1 9 1 7
November Contractors trials.
December Commissioned. for service in Grand
Fleet.
14th Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
1 9 1 8
January On completion of trials and
storing took passage to Harwich to join 5th Light
Cruiser
Squadron.
February Prepared for operational service
with Squadron.
March Deployed in North Sea for
Squadron duties
to
October
November Squadron duties in continuation.
11th Germany signed Armistice.
December Nominated for service in Baltic
1 9 1 9
January Passage to Baltic with other
ships of Squadron to relieve Baltic Squadron which had been
deployed in
November 1918 to assist in defence of Baltic States against
Bolshevik troops.
Entered Baltic
via Kiel Canal.
February Deployed in Baltic.
to Nominated for
transfer to 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, Atlantic Fleet on return to UK.
April
May Joined Squadron for
Atlantic Fleet service.
to Nominated for
reduction to Reserve status.
June Passage to Devonport.
July Reduced to Reserve at
Devonport.
August Laid-up
in Reserve Fleet at Chatham
to
December
1 9 2 0
January Transferred to Reserve Fleet
at Rosyth.
to Nominated for
service in 5th Light Cruiser Squadron on China Station..
March
April Prepared for service.
27th Commissioned for service at Rosyth
May Carried out sea trials
and work-up.
June Passage to Singapore to join Squadron
July Joined Squadron.
August Deployed with Squadron on China Station.
to
December
1 9 2 1
China Station deployment with Squadron in continuation.
1 9 2 2
January Squadron deployment on
China Station in continuation.
to Nominated for
service with 8th Light Cruiser Squadron on America and West Indies Station
August
September Passage to UK to recommission.
October Paid-off.
November Prepared for recommissioning at Chatham.
24th Recommissioned for service on America and West Indies Station
December Passage to West Indies.
1 9 2 3
Deployed with
8th Light Cruiser Squadron
(Note: Briefly
deployed with HM Battlecruisers REPULSE, and HOOD as part of escort
during passage
in Atlantic for Royal Tour by HM The Prince of Wales.)
1 9 2 4 t o 1 9 2 6
West Indies Squadron deployment in continuation.
(Note: Ships of
Squadron carried out visits programme to ports in both North and South
America in Atlantic and Pacific as well Squadron
exercises
Based at Bermuda.)
1 9 2 7
January Returned to UK and Paid-off into Reserve
to Nominated for
service as a troopship
April
1928
January China
Station deployment in continuation
to Nominated for return to UK for refit and to Pay-off into
Reserve.
June
July Passage
to UK.
August Arrived at Chatham
September
15th Paid off into Dockyard control at Chatham.
Taken in hand for refit by HM
Dockyard, Chatham.
October Under refit
to
December
1 9 2 9
January Under
refit
to Nominated for service with 3rd Cruiser
Squadron Mediterranean Fleet
on completion
July of
refit.
August Dockyard
work completed and re-commissioned.
September Passage
to join Squadron in Mediterranean on completion of post
refit
trials and shakedown.
October Deployed
with Squadron in Mediterranean.
1930 to 1932
Deployed with Squadron in Mediterranean and took part in Fleet Exercise and
Visits
programmes.
Routine
dockings and refits were carried out in Malta.
1933
January Mediterranean
deployment with Squadron in continuation.
to Nominated for reduction to Reserve
July
August Passage
to Sheerness
22nd Paid-off at Chatham.
September Re-allocated for further service
23rd Re-commissioned for service with 1st Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean
Fleet.
October On
completion of trials took passage to join Squadron in Malta.
November Deployed
with Squadron for Mediterranean Fleet duties.
to
December
1934
to 1935
Mediterranean Fleet service with
Squadron in continuation
1 9 3 6
January Squadron deployment in Mediterranean
in continuation.
to Nominated for return
to UK for conversion as an Anti-aircraft Cruiser.
September
October Passage to Chatham to Pay-off into Dockyard control
November Taken in hand for conversion by HM
Dockyard, Chatham
to (Note: This ship and
HM Cruiser COVENTRY were the prototypes for a new design of
December warship specifically intended to
provide defence against air attacks. Changes made
Included the
replacement of the existing armament by ten single 4" AA guns and the
provision of two
multiple 2pdr Pom Pom mountings. Fire control of new weapons
was provided by
new control platforms on foremast and on new superstructure aft.
Under conversion
at Chatham.
1 9 3 7
January Under conversion.
to Commissioned for
trials.
April
May On completion of
dockyard work carried out trials on new equipment.
Deployed with
10th Cruiser Squadron
June Attended Coronation
Review by HM King George VI at Spithead.
July Trials in continuation
with Home Fleet.
to
December
1 9 3 8
January On completion of trials
nominated for service as Boys Training Ship at Chatham.
to
July
August Commissioned for service as
Training Ship at Chatham.
September Deployed at Chatham for training duties.
to
December
1 9 3 9
January Training Ship deployment at Chatham in continuation
to Nominated for
installation of prototype aircraft warning radar outfit Type 79Z
July (Note: This was the first RN designed radar and had been under
development by HM Signal
School Extension
at Southsea since 1936.
An earlier
version Type 79Y had been fitted in HM Battleship RODNEY and HM
Cruiser SHEFFIELD
during 1938.
It had been
intended to fit this improved version in HM Cruiser DUNEDIN at
Portsmouth.)
August Installation of radar in hand
at Chatham,
(Note: Changes
were needed to both masts to accommodate the radar
aerial units.)
War complement
joined ship
September Conversion including docking in
continuation
23rd Refit and installation work completed.
25th Arrived at Portland after radar trials on passage.
October
1st Took
passage to Scapa Flow to continue work-up and radar trials.
3rd Deployed at Scapa
Flow.
21st On completion of work-up deployed with Home Fleet.
(Note: Major
Fleet units had been transferred to Loch Ewe after sinking of HM
Battleship ROYAL
OAK on 14th.)
30th On completion of trials took passage to Rosyth
November
2nd Returned to Scapa
Flow from Rosyth for Fleet
deployment.
5th Deployed as escort for convoy in North Sea.
10th Sailed from Scapa
Flow for convoy air defence
duties in North Sea.
24th Took passage from Grimsby for air defence duties.
28th Arrived at Chatham.
December At Chatham.
9th Sailed from Chatham to Scapa Flow to resume Home Fleet duties.
12th Under repair at Invergordon. Resumed Fleet duties on
completion.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed for air defence
duties in North Sea.
Nominated for
transfer to 1st AA Squadron with Humber Force
16th Took passage to Humber with call at Rosyth.
21st Deployed with Humber Force for convoy defence in North Sea.
February Humber Force deployment in
continuation.
to
March
April
8th Transferred to Scapa
Flow for duty with Home Fleet
after German invasion of Norway,
Deployed with
Fleet units to provide air defence cover during support of military operations.
9th Passage to Norway to join Fleet Units for air defence.
16th Deployed at Namsos to provide AA defence during landings
(Operation MAURICE)
(Note: Arrival
as escort to military convoy had been delayed.)
19th Deployed at Namsos to provide air defence during landing of
French troops.
21st Return passage to Scapa
Flow.
23rd Deployed with HM Aircraft Carriers GLORIOUS and ARK ROYAL, HM Cruiser
BERWICK and
screen of six Home Fleet destroyers during passage
to Narvik to provide
air defence
(Operation DX.)
(Note: The
aircraft carriers were also taking RAF GLADIATOR fighter aircraft for use in
Norway
24th Under heavy and sustained air attacks which caused some
damage.
28th Relieved by HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD.
May
1st Detached from air defence duties off Norway and took passage to
Scapa Flow
for repair and replenishment.
5th Resumed air defence duties off Norway
Deployed with
HMS ARK ROYAL, HMS GLORIOUS, HMS BERWICK and Fleet
destroyers in
support of military operations.
24th Deployed as AA Guardship at Ofotfjord.
to
25th
26th Under air attack whilst on passage off Skutenes, Lavangfjord
near Narvik and hit by
stick of bombs.
Sank in position
67.32N 16.37E in Lavang Fjord. (Casualty List -
note on casualties)
(Note: The loss
of this valuable ship one of few with an aircraft warning radar outfit
deprived the
Fleet of invaluable air cover at a critical stage of the Norwegian
campaign.
For details of
the disastrous operations off Norway during April. May and June
see NARVIK by D
Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton, THE
DOOMED
EXPEDITION by J Adams and Naval Staff History (HMSO –2001).
