1943

June

Contractors trials.

25^th

Commissioned for service in 25th Destroyer Flotilla.

30^th

Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow for work-up.

July

Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

During work-up escorted troopship Ben Mycree to Faeroes

August

NW Approaches deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

14^th

Deployed as escort for HM Destroyer Onslow from Scrabster to Scapa Flow.

(Note : HMS ONSLOW was taking HM King George VI for visit to Home Fleet)

15^th

Took part in exercise demonstration by Home Fleet ships for Royal visitor.)

On completion of work-up took passage to Rosyth for boiler clean.

September

Deployed for interception of enemy coastal convoys in Bay of Biscay and English Channel with HM Sloop Crane, HM Destroyer Grenville and HM Cruiser Phoebe.

October

Deployed in English Channel, based at Plymouth with HM Destroyer Grenville.

3rd

Carried out attack on coastal convoy defended by destroyers Operation Tunnel).

(Note : During this operation in which HMS Grenville and three Hunt Class

Destroyers took part, ship was damaged by two shell hits.

HMS Grenville was also damaged, set on fire and came under friendly

fire. See “Friend or Foe” by P Kemp. “Hold The Narrow Sea” by P Smith for details of the ill-planned and very poorly executed series of operations, during one of these on October 23rd HM Cruiser Charybdis was sunk with heavy loss of life.

Under repair.

November

Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean.

12^th

Took passage from Plymouth with HM Destroyers Rocket and Tumult as escort for HM Battlecruiser Renown.

(Note: This cruiser had Mr Winston Churchill embarked for passage to Malta)

17^th

Independent passage to Malta with call at Algiers.

18^th

Escorted HM Cruiser London during passage from Malta to Alexandria.

(Note: HMS London was to collect UK Defence Chiefs for return to UK after international conference in Egypt.)

20^th

Deployed with Flotilla in Adriatic for support of military operations.

23^rd

Damaged during support operation by return shore fire and forward structure holed above waterline. Due to the high speed extensive flooding of all forward compartments caused the ship to take on an 8 degree heel to starboard.

December

On completion of repair took passage to rejoin Flotilla for convoy defence Deployed with HM Destroyers Rocket and Grenville.

25^th

At Algiers.

31^st

Deployed at Bari for anti-submarine operations in Adriatic.

1944

January

(Note : Ship was not directly involved in support of allied at Anzio on 22nd January as no Battle Honour was awarded.

See “Engage The Enemy More Closely” by Corelli Barrett and Naval Staff

History for details of the Operation to land allied troops near Rome.

February

Adriatic duties in continuation.

Nominated for return to Home Fleet duties with Flotilla for support of planned allied landings

in Normandy. (Operation Neptune)

March

Deployed for defence of convoys on passage to Anzio.

24^th

At Naples.

29^th

Carried out anti-submarine operations and took part in the attacks on U223

Returned to Palermo to replenish stocks of depth charges.

April

Took passage to Scapa Flow after boiler clean at Naples.

May

Rejoined Flotilla in Hone Fleet.

Joined Force G of Eastern Task Force with HM Destroyers Ursa, Undaunted, Ulysses, Undine, Urchin, Urania and Grenville of Flotilla.

(Note: HM Destroyers Jervis, Cattistock, Cottesmore, Pytchley, and Polish Orp Krakowiak also were part of Force G.)

Took part in preparatory exercises with ships of Force "G" including exercises in NW

Approaches with Bombarding Forces E and K.

(Note: Bombarding Force K comprised -HM Cruisers Orion, Ajax, Argonaut, Emerald and Dutch Gunboat Flores.

Bombarding Force E comprised HM Cruisers Belfast and Diadem.)

Passage to Clyde for escort of Bombarding Force E to Channel

June

3^rd

Escorted HM Cruisers Belfast and Diadem from Clyde as Convoy G14.

4^th

Operation delayed 24 hours.

5^th

Sailed from Solent as escort for Convoy G14 during passage through swept channel.

6^th

On arrival at Beachhead took position off GOLD Beach and provided naval gun fire support for assault landings.

9^th

Grounded during gunfire support and returned to Portsmouth for inspection suspected damage to underwater fittings

10^th

Inspection revealed port propeller missing and damage to starboard propeller.

15^th

Repair arranged at commercial shipyard in Cardiff.

22^nd

Arrived at Cardiff for repair.

July

On completion of repair resumed Flotilla duties in Home Waters to (Note: One source suggests deployment in Channel in this period)

August

September

Home waters deployment in continuation.

(Note: To be confirmed as some of Flotilla were serving in the Mediterranean and others in Home waters.)

Nominated for service with Flotilla in Far East.

Passage for refit

October

Taken in hand for refit during which extensive changes were made.

(Note : New design Lattice foremast fitted in place of earlier Tripod type.

Radar Type 276 for surface warning replaced with associated Type 242 IFF

Outfit fitted in place of Type 272 fitted during build.

Some ships in Flotilla had fire control radar Type 282 fitted for Close range armament.

IFF equipment was also fitted for Type 291 Radar.

For details of development and use of radar see “Radar at sea” by D Hawse.)

Nov – Dec

Under refit.

1945

January

On completion of post refit trials prepared for foreign service.

to

Passage to Join British Pacific Fleet via Mediterranean.

February

Worked up for operational service in Mediterranean

March

On arrival took part in preparatory exercises with ships of British Pacific Fleet.

Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to “D” to confirm with US System of identification for destroyers.

Passage from Sydney as part of Task Force 113 to main RN operating base at Manus, Admiralty Islands.

7^th

Arrived at Manus with Task Force 113.

15^th

After delay by US Joint Chief of Staff approval given for British Pacific Fleet ships to join US 5th Fleet as Task Force 57 for operations against airfields in Sakishima-Gunto Group islands (Operation Iceberg One).

18^th

Sailed from Manus to Join 7th Fleet at Ulithi

20^th

Arrived at Ulithi.

23^rd

Sailed for operational area as part of Task Force 57.

Deployed as Task Group 57.8 with HM Cruiser Euryalus, HM Destroyers

Grenville, Undine, Urania and Undaunted of 25th Flotilla, HM Destroyers Quickmatch, Quiberon, Queenborough and Quality of 4th Flotilla and

HM Destroyers Wager and Whelp of the 27th Flotilla.

Other ships in Task Force 57 were HM Battleship King George V (Task Group 57.1),

HM Aircraft Carriers Indomitable and Illustrious. (Task Group 57.2)

HM Cruisers Swiftsure, Gambia, Black Prince and Argonaut (Task Group 57.5)

25^th

Refuelled from Replenishment Group with delays.

26^th

Arrived in operational area and joined ships of US Task Force 58.

Escorted Fleet units during attacks by British carrier aircraft on airfields. (Note: Operation Iceberg One was in support of US landings on Okinawa.)

28^th

Withdrew for replenishment.

31st

Resumed Fleet screening duties in operational area.

April

1^st

Damaged by near miss from 5001b bomb jettisoned by Zeke aircraft being pursued by Seafire aircraft. Major damage to Engine Room and After Boiler Room. Two personnel killed and one seriously injured. Ship disabled but armament still available. (Note:4 casualties are recorded for this ship during WW2.)

Taken in tow to Leyte by HM Cruiser Gambia

6th

Under temporary repair at Leyte in dry dock.

(Note: Temporary repairs to null structure were carried out by US Navy personnel and machinery