1 9 3 9
August Carried out trials prior to re-commissioning.
Nominated for trade defence duties on mobilisation of the Fleet.
September
1st Re-commissioned at Sydney.
10th Deployed with HM Australian Cruisers AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA in search off
Gabo Island for minelayers.
On completed deployed for convoy escort.
October Convoy escort in continuation.
to Nominated for service in Western Force based at Fremantle for ocean escort duties.
November
December Joined Western Force.
13th Relieved HM Australian Cruiser Sydney as escort for troopship STRATHALLAN
Returned to Fremantle.
(Note: This troopship was taking 2nd Australian Imperial Force to Middle East.)
1 9 4 0
January Under refit at Sydney.
February
22nd On completion joined Eastern Force in place of HMAS SYDNEY.
March Escort duty off Eastern and Southern Australia
April
15th Part of escort with HM Battleship RAMILLIES for troopships ETTRICK, NEURALIA,
STRATHAIRD and DUNERA from Melbourne to Fremantle.
21st Detached from troopships and returned to Sydney.
May Eastern Force escort duties in Australian waters in continuation.
to August
September
2nd Took passage from Sydney with Free French minister to Vila, New Hebrides.
(Note: This representative to become Governor of the French colony at Noumea.)
7th Arrived at Vila.
16th Took passage from Vila for Noumea as escort for Norwegian tanker NORDEN.
19th Landed Governor at Noumea
Ordered to remain at Noumea as Vichy French Sloops DURVILLE and AMIRAL
CHARNER were known to be in the area.
20th Carried out patrol off Noumea.
October Deployed at Noumea.
5th Took passage to return to Sydney.
8th Resumed duty with Eastern Force on arrival at Sydney.
21st Sailed from Sydney to carry out patrol 120 miles SE of Gabo Island after commerce
raider was reported.
November Patrol duty in continuation.
6th Returned to Sydney.
8th Despatched from Sydney to carry out search for minelayer after sinking of ss
CAMBRIDGE.
10th Returned to Sydney after fruitless search.
(Note: Mines were laid by German commerce raider ORION.)
Deployed as escort for mail steamer during initial part of passage to Vancouver.
December
2nd Transferred escort duty to HM Australian Cruiser ACHILLES off North Cape,
Took passage to Sydney.
On arrival taken in hand for refit.
1 9 4 1
January Under refit.
to March On completion of post refit trials resumed duties with Eastern Force.
April Deployed for escort of convoys between Brisbane and Rabaul, New Guinea.
to August
September Convoy escort in continuation.
25th Escorted steamer from Melbourne to Chatham Island.
30th Arrived in Auckland after detaching from steamer.
October Return passage to Sydney.
Resumed duties in Eastern Force.
November Convoy escort in Australian waters in continuation.
December
14th Escorted troop convoy from Darwin to Ambon, Java.
17th Detached on arrival and returned to Sydney
1 9 4 2
January
3rd Escorted trans-Tasman Sea convoy from Sydney to meet RNZN trawlers
8th Detached after transfer and returned to Sydney.
(Note: Only two such convoys were carried out.)
29th Transferred to ANZAC Force with HM Australian Cruisers AUSTRALIA,
CANBERRA, HOBART and PERTH, HM Australian Destroyers STUART,
VOYAGER, VENDETTA, HM Australian Sloop MORESBY, H M Australian Armed
Merchant Cruisers KANIMBLA, MANOORA and WESTRALIA,HM New Zealand
Cruisers ACHILLES and LEANDER.
(Note: This was in implementation of a decision made at a conference in Washington
to establish a naval force in the north eastern part of the Australia Station
See WAR WITH JAPAN Volume III (HMSO).)
February Nominated for escort of tanker convoy and took passage to Tanjong Priok, Java
3rd Deployed as escort for Convoy MS4 during passage from Java to Fremantle.
On arrival at Fremantle took passage to Java for duty with ANZAC Force.
22nd Met HMAS VENDETTA off Java as escort of convoy during passage to Fremantle.
March ANZAC Force deployment for convoy escort in Australian waters.
to May (Note: Evacuation of allied troops from Dutch East Indies involved escort of convoys
search for individual ships making independent passage.)
Nominated for duty with SW Pacific Area Force.
June Deployed for escort of convoys in area during passage between USA and Australia.
to October
November Transferred for convoy escort in Indian Ocean.
(Note: German blockade runner RAMSEES was known to be on passage from Japan.)
24th Escorted military Convoy OW1 with Dutch cruiser HEEMSKERK during passage in
Indian Ocean from Fremantle.
26th Intercepted RAMSEES in position 23.20S 99.13E (700 miles south of Cocos Islands).
Engaged enemy ship which was scuttling and sank her with gunfire.
28th On relief by HM Cruiser GAMBIA as escort for OW1 took passage to return to
Fremantle.
December Indian Ocean and Australia waters convoy escort in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed at Fremantle for convoy defence.
February Passage from Fremantle to meet military convoy from Aden.
(Note: PAMPHLET Convoy included rms QUEEN MARY, AQUITANIA, QUEEN
OF BERMUDA, French liner ILE DE FRANCE and Dutch liner
AMSTERDAM. It was carrying 9th Australian Division returning from the
Middle East for service in Pacific area following the Japanese advance through
Dutch East Indies.).
17th Joined escort for PAMPHLET Convoy.
(Note: Escort from Aden included HM Battleships REVENGE, RESOLUTION and
WARSPITE, Dutch cruisers HEEMSKERK and TROMP with destroyers.)
18th PAMPHLET Convoy arrived at Fremantle
19th Escorted PAMPHLET Convoy during passage from Fremantle with Dutch
Cruisers HEEMSKERK, TROMP and Dutch destroyer TJERKHIDDES
On arrival at Sydney detached from PAMPHLET convoy.
March Coastal convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Coastal convoy defence in continuation.
to
February
March
11th Escorted convoy from Melbourne to Albany, Western Australia.
20th Returned with Submarine tenders as escort for passage to Sydney.
April Coastal convoy defence in continuation based at Fremantle.
May Nominated for support of Eastern Fleet operation and took passage from
Fremantle to Exmouth Gulf (Operation COCKPIT).
14th Deployed as Guardship for Tanker Force assembled at Exmouth Gulf
for replenishment of Eastern Fleet ships prior to air attacks on targets
at Sabang in Sumatra. See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
19th Took passage from Exmouth Gulf to Melbourne on completion of COCKPIT
deployment.
Resumed coastal convoy defence duty.
June Deployed for coastal convoy defence
to Nominated for withdrawal from operational duty.
November
December Deployed at Melbourne pending passage to Sydney
1 9 4 5
January Passage from Melbourne to Sydney.
Deployed at Sydney.
February Sydney deployment in continuation.
to To be Paid-off.
April
May
13th Paid off and destored.
June At Sydney awaiting decision re future use
to
August
