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1
9 3 9
September
Flagship of 8th Cruiser Squadron
based at Bermuda
with HM Cruisers YORK,
ORION
and PERTH
(RAN)
3rd
Deployed
for interception of blockade runners and
defence of Atlantic convoys.
Took passage to Halifax.
15th
Sailed
from Halifax
with HM Cruiser YORK
to join Convoys HX1 and HXF1 as Ocean
Escort.
17th
Joined
convoys to replace Local Escort by HM
Canadian Destroyers SAGUENAY
and ST
LAURENT.
20th
Detached
from Ocean Escort and resumed patrol.
22nd
Took
passage from Halifax
for patrol.
October
3rd
Arrived
at Halifax
for repair.
4th
Sailed
with HMS PERTH as escort for Convoy KJ3
during passage to Bermuda.
Relieved by HM Cruiser EFFINGHAM
and
resumed patrol.
5th
Nominated
for service in Hunting Group F with HMS YORK.
(Note: This
Group was intended for interception of
commerce raiders but did not form
because of
requirement to cover Atlantic
convoys against attack by German
battleship
DEUTSCHLAND.)
7th
Based
at Bermuda
and deployed
for patrol and search for commerce
raiders.
26th
Taken
in hand for docking and repair at Bermuda.
November
Transferred to 1st Cruiser
Squadron, Horns Fleet.
7th
Took
passage from Bermuda
to Portsmouth.
14th
Taken
in hand for repair on arrival at Portsmouth.
December
9th
Took
passage from Portsmouth
to join Squadron at Scapa
Flow.
12th
Deployed
in NW Approaches for trade defence
25th
Returned to Clyde.
30th
Resumed
patrol duties in NW Approaches.
1
9 4 0
January
Atlantic
deployment In continuation.
10th
Arrived
at Rosyth
19th
Returned
to Scapa
Flow
to resume patrol duties.
21st
Passage
from Scapa
Flow
for Northern Patrol duty.
February
29th
Returned
to Greenock.
March
Resumed Northern Patrol duties.
2nd
Intercepted
and boarded German freighter WOLFSBURG
which was on
fire.
Sank mercantile by gunfire.
5th
Intercepted
and boarded German freighter URUGUAY
which also had been set afire
by
crew and
had to be sunk by gunfire.
April
Recalled for support of planned
landings in Norway
(Operation R4).
(Note: This
operation to land troops in Norwegian
ports if Germany
carried out an invasion after
a minelay off Norway
to prevent passage of iron ore shipping
(Operation WILFRED).
Passage to
Rosyth
3rd
Embarked
1/4 Royal Lincolnshire Regiment at Rosyth
for passage to Norway.
(Note: Troops were also embarked
in
HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE, GLASGOW and YORK.)
8th
Disembarked
troops after German invasion of Norway
confirmed.
Sailed from
Rosyth with other cruisers.
Joined off Kinnaird
Head by French Cruiser Emil Bertin
, destroyers TARTU
and MAILLE BREZ
as screen.
Carried out
sweep to North East as ordered by
Admiralty with same ships.
(Note:
Operation R4 was cancelled and replaced by
the Operation RUPERT.
For details
see NARVIK by D Macintyre, THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by J Adams,
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Bamett.
and Naval Staff
History
(HMSO -2001)
Sailed to
join Home Fleet ships on passage to
Norwegian waters to cover allied
landings.
9th
After
joining HM Battleships RODNEY, VALIANT and
WARSPITE, HM Aircraft Carrier
FURIOUS
screened by
Home Fleet destroyers, came under heavy
and sustained German air
attacks
during which HM Destroyer GURKHA was sunk.
11th
Deployed
as escort for HMS FURIOUS during air
attacks on Trondheim.
On completion
joined HM Cruisers DEVONSHIRE screened by
HM Destroyers
INGLEFIELD,
ILEX, IMOGEN and ISIS
to carry cut search of Trondheim
Leads
for German
troopships.
14th
Carried
cut search in Aandsfjord
and Vaagsfjord
with HMS INGLEFIELD.
15th
Rejoined
Home Fleet ships off North
Cape.
16th
Near
missed during air attacks without
significant damage..
18th
Detached
with HMS DEVONSHIRE and HMS INGLEFIELD and
took passage to Scapa
Flow.
(Note: See
above references for details of operations
off Norway.)
23rd
Deployed
as escort for HM Aircraft Carriers ARK
ROYAL and FURIOUS with HM AA
Cruiser
CURLEW and HM Destroyers FEARLESS, FURY,
HASTY, HEREWARD, HYPERION.
and JUNO
during passage to the
Norwegian coast for air operations
(Operation DX)
.
(Note: This
was the first RN joint aircraft carrier
operation.
See CARRIER
GLORIOUS by J Winton.)
28th
Deployed
as escort for HMS ARK ROYAL during rest
period off Faeroes.
May
1st
Under
air attacks off Norway
with HMS ARK ROYAL, HMS GLORIOUS and HMS
VALIANT.
3rd
Provided
cover for HMS GLORIOUS during
continuations of DX air operations' in
place of
HMS
ARK
ROYAL.
4th
Took
return passage to UK
as escort for HMS ARK ROYAL.
8th
Joined
HMS GLASGOW, HM Destroyers FEARLESS and
FORTUNE in Clyde.
Embarked
advance party of Royal Marines for passage
to Iceland
(Operation
FORK)
(Note:
British occupation of Iceland
was carried cut to prevent German landings
following the
fall of Denmark.)
10th
Landed
Royal Marines at Reykjavik
and searched fjords for enemy activity.
Embarked German nationals for
passage
to UK
for detention.
11th
Passage
to Liverpool.
17th
Under
repair at Cammell Laird shipyard, Birkenhead.
June
Under repair.
July
22nd
Repair
work completion date.
August
4th
Sustained
damage in collision with mercantile and
returned for docking.
September
Undocked and took passage to
rejoin
Squadron.
22nd
Arrived
at Scapa
Flow
for Hone Fleet duties.
October
8th
Deployed
for interception patrol in Atlantic.
During patrol
selected for service in Mediterranean
and took passage to prepare
for foreign
service
.
in Clyde
30th
Took
passage from Clyde
with H M Battleship BARHAM, HMS GLASGOW,
HM Destroyers
GALLANT, GRIFFIN,
GREYHOUND
and ENCOUNTER to join Fleet in the Mediterranean.
(Operation
COAT)
(Note:
Designated as Force F.
HMS ARK ROYAL
also took passage to rejoin Force H at Gibraltar.)
November
6th
Arrived
at Gibraltar.
7th
Sailed
with Force F to join ships of Force H for
escort during passage to land
stores and
personnel
in Malta.)
(Note: For
details of naval operations in Mediterranean
during 1940 to 1942 see
THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre and Naval Staff
History) (HMSO-2001)
9th
Convoy
under air attack and submarine threat
which failed to make contact.
10th
Disembarked
troops and stores In Malta.
Took passage to join
Mediterranean
Fleet ships.
11th
Deployed
with HM Cruisers GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER
and YORK.
HM Destroyers HAVOCK,
HERO,
HEREWARD, JERVIS and JUNO
to provide cover during air attacks from
HM Aircraft
Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS on Italian fleet at Taranto
(Operation
JUDGEMENT).
14th
On
arrival at Alexandria
with Mediterranean Fleet joined 3rd.
Cruiser Squadron.
15th
Embarked
troops for passage to Piraeus
with HM Cruisers YORK,
GLASGOW and SYDNEY
(RAN)
25th
Passage
to Malta
with HM Battleship RAMILLIES and HM
Cruiser NEWCASTLE.
(Operation
COLLAR - Joint operation with Force H and
included the transfer of ships to Gibraltar
covered by HM
Battleships BARHAM, MALAYA,
HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE.
HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON were also on
passage to reinforce the
Mediterranean
Fleet and a mercantile convoy was on
passage to Egypt.)
27th
Met
HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD
and HMS ARK ROYAL.
Took part in
surface action against Italian Fleet units
(Battle of Spartivento.
Hit by two
8in shells in return of fire and sustained
damage to after turret.
(Note: The
only RN ship to be hit in this action. See
above references and THE NAVAL WAR
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
by J Greene and A Massignani.)
When Italian
Fleet withdrew, joined ships of Force H
with HMS RAMILLIES and HMS
NEWCASTLE
for passage
to Gibraltar.
29th
Under
repair at Gibraltar.
December
Nominated for service with
Hunting Group K for
interception of German commerce raiders.
(Note: This was subsequently
cancelled.)
18th
On
completion prepared for operational
service.
21st
Took
passage to join military convoy WS5A as
relief for HM Cruiser NAIAD.
24th
Joined HM
Cruisers DUNEDIN
and BONAVENTURE in Ocean Escort for WS5A.
(Note: HMS FURIOUS and HMS ARGUS
were
with the convoy and were taking aircraft
to
Takoradi
for flight to join RAF in Middle
East.)
25th
Convoy
came under attack by German cruiser HIPPER
at dawn and was scattered.
Engaged
HIPPER and hit by 4 shells in return fire
causing casualties.
(Note: After
structure and gun mountings damaged with
some flooding.
Troopship ss
EMPIRE TROOPER was also seriously damaged
and was
escorted
to
Ponta
Delgado, Azores.
Ships of
convoy were later re-assembled by Force H
from Gibraltar.
Considerable
confusion was caused and attempts by
carriers to carry out
air attacks
were
cancelled on
Admiralty orders. See Naval Staff
History.)
31st
Landed
wounded at Gibraltar
and taken in hand for temporary repair.
1
9 4 1
January
Under temporary repair.
5th
On
completion took passage to Portsmouth
for permanent repair.
11th
Casualty
List for December engagement published.
February
Under repair by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
to
(Note: Type 286M modified RAF
radar
fitted to provide limited warning
facility.
April
Type 284 main armament
fire-control radar
fitted.
Fit of
aircraft warning radar is recorded but to
be confirmed.
New masts to
allow later fitting of this equipment may
have been provided.
(For details
of development and use of radar in RN see
RADAR AT SEA
by
D Howse.)
20mm Oerlikon
guns fitted to improve Close
Range
defence.
Nominated for
service in 1st Cruiser Squadron, Home
Fleet.
May
Arrangements made for completion
of refit
work at Rosyth
Took
passage to Rosyth.
June
Completion of refit in
continuation by HM
Dockyard.
17th
Carried
out post refit trials.
21st
Arrived
at Scapa
Flow
for work-up.
July
On completion of work-up deployed
with
Squadron based at Rosyth.
to
(Note: Home Fleet units carried
cut
interception and convoy defence duties.
August
September
Under repair at Rosyth.
October
Repair in continuation.
15th
Rejoined
Squadron at Scapa
Flow
for Home Fleet duties.
November
1st
Deployed
as escort for HM Battleship DUKE OF YORK
with HM Destroyers ESCAPADE,
TARTAR and PUNJABI for passage
from Clyde
to Scapa
Flow
on completion of build.
3rd
Deployed
with HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM
Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM
Cruisers KENT
and SUFFOLK,
screened by five Home Fleet destroyers.
(Note: These
ships took passage to Iceland
after report of possible break-cut into Atlantic
by
German
battleships SCHEER and TIRPITZ.)
5th
Arrived
in Iceland.
17th
Deployed
with escort for Russian Convoy PQ4 with HM
Destroyers OFFA and ONSLOW
(For details
of an Russian Convoy operations see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY ! by P
Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and ARCTIC
CONVOYS
by R.
Woodman.)
27th
At Murmansk
after
arrival of PQ4.
December
Independent
return passage to UK
with RAF personnel.
Rejoined Squadron at Scapa
Flow
for Hone Fleet duties.
1
9 4 2
January
Passage
to Iceland
for patrol and interception duties with
Home Fleet units.
17th
Sailed
from Iceland
with Home Fleet units to Tromso
area
after TIRPITZ break-cut
reported
and for air
operations against coastal shipping.
Search
unsuccessful and returned to Iceland.
February
Deployed in Iceland
for interception duties and took part in
search for German
cruiser PRINZ
EUGEN and ADMIRAL SHEER reported
en
passage in North
Sea
to join
TIRPITZ.
20th
Detached
from Fleet
units to join HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS.
Joined HM
Destroyers ASHANTI,
BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, PUNJABI and ICARUS as
escort for
HMS
VICTORIOUS during air strikes.
22nd
Operation
cancelled after enemy ships reported
anchored in Aasfjord.
23rd
Rejoined
Home Fleet units.
March
Deployed
with Squadron at Scapa
Flow.
4th
Sailed
with HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS VICTORIOUS,
HM
Destroyers ONSLOW
ASHANTI,
INTREPID, ICARUS, LOOKOUT and BEDOUIN to
join HMS DUKE OF YORK,
HMS RENOWN,
HM Cruiser KENYA,
HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, ESKIMO, PUNJABI
ECHO
and ECLIPSE to provide cover
for passage of Russian convoy PQ12 and
return Convoy
QP8.
6th
Detached
to carry cut patrol south of PQ12.whilst
TIRPITZ was at sea.
9th
Rejoined
Home Fleet units during air operations
against TIRPITZ near Lofotens.
(Note: See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY. These attacks
failed and this was the
only occasion
when naval attacks were made whilst enemy
ship was at sea.)
11th
Returned
to Scapa
Flow
with Fleet units.
April
Home Fleet deployment with
Squadron for
interception and patrol duties.
to
Machinery problems required
attention.
May
Refit arranged at Devonport.
June
Passage to Plymouth.
5th
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard
Devonport.
July
Under refit.
(Note:
Surface warning radar Type 273 fitted.
Four fire-control
Radars Type 283 fitted to provide
facilities for main
armament with
AA Barrage
control.
Additional
20mm Oerlikon guns fitted.
August
On completion of post refit
trials rejoined
Squadron at Scapa
Flow
for Home Fleet duties.
September
Deployed for interception duties,
Northern Patrol in Denmark
Strait
and Atlantic convoy defence.
to
November
December
Deployed with HMS KING GEORGE V,
HM Destroyers
MUSKETEER, QUADRANT and
RAIDER to provide Distant Cover
for
passage of Russian Convoy JW51A
22nd.
On
release from JW51A cover carried out
interception patrol in Arctic.
1
9 4 3
January
Arctic deployment in
continuation.
4th
Provided
cruiser cover for passage of return Convoy
RA51 with HM Cruiser KENT
in place
of HM Cruisers JAMAICA.
19th
Detached
from covering duties and returned to Scapa
Flow.
February
Home Fleet duties with Squadron
in continuation.
Relieved HM Cruiser KENT
as Squadron flagship.
24th
Deployed
with HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and
HOWE. HM Destroyers ICARUS,
METEOR,
MUSKETEER,
OFFA, ONSLAUGHT and Polish ORP PIORUN to
provide
Distant Cover
for passage of Russian Convoy JW53.
March
Home Fleet Squadron duties for
patrol and
interception.
to
April
May
1st
Passage
to Gibraltar
with HMS
KING GEORGE V and destroyer screen for
defence of Atlantic
convoys against enemy surface
attacks.
31st
Deployed
with HMS DUKE OF YORK.
US
battleships USS ALABAMA and USS SOUTH
DAKOTA with ten US Navy
destroyers as
screen during Atlantic passage to Iceland.
June
6th
Returned
to Scapa
Flow
as escort for same USN ships with HMS
FURIOUS, HM Cruiser
SCYLLA and
destroyers from US 16th Destroyer
Division.
(Note: US
Navy ships were en loan to Home Fleet.
See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
13th
Resumed
Squadron duties at Scapa
Flow.
July
Deployed in NW Approaches.
6th
Took
passage from Iceland
with HM Cruiser NORFOLK
to join Home
Fleet units for a
diversionary
operation off Norwegian coast (Operation
CAMERA).
(Note: This
was intended to create unusual activity
during the allied landings in Sicily
(Operation
HUSKY - See the Naval Staff History,
CONVOY ! by P.
Kemp and
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY.)
July
10th
Returned
to Iceland
with Home Fleet ship
Resumed
Interception patrol duties.
Passage to Scapa
Flow
to prepare for refit.
August
Under refit at Rosyth.
to
Aircraft facilities removed.
October
Work done included
Air warning
radar outfit 279 replaced by Type 281B
using single mast position.
Fire control
radar Type 285 fitted for 4in HA
mountings.
Two Radars
Type 282 fitted for fire-control of Close
Range
weapons.
Close range
AA weapons re-sited and additional Oerlikons
fitted.
November
13th
Carried
out post refit trials before work-up.
December
Worked-up for service with
Squadron at Scapa
Flow.
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed with Home Fleet on
completion.
14th
Joined
HM Cruisers BERMUDA and KENT
to cover Russian Convoy JW56 but had
to detach later due to machinery
defect.
February
1st
Provided
covered for Russian Convoy JW56B with HMS
BERMUDA and HMS KENT.
5th
Provided
cruiser cover for returning Convoy RA56
with same ships
26th
Covered
passage of Russian Convoy JW57 with HM
Cruiser JAMAICA.
27th
Released
and resumed Squadron duties.
March
Deployed with Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
April
Home Fleet duties in NW
Approaches in
continuation.
30th
Participated
in Home Fleet exercises in preparation for
support of the Normandy
landings.
May
6th
Escorted
HMS FURIOUS and HM Escort Carrier SEARCHER
during air strikes on coast
shipping in Kristiansund
North area (Operation CROQUET).
(See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and CONVOY!)
Resumed
Squadron duties in Home Fleet.
June
Remained in NW Approaches with
Home Fleet to
provide cover for Normandy
landings
against any interference by
German
surface ship (Operation NEPTUNE).
1st
Deployed
with Home Fleet units carrying cut
shipping strike off Norway.
(Operation LOMBARD.
This was part of the
deception plans for NEPTUNE).
Remained in
NW approaches. (See Naval Staff History).
July
Home Fleet deployment in
continuation
August
Deployed with Home Fleet units
providing cover
during carrier air operations off Norway.
20th
Provided
cover with HMS DEVONSHIRE during air
attacks on TIRPITZ by HM Aircraft
Carriers
INDEFATIGABLE, FORMIDABLE, FURIOUS, HM
Escort Aircraft Carriers NABOB
and TRUMPETER
(Operation
GOODWOOD. For details see CONVOY ! and
Naval Staff History))
22nd
On
completion of air operations Fleet units
came under U-Boat attacks using acoustic
torpedoes
during which
HM Frigate BICKERTON and HMS NABOB were
hit.
(Note: HMS
BICKERTON had to be sunk by own forces and
HMS NABOB declared to be
beyond
economic repair on return to UK.)
Air attacks failed
because target obscured by smoke screen.
24th
Further
series of air attacks unsuccessful and
ships returned to Scapa
Flow.
(Note: See
CONVOY ! , HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair
and WARSHIP LOSSES by
Peter
Kemp.
September
(also
see Addenda following)
5th
Deployed
with HM Cruisers KENT
and DEVONSHIRE
to escort rms
QUEEN MARY
during
Atlantic
passage taking Prime Minister and Defence
Staff to Canada
for a meeting
with US
President
(Operation
OCTAGON).
9th
Returned
to Scapa
Flow
and resumed Home Fleet Squadron duties.
(Note: Home
Fleet units carried cut coastal shipping
attack and air minelay off
off
Norway
on 12th
September
(Operation BEGONIA).
One source
records ship took part. This requires
confirmation.)
20th
Detached
with HMS KENT
and HMS DEVONSHIRE for escort
of rms QUEEN MARY
during return passage to UK with
Prime Minister after OCTAGON conference.
October
Deployed for Home Fleet duties
with
Squadron. (also
see Addenda following)
November
(also
see Addenda following)
2nd
Provided
Ocean Escort for rms
EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA
and ss SCYTHIA
with HM
Escort
Carrier CAMPANIA,
screened by HM Destroyers CAMBRIAN,
CAPRICE,
CASSANDRA,
SCOURGE, SAUMAREZ and SERAPIS as Convoy
JW61A.
(Note: These
ships were taking 11,000 Russian nationals
captured in Normandy
back to the USSR
Norwegian troops
for planned operations to enter Norway.
(Operation FREEMAN).)
See above
references).
11th
Escorted
same merchant ships back to UK
as Convoy RA61A.
16th
Resumed
Squadron duties. Squadron duties in
continuation at Scapa
Flow.
December
Deployed
with Squadron at Scapa
Flow
for Home Fleet duties.
1
9 4 5
January
Deployed
in NW Approaches.
30th
Escorted HM Escort Carriers
CAMPANIA and
NAIRANA for air strikes on shipping off
Stadtlandet.
February
Rejoined Squadron on completion.
to
Deployed with Hone Fleet in NW
Approaches.
March
April
Returned to Rosyth.
May
16th
Passage
to Trondheim
with HM Canadian Destroyers HAIDA and
HURON accompanied
by ships of 5th
Escort Group
from Western Approaches..
17th
Arrived
at Trondheim
and made arrangements for collection of
U-Boats for passage
to UK.
(Note: Some
submarines were handed to allied navies
and the others not required
for RN use
were
destroyed in Operation DEADLIGHT.)
24th
Returned
to Rosyth.
29th
Deployed
with HM Cruiser NORFOLK
for transport of military personnel to Bergen
and
Trondheim.
June
Passage to Greenock
to embark stores and personnel
for passage to Iceland.
12th
Joined
by HM Destroyer ZEBRA and took passage to
Iceland.
16th
Disembarked
personnel and stores at Advent Fjord and
took passage to Reykjavik.
22nd
Took
passage from Reykjavik
for Portsmouth
with personnel and stores.
27th
Arrived
at Portsmouth
and transferred from Home Fleet for
trooping duties.
28th
Prepared
for new role at HM Dockyard Portsmouth.
July
21st
Took
passage to Sydney
via Colombo.
BERWICK
left
Scapa Flow and proceeded to Punta del Garda
(Azores) calling briefly at Devonport.
Meanwhile KENT (not sure about
DEVONSHIRE) escorted QUEEN MARY as far as the
Azores and returned
to the UK. After 24 hours in Punta del
Garda BERWICK took over the
escort to
Halifax, NS. The Prime Minister left the QUEEN
MARY to
attend the Ottawa Conference and the QUEEN
proceeded to New York to
disembark American casualties. BERWICK stayed
in Halifax until
rendezvousing with the QUEEN MARY to escort
her back to UK. BERWICK then
returned to Scapa Flow, then to Rosyth to
embark Norwegian troops for
the journey to Murmansk (Convoy
JW61A/RA61A). I was a member of the crew
of Berwick from November 1943 until May 1945.
Derek Whitwam, editor Russian Convoy Club of
New
Zealand, website www.russianconvoyclub.org.nz.