed for training based at Sydney
War Station nominated and to be
transferred for service with the RN on the China
Station based at Singapore..
September Deployed for patrol off eastern Australia.
4th Carried
out patrol off Port Stephens.
9th Deployed
with HM Australian Destroyers STUART and WATERHEN in search for
a submarine
reported off Broken Bay. This proved to be false.
October
14th Took passage to Singapore with HMAS STUART and HMAS WATERHEN.
On arrival carried out anti-submarine
training.
November Transfer to Mediterranean Fleet
requested by Admiralty and approved by RAN.
13th Took
passage from Singapore with HM Australian Destroyers STUART,
VOYAGER and
WATERHEN to join Mediterranean Fleet in Malta.
15th Detached
to land sick Medical Officer at Penang.
19th Rejoined RAN Flotilla at Colombo.
20th Resumed
passage with Flotilla and carried out patrol.
December Passage through Red Sea and Suez Canal.
14th Arrived
in Malta for Fleet duties with RAN destroyers as 19th
Destroyer
Division.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed with HMAS STUART,
HAMS VAMPIRE, HMS VOYAGER
to and
WATERHEN for interception patrols to enforce Blockade and for
April exercises with Destroyer Command in
anticipation of the entry of Italy into
hostilities.
May Fleet duties in
continuation.
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to I69.
27th Transferred to newly formed 10th Destroyer Flotilla with RAN
ships.
June Under refit by HM
Dockyard Malta.
July Resumed Flotilla duties on completion of
post refit trials.
9th Deployed
with HM Destroyers DIAMOND and JERVIS as escort for Convoy
MF1 during passage
from Malta to Egypt.
(Note : This
was part of Operation MA5 to take supply ships from Malta and
evacuate
non-essential personnel. It was a repeat of an earlier attempt
which was
abandoned.)
10th HM
Cruisers GLOUCESTER, NEPTUNE, ORION and HMAS STUART
joined MF1
to reinforce escort.
13th Detached
from MF1 to join escort for HM Battleship RAMILLIES which
was
providing Distant Cover.
14th Arrived
at Alexandria.
19th Deployed
with HMAS VAMPIRE as part of screen for HMS ORION to join
HM Australian Cruiser SYDNEY after
the action with Italian warships during
which the
Italian Cruiser BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI was sunk in Gulf of
Athens. For details see NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by J.
Green and A Massignani and THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D
Macintyre.
20th Returned
to Alexandria with HMAS SYDNEY.
23rd Deployed
with HMS ORION and HMAS VAMPIRE to carry out diversionary
operation
off Castellorizo which was to simulate a planned
landing.
27th Bombarded Castellorizo.
30th Returned
to Alexandria.
August
16th Sailed
from Alexandria with HM Battleships MALAYA,
RAMILLIES and
WARSPITE, HM Cruiser KENT as screen with HM Destroyers DIAMOND,
STUART (RAN) and
WATERHEN (RAN).
17th Carried out bombardment of Fort Capuzzo.
18th Returned to Alexandria with bombardment ships.
30th Joined
HM Destroyers DECOY, IMPERIAL, JANUS, NUBIAN, VAMPIRE
(RAN) and Polish destroyer ORP
GARLAND as screen for HM Aircraft Carrier
EAGLE, HMS MALAYA, HMS WARSPITE, HM
Cruisers KENT, ORION,
GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL and SYDNEY (RAN) to provide cover for
the passage
of Convoy MS2 to Malta (Operation MB 3)
(Note : This
was part of Operation HATS with ships of Force “H” at Gibraltar
to pass
reinforcements to the Fleet at Alexandria.)
31st Under air attacks during which ORP GARLAND was damaged.
September
1st Remained
with Fleet screen after convoy arrived in Malta and took passage
to meet
reinforcement ships designated Force “F” off Pantellaria.
(Note :
Force “F” comprised HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, H M
Battleship VALIANT,
HM Cruisers CALCUTTA and COVENTRY.)
4th Deployed
with screen during air attacks on Rhodes by HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS
and EAGLE.
5th Returned
to Alexandria with Fleet units.
October
9th Deployed
with HM Destroyers DAINTY, DECOY, IMPERIAL, JUNO,
JANUS, JERVIS, STUART (RAN) and
VAMPIRE (RAN) as screen for
Fleet units providing Distant Cover
for passage of Convoy MF3 and MF4
to and from Malta.
11th Detached
from screen on arrival of convoy in Malta and took passage to
Malta.
12th Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard.
November
9th On
completion of post refit trials resumed Flotilla duties.
10th Escorted
HM Monitor EREBUS for passage from Malta to Suda Bay, Crete.
11th Detached
at Suda Bay and took passage to Alexandria.
December Joined Inshore Squadron for
support of military operations in Western Desert.
10th Passage
to Sollum with HMAS VAMPIRE and HMAS WATERHEN to carry
out
bombardment of Bardia.
11th Bombardment
cancelled because of sandstorm and returned to Alexandria.
15th Deployed
with HM Monitor TERROR, HMAS VAMPIRE, HMAS VOYAGER
and HMAS
WATERHEN and took passage to Bardia.
16th Bombarded Bardia with HMS TERROR.
1 9 4 1
January Inshore Squadron deployment in
continuation.
7th Sailed
from Alexandria with Senior Officer of Squadron embarked for passage
to join HM
River Gunboat LADYBIRD at Bardia.
11th Deployed
with screen for HM Battleship BARHAM and HMS EAGLE during
planned
bombardment in support of advance of ANZAC Division for capture
of Tobruk.
(Note : One
source records that this bombardment was cancelled due to weather
conditions.
For details of naval activities in Mediterranean during
early
1941
see above references and military Staff History.)
17th Arrived at Alexandria and resumed Flotilla duties with
Mediterranean Fleet.
Deployed for
defence of military convoys between Egypt and Greece.
(Operation LUSTRE – Transfer of
allied troops.)
February LUSTRE Convoy defence duties in
continuation.
March
11th Part of escort for Convoy AN19 from Alexandria to Pireaus.
15th Detached
from AN19 on arrival.,
20th Joined
HM Destroyers HASTY, HEREWARD, ILEX, JERVIS and STUART
(RAN) as screen for Fleet units
providing Distant Cover for passage of Convoy
MW6 to Malta (Operation MC9).
(Note : The
availability of HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE to replace the
damaged HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS made protection of Malta convoys to
be resumed.)
22nd Detached
from Fleet units with HM Cruisers ORION, AJAX, PERTH (RAN),
GLOUCESTER and HM Destroyer HEREWARD to provide cover for
passage
of convoys
to Pireaus.
27th Sailed
from Pireaus with ships of covering force to meet HM
Destroyers ILEX
and HASTY
off Gavdo Island for deployment as Force “B”
(Note : This
Force had been formed in anticipated action against the Italian
Fleet reported by aircraft as on
passage to attack convoys between
Egypt and Greece.)
28th Joined
Fleet units with Force “B” and took part in the initial phase of the
Battle of Matapan. Developed machinery defect and withdrawn from action.
Took passage to Alexandria for repair.
30th Under repair at Alexandria.
(Note : For
details of the battlle see above references and
MATAPAN by
SW Pack.)
April On completion resumed duties with Inshore
Squadron.
Deployed with HMAS STUART and HMAS
WATERHEN in support of
army units
retreating from Cyrenaica.
Passage to Tobruk for
patrol and support duties.
14th Assisted
in rescue of wounded men and nursing staff from Hospital Ship
VITA which had been bombed off Tobruk. Arranged for tow of wreck to
clear
harbour entrance and deployed for patrol and support duty off Derna.
15th Deployed off Derna with HM
Destroyer GREYHOUND.
16th Sank schooner in a night action during patrol.
21st Resumed
convoy defence duties with HMAS WATERHEN.
Escorted last LUSTRE Convoy AN29 from
Alexandria to Pireaus with HM
Sloop GRIMSBY and HMAS WATERHEN.
24th Under air attacks.
25th Detached
from AN29 with HMAS WATERHEN and took passage to join
evacuation
of allied troops from Greece at Megara.
Under further air
attacks.
(Note :
Ironically this is ANZAC Day marked as a National Remembrance
of losses of
Australian and New Zealand troops at the Dardanelles.
Many ANZAC Forces were involved in
defence of Greece.)
26th Took
part in evacuation at Megara with HMS COVENTRY, HMS DECOY,
HMS HASTY, HMAS
WATERHEN and HMS WRYNECK.
Embarked troops and stores for
passage to Suda Bay (Operation DEMON)
(Note :
4,700 TROOPS were evacuated.)
27th Deployed
with HMS CALCUTTA, HMS COVENTRY, HMAS STUART
(RAN), HMS WATERHEN (RAN) and HMAS
VAMPIRE as escort for
Convoy GA14 during passage from Nauphlia to Alexandria.
29th Deployed
with HMAS STUART, HMAS VAMPIRE, HMAS VOYAGER
and HMAS
WATERHEN as screen for HMS BARHAM, HMS VALIANT
and HMS
FORMIDABLE to provide cover for passage of Convoy GA15.
May
3rd Returned
to Alexandria and resumed service with Inshore Squadron.
8th Deployed
supply of stores to Tobruk.
12th Escorted
Convoy ANF 30 with HMAS STUART from Alexandria to Suda
Bay for
reinforcement of defence of Crete.
14th Deployed
with HMAS STUART as screen for HM Cruiser DIDO during
escort of
Convoy ASF31 from Suda Bay to Alexandria.
(Note : HMS
DIDO was carrying £7M of Greek government gold.)
20th Deployed for Fleet screening duties.
23rd Joined
Fleet units off Crete with HMAS STUART and HMAS VOYAGER
and took
part in search for survivors from HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER and
FIJI which were sunk in air attacks on 22nd May and rescue
operations were
not possible
because of density of air attacks. See references.
24th Returned
to Alexandria.
25th Deployed
with screen for Fleet units covering air attacks by HMS
FORMIDABLE on
airfield at Scarpanto.
26th Under
air attacks during which HMS FORMIDABLE sustained major
damage. Returned to Alexandria escorting damaged carrier.
June Deployed for support of isolated garrison at
Tobruk and carried stores
and
personnel from Mersa Matru
and Alexandria.
24th During
passage from Mersa Matru to
Tobruk with HMAS WATERHEN
diverted to
assist HM Sloop AUCKLAND which was under heavy air
attack near
Tobruk. Arrived at scene after sinking of HMS AUCKLAND
and escorted
tow of disabled Petrol Carrier to Tobruk by HMAS
WATERHEN after
taking part in rescue of survivors from Sloop.
July Tobruk
support in continuation.
11th Sailed
from Tobruk with HM Destroyer DEFENDER.
Under heavy and sustained air attacks
during which HMS DEFENDER
was disabled
by near misses. Took damaged ship in tow but tow had to
be abandoned
when vessel began to sink. Embarked survivors and sank
the
destroyer by torpedo.
August Tobruk support in continuation.
2nd Final
support trip to Tobruk returning next day.
(Note : Ship
had made 39 trips since end of May.
See THE SCRAP IRON FLOTILLA.)
4th Transferred
for escort of convoys to Syria and Cyprus.
(Note :
Military operations in Cyprus were supported by warships of
Mediterranean Fleet (Operation
EXPORTER) and garrison in
Cyprus was reinforced).
September Convoy defence in continuation.
Nominated for refit
at Singapore.
October Released from convoy defence
duties.
30th Took
passage from Alexandria
November Passage in Red Sea and Indian Ocean with calls at Aden and Colombo.
December Passage from Ceylon to Singapore.
8th Arrived
at Singapore and taken in hand for refit by HM
Dockyard.
(Note : This
date has some significance !)
1 9 4 2
January At Singapore in Dockyard..
(Note :
Refit work progress is difficult to assess.
February
2nd Taken
in tow by HM Destroyer STRONGHOLD to Tanjong Priok, Java
17th Taken
in tow by mercantile for passage to Australia escorted by HM
Australian Sloop
YARRA.
22nd HM
Australian Cruiser ADELAIDE joined escort.
March Passage under tow in continuation.
Refit arranged at Melbourne.
April
4th Arrived
at Melbourne and docked.
(Note :
Passage of 5,000 miles from Singapore via Adelaide had taken
72
days during which tow had parted four times in gales.)
Nominated for
conversion as an Escort Destroyer.
May Under refit and
Conversion.
to (Note
: For details of changes see V & W Destroyers by A Preston.
December Changes included
:
Fitting of HEDGEHOG Anti-submarine
Mortar in place of “A” Mounting .
(See SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.
Installation of surface warning radar Type 271. (See RADAR
AT SEA by D
Howse.)
1 9 4 3
January Under refit
to
April
May Deployed for training
and convoy defence in Australian waters.
June
18th Deployed in search for Japanese submarine off Cape Howe.
(Note :
Submarine had attacked Convoy GP55 and sunk one ship.)
July Deployed for training and convoy defence
duties.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Convoy defence and training in
continuation.
to
March
April Nominated for support of operations in SW
Pacific.
13th Commenced
new deployment.
(Note : This
included transport of personnel used for coastwatching
in isolated
areas, transport of troops and supplies with patrol
duties off New Guinea, New Britain
and Solomon
Islands.)
24th Embarked
troops for passage to Bogadjim from Langemak.
25th Disembarked
passengers at Bogadjim and took passage to Bili Bili and
Madang.
May Support deployment in
continuation.
(Note :
Carried 1,927 troops and 95 tons of supplies from Langemak
to Madang during this period.
June
23rd Embarked
troops for passage to Waterfall Bay, New Britain.
July Support and patrol
duties in continuation.
to
September
October Deployed with HMAS BARCOO for
patrol and bombardment duties
off New Guinea in support of military operations at Jaquinot Bay..
31st Passage to Langemak with HMAS SWAN
and other support ships.
November
6th Carried
out bombardment in Wide Bay.
9th Carried
out bombardments in Galela Bay and off Halmahera.
December Patrol and support bombardments in
New Britain area continued.
1 9 4 5
January Passage to Sydney.
Resumed training
duties in Australian waters.
February Training deployment in
continuation.
to
July
August
15th Nominated
for service with British Pacfic Fleet, now under RN
control.
September Passage to Jauquinot Bay to embark Australian officers for
surrender of
Japanese forces.
2nd Took
passage to Rabaul for discussion of surrender terms
with
Japanese officers.
Returned to Jaquinot Bay.
5th Took
passage to Rabaul with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
GLORY.
6th Arrived
at Rabaul.
(Note :
Other ships present included HM Sloops AMETHYST and
HART, HM Australian Corvettes KIAMA,
DUBBO,
LITHGOW and
TOWNSVILLE.)
7th Embarked
Japanese representatives at Rabaul for passage to HMS
GLORY prior to formal surrender of
all Japanese forces in Bismarck
Archipelago, New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
