1 9 3 9
August Deployed in Australian waters.
War Station nominated at Singapore with ships of China Station..
September Prepared for war service.
3rd Deployed
for patrol off Cape Howe.
8th Deployed
with HM Destroyer VAMPIRE (RAN) to join HM Cruiser
SYDNEY for patrol off western Australia.
October
14th Took
passage from Sydney with HM Australian Destroyers VENDETTA,
WATERHEN, VAMPIRE and STUART to join
China Station under RN
command.
November Nominated for transfer to
Mediterranean Fleet during passage to Singapore.
13th Took
passage with HM Destroyers STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA and
WATERHEN from Singapore to join Mediterranean Fleet.
16th Detached
to form Raider Hunting Group with HM Cruiser KENT, HMAS
VAMPIRE and French
Cruiser SUFFREN for interception off Sumatra.
17th Took
passage to Trincomalee to join Hunting Force for deployment in the
Nicobar
area following reports that German battleship GRAF SPEE had
entered the Indian Ocean
December On release from duty with Hunting
Group resumed passage to Alexandria
for service
in the Mediterranean.
24th Arrived at Malta after calls at Aden and Alexandria.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed
with HMAS VENDETTA, WATERHEN, VAMPIRE
to and STUART with
ships of Destroyer Command in Mediterranean.
April for Fleet and Flotilla
exercises and enforcement of blockade.
May Took part in preparatory exercises with
Mediterranean Fleet in the
anticipation
of Italian entry into war against Britain and the Dominions.
27th Joined
newly formed 10th Destroyer Flotilla.
June Deployed in Mediterranean. based at Alexandria. as 10th Destroyer Flotilla.
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to I31
11th Part
of screen for HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Battleships MALAYA
and WARSPITE
with HMAS SYDNEY during offensive sweep in the Aegean
Sea. Later detached to take passage to Alexandria.
13th Sailed
from Alexandria with HMAS STUART, VAMPIRE and WATERHEN
to carry out
anti-submarine patrol in eastern Mediterranean.
Sighted Italian
submarine FOCA which had been minelaying. Engaged with
main
armament but submarine escaped.
After nightfall a second submarine
was sighted and attacked by HMAS STUART
and after
submarine submerged by depth charges with H M Destroyer DECOY.
(Note : The
submarines was CONSOLE GENERALE LUIZZI.
See THE NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and
A Massignani. and Note
below.)
27th Deployed
with HM Destroyers DAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER and ILEX
to join an
evacuation convoy from Malta in Aegean (Operation MA3).
(Note :
Convoys MF1 and MS1 were planned to remove empty mercantiles
from the
island to bring non-essential personnel to Egypt. After three
Italian destroyers were engaged in
action by cruisers of Mediterranean
Fleet providing cover for this
operation due to heavy expenditure of
ammunition.
See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by
D Macintyre and The
Naval Staff History.)
29th Carried
out surface gun attack with other ships after submarine sighted by
HMS DAINTY followed by depth charges
when submarine submerged. Over
an hour
later submarine surface and was again engaged by main armament and
scuttled
south of Crete.
(Note :
Submarine was the Italian UEBI SCEBELI and a boarding party was
able to
recover codebooks which provided valuable information about
Italian submarine
movements. See BRITISH INTELLIGENCE IN WW2
by Hinsley , Volume 1 (HMSO).)
30th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.
July
7th Joined HM Destroyers DAINTY, DEFENDER, HASTY, HOSTILE, HYPERION,
ILEX, IMPERIAL,
JANUS, JUNO and VAMPIRE as screen for HMS EAGLE,
HM Battleships MALAYA,
ROYAL SOVEREIGN and WARSPITE, HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, NEPTUNE, ORION and SYDNEY (RAN) to
provide Distant Cover for passage of Convoys MF1 and MS1
from Malta.
(Operation MA5 –
Repeat of the earlier MA3. See above.)
8th Deployed with screen for HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN, HMS RAMILLIES
and
HMS EAGLE when
Fleet dispositions changed in anticipation of engagement with
Italian battle squadron on passage to intercept convoys and
covering ships.
Under Italian
air attacks.
9th Took part in engagement with Italian
ships during Battle of Calabria.
For details see
above references, NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
by J Greene and A Massignani and
MATAPAN by SW Pack.
10th On release following the retirement of the Italian ships took
passage with HMS
DECOY and HMAS
VAMPIRE to join Convoy MS1 as escort during passage
to Alexandria
Under further
attack by Italian aircraft based in Libya during which
HMAS VAMPIRE was
damaged and HMS LIVERPOOL was near missed with
some casualties.
11th HMS JUNO replaced HMS VAMPIRE
13th HM Cruisers CALEDON and CAPETOWN joined escort.
15th Arrived at Alexandria with MS1 and resumed Flotilla
duties after repair.
24th Deployed with HM Cruiser ORION and HMAS VAMPIRE for
diversionary
operation off Casteloriza.
(Note : This was intended to divert enemy air attacks on
convoys in the area.)
27th Took part in simulated landing approach at Casteloriza with HMS ORION,
HMAS VAMPIRE and HM Landing Ships FIONA and CHAKLA.
August Flotilla
duties with Mediterranean Fleet in continuation.
30th Mediterranean Fleet units sailed for Operation MB3.
(Note: Part of
joint operation with Force H to cover passage of convoys to
Malta and the transit of reinforcement
ships for service at Alexandria.
(Operation HATS
– See above references.)
September Under
refit by HM Dockyard Malta.
October
2nd Resumed Flotilla duties at Alexandria.
(Note : Not recorded as part of screen for Fleet units during
cover of passage
of reinforcement ships and passage of convoys to and from Malta.
(Operation
COAT).
25th Deployed
with HMAS VAMPIRE as part of screen for HMS MALAYA during
provision of
cover for passage of convoy in Aegean.
28th Returned
to Alexandria.
29th Joined
HM Netlayer PROTECTOR with HM Australian Destroyers
VAMPIRE
and WATERHEN
as escort for convoy to Suda Bay.
November
1st Return
passage to Alexandria.
4th Sailed
from Port Said as AN6 escort with HM
Cruisers CALCUTTA and
COVENTRY, HM Destroyers DAINTY,
DIAMOND, VAMPIRE and
WATERHEN.
(Note : This
convoy was covered by Fleet deployment in Operation COAT
which
included the passage of convoys to and from Malta, the passage
of warships
from the western Mediterranean and also preliminary
phase of the
attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto by HM Aircraft
Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS.
5th Detached
from AN6 on arrival at Suda Bay and escorted convoy
back to Port
Said.
14th At Alexandria.
(Note :
During this period subject to repeated air raids on port.)
December Nominated for service in Inshore
Squadron with Flotilla..
4th Joined HMAS VAMPIRE, HMAS VENDETTA and HMAS WATERHEN
in Force “B” for support of military advance in Western Desert.
9th Provided naval gunfire support.
(Note :
Other ships in Inshore Squadron included HM Monitor TERROR,
HM River Gunboats LADYBIRD, APHIS and
GNAT as Force “A”
with HMS
BARHAM and HMS MALAYA as Force “C”).
15th Deployed
with HMS TERROR and HM Australian Destroyers VAMPIRE
VENDETTA and WATERHEN to provide
naval gunfire support to military
advance
against retreating Italian army units.
16th Carried out Bombardment at Bardia.
30th During patrol off Bardia
intercepted and captured Italian schooner.
1 9 4 1
January
2nd Provided
screen for HMS TERROR with HM DAINTY during Bardia
bombardment.
3rd Detached
from HMS TERROR with HMS DAINTY and joined screen for
HM Battleships WARSPITE, BARHAM and MALAYA
for bombardment
of Sidi Barrani.
Returned to Alexandria on completion.
11th Deployed
with HM Destroyers VAMPIRE, VENDETTA and STUART as
screen for
HMS EAGLE and HMS BARHAM during offensive sweep in
eastern Mediterranean.
15th Operation
cancelled and returned to Alexandria
with major units.
17th Arrived
at Alexandria.
21st Resumed Inshore Squadron deployment.
22nd Deployed
with HM Monitors TERROR and EREBUS, HM River Gunboat
LADYBIRD, HMAS
STUART and HMAS VAMPIRE for support of
the 6th Australian Division during attack on Tobruk.
(Note : Search for interception of Italian cruiser SAN GIORGIO was also
carried out.)
February At Alexandria.
7th Visited by Australian Prime Minister
during period in harbour.
12th Deployed for military support with
Inshore Squadron.
13th Deployed at Benghazi with HMAS VAMPIRE and HMAS STUART
for clearance of harbour obstructions.
15th Escorted HMS terror from Bardia to Tobruk.
19th Deployed with HMAS STUART as escort for convoy from Tobruk to
Alexandria.
March. Nominated
for escort of military convoys to and from Greece.
(Operation
LUSTRE – Reinforcement of allied forces in Greece.)
April Convoy escort duties in
continuation.
10th Escort of convoy to Piraeus.
13th Joined
escort for Convoy AS23 from Piraeus.
18th Arrived
at Alexandria and resumed Inshore Squadron duties..
(Note :
Following air attacks during passage sank two mercantiles
under
escort which
had been disabled and unable to proceed.
19th Joined HMAS STUART and HMAS WATERHEN as escort for HM Cruiser
COVENTRY and HM Supply Ship GLENGYLE during passage to Bardia
with Commando unit for raid of the port.
20th Returned to Alexandria with same ships
. 23rd Sailed from Alexandria with HMAS STUART, HM Cruisers CALCUTTA
and PHOEBE as escort for Convoy AG13 to Suda Bay for evacuation of
allied troops from Greece (Operation DEMON)
. 24th Passage to Greek coast from Suda Bay with same ships, HM Corvettes
HYACINTH and SALVIA.
24th Embarked troops and stores. Sailed for Alexandria with call at Suda Bay
to discharge troops.
29th Deployed with HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE, HMAS STUART
HM Destroyer
GREYHOUND to join other Fleet units covering passage
of convoy GA15.
May
3rd Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.
5th Escorted first relief convoy to Tobruk with HMAS WATERHEN
after the
garrison was isolated.
10th Deployed with HMAS VAMPIRE as escort for Convoy AS30 from
Suda Bay to Alexandria.
16th Deployed with HMS COVENTRY, HM Sloop AUCKLAND and HMAS
WATERHEN to take
700 troops of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
from Egypt to Timbakion, Crete
to reinforce defence of the island.
19th Returned to Alexandria.
23rd Passage to Crete with HMAS STUART and HMAS VENDETTA
(Note : HMS
FIJI was sunk after sustained air attacks on 22nd May and
rescue
operations had been delayed by fear of further losses.)
24th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.
25th Deployed
with screen for Fleet units during air attacks on Scarpanto
by
HMS FORMIDABLE.
Under air attacks.
26th Deployed
as escort for HMS FORMIDABLE with HM Destroyers DECOY,
HEREWARD and HMAS VENDETTA during
return passage to Alexandria.
June
5th Resumed Inshore Squadron deployment
for Torbay support.
Deployed with HM
Destroyers VENDETTA (RAN), WATERHEN (RAN),
VAMPIRE (RAN),
DEFENDER, DECOY, DAINTY, HM Sloops
FLAMINGO, AUCKLAND and PARRAMATTA (RAN) for supply of
stores and personnel to Tobruk garrison.
(Note : Ships were under sustained air attacks during which
HMAS
WATERHEN and HMS
AUCKLAND were sunk.
This duty
continued nightly for the remainder of ship’s service at
Alexandria.
July Tobruk support in
continuation.
13th Sailed from Tobruk for last time and arrived in Alexandria with only one
engine operational.
Nominated for return to Australia.
24th Took passage from Alexandria for Sydney
August Passage
to Darwin with calls at Aden and in Ceylon.
September
12th Arrived at Darwin.
25th Arrived at Sydney to Pay-Off for major refit.
October Taken in hand for refit at Sydney.
November Under refit.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Under
refit
to On
completion of post refit trials deployed for convoy escort and support
February
March
30th Recommissioned.
April Post refit trials and shakedown..
May Deployed for local convoy defence based at Sydney.
12th Transferred
to Fremantle for convoy defence and patrol in Indian Ocean
Australian coastal
waters.
June Fremantle deployment in
continuation.
to
August
September Nominated for support of military
operations.
20th Arrived at Darwin for support of Australian garrison
at Timor.
22nd Took
passage to Timor with troops embarked.
23rd Grounded
in Betano Bay (Position 0.11S 125.42E) whilst landing troops.
Unable to move
clear because of disembarkation activities.
24th Under air attacks and sustained major damage.
One ZERO fighter aircraft shot down
25th Demolished by crew when tow and salvage found impossible.
Ship’s company rescued by HM
Australian Minesweepers KALGOORLIE
and
WARNAMBOOL.
(Note : Crew
returned to Darwin with only seven minor casualties.)
