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Career information

Capt Gerald Yates left HMS Ameer 9/7/44 to the sick list. Between the commands of HMS Penelope & HMS Ameer he was Superintendent of Flinders Naval Depot 12/40-12/42.

Light cruiser HMS Penelope (97)

28 Aug 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Having completed a refit at the Portsmouth Dockyard, HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar. She was to join the Mediterranean Fleet. (1)

31 Aug 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) made a very short stop at Gibaltar. She then departed for Malta. (1)

2 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Malta. (2)

3 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Malta for Alexandria. (2)

5 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Alexandria. (2)

8 Sep 1939
During 8/9 September 1939, HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN), conducted independent exercises off Alexandria. These included night exercises. (2)

14 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) and HMS Coventry (Capt. R.F.J. Onslow, OBE, DSC, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. These included night exercises. (3)

20 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.R. Moore, CB, DSO, CVO, RN) and HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Alexandria to patrol south of the Otranto Straits. Before proceeding on patrol they first carried out exercises. (4)

25 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.R. Moore, CB, DSO, CVO, RN) and HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Malta from patrol. (4)

26 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.R. Moore, CB, DSO, CVO, RN) and HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Malta to patrol off the Kithera Channel. (4)

30 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.R. Moore, CB, DSO, CVO, RN) and HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Alexandria from patrol. (4)

12 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) conducted independent exercises off Alexandria. (5)

19 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) conducted independent exercises off Alexandria. (5)

8 Nov 1939
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. At sea she joined HMS Galatea (Capt. E.G.H. Bellars, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN) which was already at sea returning from Haifa to Alexandria.

They arrived at Alexandria in the evening. (6)

11 Nov 1939
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Alexandria for contraband patrol in the Aegean. (7)

23 Nov 1939
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Malta from contraband patrol. (6)

25 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is docked at Malta. (6)

28 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is undocked. (6)

2 Dec 1939
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Malta for a contraband patrol in the Aegean. (8)

12 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Malta from patrol. (9)

16 Dec 1939
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Malta from patrol. (9)

26 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Malta for a contraband patrol in the Aegean. On deparure from Malta some gunnery exercises were carried out with the 4" guns. (8)

5 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Malta for the UK. HMS Penelope is to join the Home Fleet. (10)

7 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Gibraltar. (10)

8 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Gibraltar for Portsmouth. (10)

11 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Portsmouth for a short refit before she was to be sent to the north to join the Home Fleet. (10)

1 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) shifted from the Portsmouth Dockyard to Spithead. (11)

3 Feb 1940
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Spithead for Rosyth via the Irish Sea. (11)

4 Feb 1940
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) anchored off the Isle of Man. She is unable to proceed further due to heavy fog. (11)

5 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) continued her passage to Rosyth. (11)

7 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) arrived at Rosyth. (11)

14 Feb 1940

Operation DT.

Interception of German merchant vessels off Norway.

The light cruisers HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral R.H.C. Hallifax, RN), HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) and the destroyers HMS Cossack (Capt. P.L. Vian, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Sikh (Cdr. J.A. Giffard, RN), HMS Intrepid (Cdr. R.C. Gordon, RN) and HMS Ivanhoe (Cdr. P.H. Hadow, RN) departed Rosyth for operationed off the Norwegian coast. They were to intercept German merchant vessels in the vicinity off Kristiansand and then sweep northwards.

On departure from Rosyth, HMS Penelope fouled the boom and damaged her propellers. She was therefore unable to sail and the other ships departed without her.

On the 16th the ships on operation DT were ordered to pintecept the German supply vessel (tanker) Altmark which had British prisoners on board from ships which had been intercepted by the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.

At 1424/16, HMS Arethusa sighted the Altmark and HMS Intrepid and HMS Ivanhoe were ordered to intercept the Altmark inside Norwegian territorial waters. This was however prevented by the Norwegian escort of the German ship which then entered the Josing Fiord.

HMS Cossack then also entered the fiord and negociations with the Norwegians started. Captain Vian demanded the release of the English prisoners. This was signalled to the Admiralty in Cossack's signal timed 1616/16. HMS Cossack was at that time in position 58°19'N, 06°20'E.

At 1632/16, HMS Cossack reported that the Altmark was being examined by a Norwegian 'gunboat' and that another 'gunboat' had a torpedo tube aimed at the Cossack. [The two 'gunboats' were in fact the old Norwegian torpedo boats Kjell and Skarv.]

At 1757/16, HMS Cossack reported to the Admiralty that the Commanding Officer of the Norwegian torpedo boat Kjell reported that the Altmark had been examined at Bergen on the 15th and that the ship was not armed and no British prisoners had been encountered on the ship. HMS Cossack had now retired from the fiord and was outside territorial waters and was awaiting instructions.

At 2007/16, HMS Cossack reported to the Admiralty that the German tanker Baldur (5805 GRT, built 1929) [actually this was not a tanker but a merchant vessel with a cargo of iron ore] had been intercepted by HMS Ivanhoe off the fiord and that the German merchant vessel was being scuttled by her own crew.

HMS Cossack entered the fiord around 2100/16. The Norwegians were told it was the British intention to board the Altmark and the Norwegians were invented to join them in doing so but they refused. At 2215/16, HMS Cossack went alongside the Altmark which grounded during the action. A boarding party of three officers and thirty ratings then boarded the German ship. A fight then erupted with the German crew and seven Germans were killed. The boarding party then found and released the English prisoners on board the Altmark. After they had boarded the Cossack she returned to sea to join the rest of the squadron.

The destroyers then proceeded to return to Rosyth where they arrived on the 17th. HMS Cossack had first landed the British prisoners from the Altmark at Leith.

HMS Aretusa proceeded to join the cover force for convoy HN 12. (12)

18 Feb 1940
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is docked in No.3 dock at Rosyth for repairs. (11)

22 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is undocked. (11)

24 Feb 1940
HMS Aurora (Capt. L.H.K. Hamilton, DSO, RN) and HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Rosyth to patrol in the northern North Sea to provide cover during several convoy operations to and from Norway.

The cruisers returned to Rosyth on 4 March. (13)

13 Mar 1940
Around 1100A/13, HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN), HMS Aurora (Capt. L.H.K. Hamilton, DSO, RN), HMS Galatea (Capt. B.B. Schofield, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral G.F.B. Edward-Collins, CB, KCVO, RN) and HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow and the Clyde.

Around 1945/13, HMS Aretusa and HMS Penelope parted company with the other ships and proceeded to Scapa Flow where they arrived around 2330A/13.

HMS Aurora and HMS Galatea arrived in the Clyde around 1830A/14. (14)

20 Mar 1940

Operation DU.

Anti-shipping raid into the Skagerrak and the Northern part of the Bight.

Around 2330/20, the light cruisers HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN), HMS Aurora (Capt. L.H.K. Hamilton, DSO, RN), HMS Galatea (Capt. B.B. Schofield, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral G.F.B. Edward-Collins, CB, KCVO, RN) and HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) and the destroyers HMS Fame (Cdr. P.N. Walter, RN), HMS Firedrake (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Norris, DSC, RN), HMS Foresight (Lt.Cdr. G.T. Lambert, RN), HMS Foxhound (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Peters, RN), HMS Mashona (Cdr. W.H. Selby, RN), HMS Matabele (Cdr. G.K. Whitmy-Smith, RN), HMS Sikh (Cdr. J.A. Giffard, RN) and HMS Somali (Capt. R.S.G. Nicholson, DSO, DSC, RN) departed Scapa Flow for Operation DU, an anti-shipping raid into the Skagerrak and the Northern part of Bight.

At 1000/21, the force was in position 59°28'N, 01°54'E and at 1800/21 in position 58°06'N, 05°15'E. During the afternoon the wind was strong from the south-east and the sea moderate to rough but by 2200/21 both had decreased and the visibility was maximum.

By 1930/21, two groups had been formed.
'Force B' was made up of the Galatea, Arethusa, Firedrake, Foxhound, Sikh and Somali. while 'Force C' was made up of the Aurora (SO), Penelope, Fame, Foresight, Mashona and Matabele.
Force C was stationed two miles astern of Force B and each force took up the night cruising formation that had been ordered. Force C had been ordered to act independently from 2000/21, when the whole force arrived in position 270°, Lister lighthouse, 12 miles, and was seen overtaking Force B at 2038/21 steering 143° steering for Thyborøn, Denmark.

Force B set course 143° at 17 knots for 26 miles to pass 16 miles off Lindesnes in order to avoid being sighted by any patrol or shipping close inshore.

At 2127/21, Force C was observed to the south-westward examining by searchlight a vessel showing its navigation lights.

At 2145/21, Force B altered course to 108° towards position 'T' which was 57°30'N, 08°23'E. The light of several steamers steering to the westwards were seen to the northward between 2230 and 2300/21. It was however Vice-Admiral Tovy's plan to proceed to position 'T' unobserved so no destroyers were detached to investigate them.

At 2223/21, HMS Arethusa intercepted a message from the German merchant vessel Heddernheim (4947 GRT, built 1921) and reported her bearing to be 034° first class. From the latest information (Admiralty's signal 1227/21), it seemed probable that this ship was the only large ship laden with iron ore which was south of Haugesund this night. It was possible she might steer for the Skaw. Vice-Admiral Tovey therefore changed the operations plan and altered course to 040° and increased speed to 20 knots at 2327/21 so as to intercept this merchant vessel off Oksøy about 0030/22.

Oskøy lighthouse was sighted at 0024/22 bearing 026° and at 0031/22 a ship, showing dimmed navigation lights was sighted but it proved to be the Danish merchant vessel Viborg (2028 GRT, built 1919). At 0044/22, course was altered to 245° to search westwards at 15 knots. It was not until 0059/22 that the Admiralty signal 2317/21 was received which stated that the Heddernheim had been stopped by the submarine HMS Ursula 8 miles east of the Skaw. No cause for the large error in the D/F bearing of HMS Arethusa has been found.

During the rest of the night Force B patrolled off Ryvingen and searched westwards along the coast. HMS Firedrake and HMS FoxhoundHMS Somali and HMS Sikh parted company at 0223/22 to search close inshore. They did not rejoin until daylight. At 0501/22, HMS Firedrake and HMS Foxhound were again detached to investigate ships and at 0545/22, HMS Firedrake reported that she sighted Force C bearing 135° returning to make rendezvous with Force B. They came back from the area of Hantsholm.

At daybreak the weather was overcast, wind was east force 4, visibility was good. Force B encountered a few merchant vessels which were examined.

At 0646/22, HMS Sikh and HMS Somali were sighted bearing 080°, 6 miles. Force C rejoined at 0658/22. At 0730/22, the combined force in the agreed rendezvous position and was steering 321°, speed 19 knots.

Both HMS Sikh and HMS Somali had sighted several merchant vessels. Some might have been German but they could not be closed in time and and could not be inspected as they were also in territorial waters.

At 0805/22, it was snowing heavily, and the visibility was reduced at times to two miles. Windwas east-south-east, force 2. The combined force was sweeping up the coast of Norway at 19 knots.

At 0915/22, HMS Galatea sighted a torpedo track but investigation left little doubt that it had not been a torpedo but a fish as a large school of black fish was seen.

At 0922/22, HMS Somali reported a German vessel ahead and was ordered to capture her but not to enter territorial waters. HMS Somali fired a gun to bring the ship to, but was not able to stop her before she reached territorial waters. When the ship was one mile off the shore, the crew were seen to take to the boats. It is not known whether they had scuttled their ship. At 0932/22, HMS Somali was ordered to rejoin the force. On her return HMS Somali reported that the German vessel was the Butt (800 GRT, built 1909), homeport Bremen.

At 0948/22, HMS Firedrake was detached to examine a merchant vessel making a lot of smoke. At 0955/22, HMS Firedrake reported that it was a Danish merchant vessel.

At 1020/22, HMS Somali reported two merchant vessels ahead. HMS Somali then proceeded ahead to investigate. She rejoined at 1048 and reported that both vessels were also Danish.

At noon, HMS Somali spoke two more Danish vessels. Weather was now overcast, wind south, force 2, visibility maximum.

At 1203/22, a small warship very close inshore was sighted by HMS Galatea. It was identified as a Norwegian torpedo boat.

At 1212/22, in position 197°, 8 miles, Utsire lighthouse, course was altered to 263° in ordered tht it should appear from shore that the force was returning to Scapa Flow.

At 1315/22, course was altered to 240° and to 162° at 1340/22 and speed was adjusted to pass trough the following positions, 58°25'N, 04°28'E at 1600/22 and 58°06'N, 05°15'E. During the afternoon the wind freshened from the south-eastward, to force 6, and the sea became rather rough.

Vice-Admiral Tovey's intentions for the night were that the two forces were to be stationed 15 miles apart to avoud sight one another during the night. Both forces were to move 30 miles westward at 0130/23 so that whatever delay had occurred owing to investigations and boardings, they would still be at least 15 miles apart.

At 1810/22, Force C was ordered to take station 15 miles 270° from HMS Galatea.

At 1915/22, Force B took up night cruising formation, HMS Somali and HMS Sikh on the port quarter, HMS Foxhound and HMS Firedrake on the starboard quarter.

At 2050/22, the sky was overcast, visibility good, wind south-east, force 5, sea rough but decreasing.

About 2200/22, when 5 miles south of Lindesnes, HMS Galatea sighted a merchant vessel which turned out to be Danish and HMS Foxhound sighted a Norwegian merchant vessel.

The sweep was continued troughout the night according to plan and without incident. The wind at 0200 was east-southeast force 4, sky clear, slight east-south-east swell, visibility good. Around 0500/3, the force ran into rather rough water.

At 0610/23, when south of the approach to Farsund, HMS Foxhound was detached to investigate a large merchant ship which was found out to be Swedish.

At 0713/23, Force B sighted Force C and at 0740/23 the whole force was in formation again. Course was set to 272°, speed 22 knots.

The weather deteriorated rapidly. There were heavy snow showers and a south-easterly gale blowing by 0900/23.

At 1143/23, HMS Aurora and all destroyers were detached to Scapa Flow. Visibility was then about 1.5 miles. The three remaining cruisers altered course and proceeded to Rosyth where they arrived around 0030/24.

HMS Aurora and the destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow around 1130/24. (15)

11 Apr 1940
Around 0030/11, reports were received from Norwegian sources which indicated that a German tanker and possibly a warship were at Bodø. Therefore the light cruiser HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) and destroyers HMS Eskimo (Cdr. St.J.A. Micklethwait, DSO, RN) and HMS Kimberley (Lt.Cdr. R.G.K. Knowling, RN), which were patrolling off the Vestfjord were ordered to Bodø to attack the reported German ships.

At 1441/11, while still en-route to Bodø, HMS Penelope ran aground off Fleinvær near Bodø and was badly damaged. As of 1730/11, HMS Penelope was being towed HMS Eskimo. Course was set for Skelfiord. HMS Kimberley then continued on alone to Bodø.

At 1057/12, HMS Penelope anchored in the Skjelfiord, Lofoten Ilands. Here emergency repairs were undertaken before the ship was fit to return to the UK.

HMS Kimberley arrived at the Skjelfiord at 1645/12. At Bodø, she had found the German transport Alster (8514 GRT, built 1928) which had been captured that morning by destroyer HMS Icarus (Lt.Cdr. C.D. Maud, RN) in position 67°48'N, 13°15'E. The Alster had attempted to scuttle herself and had detonated one scuttling charge but damage was not serious. The Alster was taken to Skelfjord by HMS Kimberely.

10 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
While still at Skjelfiord, HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN), is attacked by German aircraft. She sustained some further damage due to several near misses. Five of the crew were killed and sixteen wounded in the attacks. (16)

11 May 1940
Around 2330/10, a convoy of ships departed Skjelfiord for the UK. The convoy was made up of the damaged light cruiser HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) that was being towed by the tug HMS Brigand, the damaged destroyer HMS Isis (Cdr. J.C. Clouston, RN) that was being towed by the tug HMS Buccaneer, the transport Lochee (964 GRT, built 1937) and the tanker British Valour (6952 GRT, built 1927).

On departure from the Skjelfiord the convoy was escorted by the destroyers HMS Campbell (Lt.Cdr. R.M. Aubrey, RN), HMS Witch (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Barnes, RN) and the A/S trawler HMS St. Loman (T/Lt. R.C. Warwick, RNR).

The convoy was assembled off the Skjelfiord shortly after midnight during the night of 10/11 May.

Around 1015/11, the AA cruiser HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN) and destroyer HMS Zulu (Cdr. J.S. Crawford, RN) joined the escort of the convoy.

Around 1040/11, enemy aircraft attacked the convoy but no damage was sustained. Shortly afterwards the AA cruiser HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) also joined the escort of the convoy.

Around 1900/11, HMS Zulu obtained an A/S contact and attacked with depth charges.

Around 0815/12, HMS Witch obtained an A/S contact and attacked with depth charges.

Around 0900/12, HMS Coventry parted company with the convoy.

Around 1230/12, HMS Escort (Lt.Cdr. J. Bostock, RN) joined the convoy escort.

Around 1300/12, HMS Zulu obtained an A/S contact and attacked with depth charges followed by HMS Witch at 1320/12.

Around 2000/13, HMS Campbell parted company with the convoy to proceed to Sullum Voe to refuel. She arrived there around 0600/14.

Around 1600/14, HMS Campbell rejoined, having departed from Sullom Voe after refuelling there around 1030/14.

Around 2000/14, HMS Calcutta and HMS St. Loman parted company with the convoy.

Around 0430/15, HMS Witch arrived at Scapa Flow to refuel. [Unknown when she left the convoy]. She departed Scapa Flow around 0730/15 to rejoin the convoy. [Unkown when she rejoined the convoy.]

Around 0515/15, HMS Acasta (Cdr. C.E. Glasfurd, RN) joined the convoy escort. HMS Zulu was then detached.

Around 2230/15, HMS Penelope still being towed by HMS Brigand and the British Valour and escorted by HMS Acasta and HMS Escort parted company with the other ships to proceed ahead of them to the Clyde.

They arrived in the Clyde area around 2200/15. The other ships arrived in the Clyde area later during the night of 15/16 May. (17)

16 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is towed from Greenock to Govan where temporary repairs were to be undertaken at the Harland & Wolf shipyard. (16)

10 Jun 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is docked at Govan. (18)

2 Jul 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is undocked at Govan. (19)

5 Jul 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is towed from Govan to Greenock. (19)

19 Aug 1940
Around 2000/19, HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN), departed Greenock for the Tyne. She is being escorted by the escort destroyers HMS Atherstone (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, RN) and HMS Hambledon (Cdr. S.H. Carlill, RN).

HMS Penelope arrived at North Shields around 0730/22. (20)

26 Aug 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is taken up river by tugs to the Palmers Dockyard at Hebburn where full repairs are to be made. (21)

10 Sep 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Yates, RN) is reduced to care & maintenance during her repair period at Hebburn. (22)

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