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Notable events involving Capetown include:

This page, displaying the wartime history of HMS Capetown, was created in May 2022.

This page was last updated in September 2024.

[Further research, from first hand sources, for her role during operation Neptune (the Normandy landings) is required.]

28 Aug 1939
Around 0600A/28, HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Plymouth.

Later in the day she made rendezvous with the troopship / liner Devonshire (British, 11275 GRT, built 1939) to escort her to Gibraltar. (1)

1 Sep 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the troopship / liner Devonshire (British, 11275 GRT, built 1939) arrived at Gibraltar. (2)

3 Sep 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and HMS Colombo (Commodore R.J.R. Scott, RN) departed Gibraltar to patrol in company with each other between Portugal and the Azores. (3)

12 Sep 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and HMS Colombo (Commodore R.J.R. Scott, RN) returned to Gibraltar from patrol. (3)

14 Sep 1939

Convoy SL 1.

This convoy departed Freetown 14 September 1939 and arrived in UK waters on 1 October 1939.

This convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Barrister (British, 6348 GRT, built 1939), Cliftonhall (British, 5063 GRT, built 1938), Ettrickbank (British, 5138 GRT, built 1937), Henry Stanley (British, 5026 GRT, built 1929), Jose de Larringa (British, 5303 GRT, built 1920), Luciston (British, 5017 GRT, built 1924), Peebles (British, 4982 GRT, built 1936) and Scientist (British, 6198 GRT, built 1938).

On departure from Freetown (around 1600/14), the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Dauntless (Capt. G.D. Moore, RAN).

At 0715/21, HMS Dauntless was relieved by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) which had departed Gibraltar around 1630/17. HMS Dauntless then returned to Freetown arriving there around 0700/25.

HMS Capetown parted company with the convoy at 1735/24. She returned to Gibraltar around 0715/27.

Part of the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 1 October 1939. (4)

17 Sep 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Gibraltar for escort duty with convoy SL 1.

[For more info see the event ' Convoy SL 1 ' for 14 September 1939.] (2)

27 Sep 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned to Gibraltar after convoy escort duty. (2)

28 Sep 1939
The battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the destroyers HMS Keppel (Capt. F.S.W. de Winton, RN), HMS Douglas (Cdr. R.F.B. Swinley, RN), HMS Vortigern (Lt.Cdr. W.J.B. Handley, RN) and HMS Wishart (Cdr. E.T. Cooper, RN) conducted exercises off Gibraltar. (5)

1 Oct 1939

1 October 1939, an enemy raider reported in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
The chase of the German ‘pocket battleship’ Admiral Graf Spee

Movements of the German ‘pocket battleship’ Admiral Graf Spee 21 August 1939 – 13 December 1939.

Before the Second World War had started, on 21 August 1939, the German ‘pocked battleship’ Admiral Graf Spee departed Wilhelmshaven bound for the South Atlantic. On 1 September the Admiral Graf Spee was off the Canary Islands where she made rendes-vous with the supply ship Altmark and supplies were transferred.

On 11 September another rendes-vous was made with the Altmark in the South Atlantic. The Admiral Graf Spee had launched her Arado floatplane to scout in the area as supplies were transferred. The aircraft spotted the British heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN). The German ships then immediately parted company and cleared the area at high speed. Two days later, on the 13th, the ships again met and fueling was completed. The Admiral Graf Spee was still under orders to remain unseen.

On 20 September 1939 the Admiral Graf Spee and Altmark met again to fuel. On the 26th the Admiral Graf Spee was ordered to start raiding the British trade lanes. She then proceeded towards the Pernambuco area.

On 30 September 1939 the Admiral Graf Spee found her first victim, the British merchant vessel Clement (5050 GRT, built 1934) that was en-route from New York, U.S.A. to Bahia, Brasil. She then sank the ship in position 09°05’S, 34°05’W. The Admiral Graf Spee then proceeded eastwards and found three more victims between 5 and 10 October. On the 5th she captured the British merchant Newton Beech (4644 GRT, built 1925) in position 09°35’S, 06°30’W. This ship was en-route from Capetown to the U.K. via Freetown. On the 7th she sank the British merchant Ashlea (4222 GRT, built 1929) in position 09°52’S, 03°28’W. This ship was en-route from Durban to Falmouth. The crew of the Ashlea was transferred to the Newton Beech. The next day both crew were transferred to the Admiral Graf Spee and the Newton Beech was scuttled. On 10 October the Admiral Graf Spee captured the British merchant Huntsman (8196 GRT, built 1921) in position 08°30’S, 05°15’W. This ship was en-route from Calcutta to the U.K. On 15 October 1939 the Admiral Graf Spee met the Altmark again to receive supplies and fuel. On the 17th the crew of the Huntsman was transferred to the Altmark and the ship was scuttled in approximate position 16°S, 17°W. The next day the crews of the Newton Beech and Ashlea were also transferred to the Altmark and the German ships then parted company.

On 22 October 1939, the Admiral Graf Spee sank her next victim, the British merchant Trevanion (5299 GRT, built 1937) which was en-route from Port Pirie (Australia) to Swansea. This ship was sunk in position 19°40’S, 04°02’E. On 28 October 1939, near Tristan da Cunha, the Admiral Graf Spee once more refuelled from the Altmark. The Admiral Graf Spee then set course for the Indian Ocean.

On 15 November 1939 she sank the small British tanker Africa Shell (706 GRT, built 1939) in position 24°45’S, 35°00’E. This ship was in ballast and en-route from Quelimane (Portugese East Africa now called Mozambique) to Lourenco Marques (now Maputo, also in Portugese East Africa / Mozambique). Next day the Admiral Graf Spee stopped the Dutch merchant Mapia (7188 GRT, built 1923) but had to let her go as she was a neutral ship. The Admiral Graf Spee then set course to return to the South Atlantic where she met once more with the Altmark on 27 November 1939 and the next day she fuelled from her about 300 miles from Tristan da Cunha.

On 2 December 1939, the Admiral Graf Spee sank her largest victim, the British merchant Doric Star (10086 GRT, built 1921),in position 19°15’S, 05°05’E. This ship was en-route from Auckland, New Zealand to the U.K. The next morning the Admiral Graf Spee sank the British merchant Tairoa (7983 GRT, built 1920) in position 19°40’S, 04°02’E. This ship was en-route from Brisbane, Australia to London. On 6 December 1939 the Admiral Graf Spee refuelled once more from the Altmark. She then set course to the River Plate area where the British merchant traffic was the thickest. She was to sink more ships there and disrupt British shipping movements in that area before returning to Germany.

On 7 December 1939 the Admiral Graf Spee sank what was to be her last victim, the British merchant Streonshalh (3895 GRT, built 1928) in position 25°01’S, 27°50’W. This ship was en-route from Montevideo to Freetown and then onwards to the U.K.

Then in the morning of 13 December 1939, her smoke was sighted by three cruisers from the South America Division. More on this in the article ‘The Battle of the River Plate, 13 December 1939’.

British Dispositions in the South Atlantic / South America area

Shortly before the outbreak of the war the South America Division of the America and West Indies Station was transferred to the newly formed South Atlantic Station. The South America Division at that moment consisted of the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter (Capt. F.S. Bell, RN, flying the flag of Commodore H.H. Harwood, OBE, RN) and the light cruiser HMS Ajax (Capt. C.H.L. Woodhouse, RN). In late August 1939 HMS Exeter was at Devonport with her crew on foreign leave when she was recalled to South American waters. On 25 August 1939 she sailed from Devonport. HMS Exeter arrived at Freetown on 1 September 1939. Commodore Harwood then met the Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic Station, Vice-Admiral G. D’Oyly Lyon, CB, RN. Later the same day HMS Exeter sailed for Rio de Janeiro.

Meanwhile four destroyers from the 4th Destroyer Division, Mediterranean Fleet, the HMS Hotspur (Cdr. H.F.H. Layman, RN), HMS Havock (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Courage, RN), HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicholson, RN) and HMS Hunter (Lt.Cdr. L. de Villiers, RN) had left Gibraltar on 31 August 1939 for Freetown.

HMS Ajax was already on station off the coast of South America. Shortly after noon on 3 September she intercepted the German merchant vessel Olinda (4576 GRT, built 1927) in position 34°58’S, 53°32’W. This ship was en-route from Montivideo to Germany. As HMS Ajax had no prize crew available the ship was sunk by gunfire a few hours later. In the afternoon of the next day, the 4th, HMS Ajax intercepted another German ship, the Carl Fritzen (6594 GRT, built 1920) in position 33°22’S, 48°50’W. This ship was en-route from Rotterdam to Buenos Aires. This ship was also sunk with gunfire.

On 5 September two of the destroyers from the 4th Destroyer Division, HMS Hotspur and HMS Havock departed Freetown to join the South America Division. They were ordered to examine Trinidade Island on the way. On 8 September 1939 the heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed Freetown to join the South America Division as well. This cruiser came from the Home Fleet and had arrived at Freetown on the 7th.

On 7 September 1939, HMS Exeter entered Rio de Janeiro where Commodore Harwood had a meeting with the Brazilian Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs and H.M. Ambassadors to Brazil and Argentine. HMS Exeter departed Rio de Janeiro the next day. Later that day Commodore Harwood was informed by the Admiralty that the German merchant ships General Artigas (11343 GRT, built 1923), Gloria (5896 GRT, built 1917) and Monte Pascoal (13870 GRT, built 1931) were assembling off the Patagonian coast. He decided to move both HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax south, and ordered the Ajax to meet him at 0800/9. They actually made rendezvous at 0700 hours. The Commodore considered it possible that the German merchant ships might embark German reservists and raid the Falkland Islands therefore he decided to sent HMS Ajax there. HMS Exeter proceeded to the Plate area to cover that important area.

On the evening of the 10th, Commodore Harwood was informed that the transportation of German reservists by the three German merchant ships was very unlikely but as it appeared probable that the German ships were converting themselves into armed raiders the Commodore decided to start short distance convoys from the Santos-Rio and Plate areas. He therefore ordered HMS Cumberland to refuel at Rio de Janeiro on her arrival there and to organize and run ‘out’ convoys in that area with HMS Havock as A/S escort. The convoys were to leave at dawn and be protected against submarines and surface raiders until dusk. The ships were then to be dispersed so that they would be far apart by dawn the next day. At the same time the Commodore ordered HMS Hotspur to join him in the Plate area after refuelling at Rio de Janeiro, so that similar convoys could be started from Montevideo. If one of the German ‘pocket battleships’ was to arrive of South America, HMS Cumberland was to abandon the convoy sheme and join HMS Exeter in the Plate area. Also on the 10th, Commodore Harwood was informed by the Admiralty that the German merchant Montevideo (6075 GRT, built 1936) was leaving Rio Grande do Sul for Florianopolis but decided not to intercept her as this would divert HMS Exeter 500 nautical miles from the Plate area.

On the night of 12 September 1939 the Commodore was informed by the British Naval Attaché, Buenos Aires, that a concentration of German reservists was taking place in southern Argentina with the Falklands as a possible objective. He therefore ordered HMS Ajax to remain in the Falklands till the situation cleared, and the Commodore then proceeded south of the Plate area to be closer to the Falklands himself and yet remain in easy reach of the Plate area. During the next few days HMS Exeter intercepted several British and neutral vessels.

In view of a report that the German merchant vessels Porto Alegré (6105 GRT, built 1936) and Monte Olivia (13750 GRT, built 1925) were leaving Santos on 15 September 1939 Commodore Harwood decided to start the short distance convoys from Montevideo as soon as possible. HMS Cumberland had meanwhile arranged a twelve-hour convoy system from Santos. Ships from Rio de Janeiro for Freetown would sail at dawn on odd numbered days, and ships for the south on even numbered days with HMS Havock as anti-submarine escort and HMS Cumberland in distant support. HMS Cumberland left Rio de Janeiro on 16 September and during the next eight days sighted 15 British and neutral ships while on patrol.

On 17 September 1939, HMS Hotspur joined HMS Exeter in the Plate area. HMS Exeter then made a visit to Montevideo and resumed her patrol off the Plate area on the 20th. Fuelling was done from the oiler RFA Olwen (6470 GRT, built 1917, Master B. Tunnard) in the mouth of the River Plate. Soon after leaving Montevideo on 20 September Commodore Harwood learned from the British Naval Attaché, Buenos Aires, that the local German authorities were endeavoring to inform German ships at sea that the British merchant Lafonia (1872 GRT, built 1911) was on her way to the Falklands with British reservists for the Falkland Islands defence force. It was also reported that on 17 September an unknown warship had passed Punta Arenas eastwards. In view of these reports and of other pointing out that German merchant ships in southern waters were being outfitted as armed raiders the Commodore ordered HMS Hotsput to escort the Laofona to Port Stanley. As the volume of trade in the Plate area was greater than in the Rio de Janeiro – Santos area, HMS Havock was ordered to proceed southwards to the Plate area.

The first local convoy outward from Montevideo sailed on 22 September 1939. It consisted of the British merchant ships Sussex (11062 GRT, built 1937), Roxby (4252 GRT, built 1923), El Ciervo (5841 GRT, built 1923) in addition to the earlier mentioned Lafonia, and was escorted by HMS Hotspur. HMS Exeter met this convoy during the forenoon and covered it throughout the day. At dusk the merchant ships were dispersed on prearranged courses while HMS Exeter remained within supporting distance and HMS Hotspur escorted the Lafonia to Port Stanley.

On 24 September 1939, Vice-Admiral Lyon (C-in-C, South Atlantic) and Commodore Harwood learned from the Naval Attaché, Buenos Aires, that ‘according to a reliable source’ arrangements had been made for a number of German ships and a submarine to meet near Ascension on 28 September 1939. HMS Cumberland was ordered to proceed there and HMS Ajax was ordered to leave the Falklands and take up her place in the Rio de Janeiro area. HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) was also ordered to proceed to the area off Ascension with the destroyers HMS Hyperion and HMS Hunter which departed Freetown on the 25th. No German ships were however encountered off Ascension and all ships then proceeded to Freetown where they arrived on 2 October 1939 with HMS Cumberland low on fuel.

While HMS Cumberland left the station to search for the German ships, HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax were sweeping of the Plate and Rio de Janeiro – Santos area respectively. On 27 September 1939, HMS Havock escorted a convoy made up of the British merchants Miguel de Larrinaga (5231 GRT, built 1924), Pilar de Larringa (7352 GRT, built 1918) and Sarthe (5271 GRT, built 1920) out of the Plate area. The next day another convoy, made up of the British merchants Adellen (7984 GRT, built 1930), Cressdene (4270 GRT, built 1936), Holmbury (4566 GRT, built 1925), Lord Byron (4118 GRT, built 1934), Ramillies (4553 GRT, built 1927) and Waynegate (4260 GRT, built 1931) left the Plate area escorted by HMS Havock and with cover from HMS Exeter.

At daylight on 29 September 1939 HMS Ajax was off Rio de Janeiro ready to escort ships sailing northward. She sighted none until the early afternoon when she met the Almeda Star (12848 GRT, built 1926) and a few hours later the tanker San Ubaldo (5999 GRT, built 1921). That night several neutral steamers were sighted off Rio de Janeiro and the next day the British La Pampa (4149 GRT, built 1938) was met and escorted during daylight on her way to Santos. So far on the work of the South American Division during September 1939. The ships assigned to Commodore Harwood had been busy patrolling and escorting ships near the focal areas.

A surface raider reported, 1 October 1939.

When a report that the British merchant Clement had been sunk on 30 September 1939 by a surface raider off Pernambuco was received by the Admiralty in the afternoon of October 1st, the C-in-C, South Atlantic was informed that he should retain the 4th Destroyer Division and that his command would be reinforced by the cruisers HMS Norfolk (Capt. A.G.B. Wilson, DSO, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN), HMS Effingham (Capt. J.M. Howson, RN), HMS Emerald (Capt. A.W.S. Agar, VC, DSO, RN) and HMS Enterprise (Capt. H.J. Egerton, RN). Also the battleships HMS Resolution (Capt. C.H. Knox-Little, RN), HMS Revenge (Capt. E.R. Archer, RN) and the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (Capt. F.E.P. Hutton, RN) were to proceed to either Jamaica or Freetown. These dispositions however never materialised being superseded on 5 October 1939 by a more general policy (the institution of hunting groups) which cancelled them.

The institution of hunting groups, 5 October 1939.

On 5 October 1939 the Admiralty formed five hunting groups in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean of sufficient strength to destroy any ‘pocket battleship’ or Hipper-class cruiser. These were;
Force F; area: North America and West Indies.
HMS Berwick (Capt. I.M. Palmer, DSC, RN),
HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN),
Force G; area: S.E. coast of South America.
HMS Cumberland,
HMS Exeter
Force H; area: Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
HMS Sussex (Capt. A.R. Hammick, RN),
HMS Shropshire (Capt. A.W.LaT. Bisset, RN),
Force I; area: Ceylon.
HMS Cornwall (Capt. C.F. Hamill, RN),
HMS Dorsetshire (Capt. B.S.C. Martin, RN),
HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN),
Force K; area: Pernambuco, Brazil.
HMS Renown (Capt. C.E.B. Simeon, RN),
HMS Ark Royal (Capt. A.J. Power, RN),
Force L; area: Brest, France.
Dunkerque (Capt. J.L. Nagadelle, replaced by Capt. M.J.M. Seguin on 16 October),
Bearn (Capt. M.M.A. Lafargue, replaced by Capt. Y.E. Aubert on 7 October),
Georges Leygues (Capt. R.L. Perot),
Gloire (Capt. F.H.R. de Belot),
Montcalm (Capt. P.J. Ronarc’h),
Force M; area: Dakar, Senegal.
Dupleix (Capt. L.L.M. Hameury),
Foch (Capt. J. Mathieu),
and Force N; area: West Indies.
Strasbourg (Capt. J.F.E. Bouxin),
HMS Hermes
.

The institution of the hunting groups were not the only measures taken. The battleships HMS Resolution, HMS Revenge and the light cruisers HMS Emerald and HMS Enterprise were ordered to proceed to Halifax, Nova Scotia to escort homeward bound convoys. Light cruiser HMS Effingham was to join them later. The battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, DSO, RN) left Gibraltar on 5 October for the same duty but was recalled the next day when the battleship HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN) and the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) were ordered to leave the Mediterranean and proceed to the Indian Ocean where they formed an addition hunting group, Force J which was to operate in the Socotra area off the entrance to the Gulf of Aden.

Now back to the South Atlantic, on 9 October 1939 the C-in-C, South Atlantic had informed the Admiralty and Commodore Harwood that he intended to co-ordinate the movements of ‘Force G’, ‘Force H’ and ‘Force K’. As this would entail long periods of wireless silence in ‘Force G’ he proposed that Commodore Harwood should transfer his flag to HMS Ajax, leaving Capt. Fallowfield of HMS Cumberland in command of Force G. The Admiralty approved of this. Commodore Harwood stated that it was his intention to transfer his flag from HMS Exeter to HMS Ajax in the River Plate area on 27 October. He also stated that the endurance of HMS Exeter was only half the endurance of HMS Cumberland and that this would prove problematic when they were to operate together and he proposed that the Exeter would be relieved by another 10000 ton cruiser but for the moment no suitable cruiser was available to relieve her.

On 12 October 1939 the first of the hunting forces arrived on their station when HMS Renown and HMS Ark Royal reached Freetown that morning coming from the U.K. They were soon followed by three more destroyers of the H-class coming from the Mediterranean; HMS Hardy (Capt. B.A. Warburton-Lee, RN), HMS Hasty (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN) and HMS Hostile (Cdr. J.P. Wright, RN). On 13 October 1939 the cruisers HMS Sussex and HMS Shropshire arrived at Simonstown from the Mediterranean and one day later HMS Hermes arrived at Dakar from Plymouth.

The South America Division during the first half of October 1939.

When the news of an enemy raider in the South Atlantic reached the C-in-C at Freetown on 1 October 1939 he immediately suspended sailings from Pernambuco and Natal and he ordered HMS Havock and HMS Hotspur to escort British ships clear of the area. But next morning he cancelled these dispositions and ordered Commodore Harwood to concentrate HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and the two destroyers off Rio de Janeiro. By this time, however, the raider was far away from the South American coast. On 3 October 1939 the Commodore signalled the C-in-C that he intened to concentrate the Exeter and Ajax off Rio and have the Hotspur to cover the Rio – Santos area and keep the Havock off the Plate but upon receiving the orders from the C-in-C to concentrate he ordered to destroyers to join the cruisers after fuelling but not later then 0800 hours on 4 October. Reports that the enemy raider was not a ‘pocket battleship’ however kept coming in and the Commodore decided that he could not leave the heavy traffic in the Plate area without some form of protection and he ordered HMS Havock to return there but when a report coming in from Bahia, Brazil confirmed that the Clement had been sunk by the ‘pocket battleship’ Admiral Scheer the Commodore once more ordered HMS Havock to join him. In the end HMS Ajax joined HMS Exeter at 1700/3, HMS Hotspur at 0500/4 and finally HMS Havock at 1300/4.

The Commodore was also informed by the Admiralty that the New Zealand cruiser HMS Achilles (New Zealand Division) (Capt. W.E. Parry, RN) would join his station coming from the west coast of South America. HMS Cumberland left Freetown at 1900/3 to join the Commodore in the Rio de Janeiro area as well.

Commodore Harwood’s policy against enemy raiders and a new raider report coming on on 5 October 1939.

Commodore Harwood had decided to keep his forces concentrated and as no new raider reports had come in to patrol the Rio de Janeiro area in accordance with the C-in-C, South Atlantic’s order. If he met a ‘pocket battleship’ he intended to shadow it until dusk. He would then close and attack in the dark hours. If, on the other hand, he made contact at night, his destroyers would at once close the enemy’s beam and attack her with torpedoes.

On 5 October 1939, the British merchant Martand (7967 GRT, built 1939) informed HMS Cumberland that a German armed raider had attacked an unknown ship, this unknown ship was in fact the Newton Beech that was attacked about 900 nautical miles away. This information was not acted upon by the Commanding Officer of the Cumberland. The Captain of the Cumberland assumed the raider report would have been intercepted by other ships and passed on to the C-in-C, South Atlantic. He considered it was important to keep radio silence and decided against breaking it. The Admiralty however later was of the opinion that the report should have been passed on to the Commander-in-Chief.

By 5 October 1939, the Exeter, Ajax, Havock and Hotspur were concentrated in the Rio de Janeiro area ready to engage the raider if she came south from the Pernambuco area. HMS Achilles was on her way round Cape Horn.

When HMS Ajax visited Rio de Janeiro on 7 October 1939, Commodore Harwood directed her to suggest to the Consular Shipping Advisers there, and at Santos, that, owning to the small volume of shipping leaving these ports, the local convoy systems, which had been instituted on 22 September against armed merchant raiders, should be suspended, and Allied merchant ships be routed independently.

The Commodore intended to meet HMS Cumberland at 1700/8, but at 1600/7 he received a message from the Consular Shipping Adviser at Rio de Janeiro in which he desired an escort for a 13 knot convoy that was to sail at 0430/8 and that had received much local publicity. The Commodore thought that this publicity might draw the enemy raider to the area and he therefore took his entire force back towards Rio de Janeiro and sent HMS Hotspur ahead to make contact with the convoy, while keeping his other ships in support. The convoy consisted of the British merchants Highland Chieftain (14131 GRT, built 1929), Nariva (8723 GRT, built 1920) and the French merchant Alsina (8404 GRT, built 1922).

Meanwhile the Commodore had directed HMS Cumberland to meet him at dawn on October 9th. When the convoy was dispersed at 1800/8 the Exeter and Ajax steered to meet her while the Havock was detached to fuel at Rio de Janeiro. At 2200/8 HMS Ajax was detached. HMS Cumberland made rendezvous with HMS Exeter at 0500/9. They were ordered by the C-in-C, South Atlantic to make a sweep northwards but this could not be carried out as HMS Exeter was short of fuel. The Commodore therefore decided to make a sweep southwards towards the Plate area where HMS Exeter could refuel. He also decided to keep HMS Hotspur with the two cruisers as long as possible.

On 12 October 1939, Rio Grande do Sul reported that the German merchant Rio Grande (6062 GRT, built 1939) was about to sail. The Commodore at once ordered HMS Cumberland to proceed there and intercept. She arrived off Rio Grande do Sul at 1600/13 but on finding it all quiet in the harbour she shaped course for the Plate area at nightfall. Meanwhile the Commodore had ordered HMS Hotspur to fuel at Montevideo when HMS Havock left that port early on the 14th.

about this time RFA Olwen informed the Commodore the the German merchant Bahia Laura (8611 GRT, built 1918) was leaving Montevideo at 1000 next morning and might protest if HMS Havock sailed the same day. Instead, therefore, of entering Montevideo HMS Hotspur at once fueled from the Olwen and then remained out on patrol. The Bahia Laura however, showed no signs of leaving and at 0800/14, HMS Havock put to sea. At 1200 hours HMS Hotspur entered Montevideo. Later that day HMS Exeter and HMS Cumberland fueled from the Olwen in San Borombon Bay at the southern entrance to the Plate estuary. At 1430 hours they were joined by HMS Havock. Commodore Harwood then ordered her to patrol off Montevideo to watch the Bahia Laura. When HMS Exeter finished fueling she immediately put to sea. HMS Cumberland rejoined him next morning at 0700 hours. HMS Havock was then ordered to join the cruisers. On 16 October the commodore learned that the Bahia Laura had sailed at 1015 hours the previous day. By the time the signal reached him the German ship was far out at sea well past his patrol line. But as the whole area was enveloped in dense fog the Commodore decided against trying to catch her.

The South America Division during the second half of October 1939.

Meanwhile Commodore Harwood had informed the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic on 13 October that as HMS Exeter required certain minor repairs he proposed to proceed to the Falklands on the17th and then return to the Plate area on the 27th. The Commander-in-Chief replied that he preferred that HMS Exeter would stay in the Plate area till the Commodore would transfer his Broad Pendant to HMS Ajax on the 27th. As HMS Achilles was due in the Plate area on this day also, she and HMS Cumberland could then operate as ‘Force G’ during the Exeter’s absence. This would mean that there would be no cruiser in the Rio de Janeiro area until HMS Exeter would return from her repairs at the Falklands. The Commodore therefore ordered HMS Havock to sail on 21 October for a four day patrol in the Rio – Santos Area, where HMS Hotspur, which could remain at sea until 2 November, would relieve her. From that date until the relief of HMS Achilles there would be no warship in this area. The Commodore therefore asked the Commander-in-Chief to allow ‘Force G’ to operate in that area from 2 to 10 November. When HMS Hotspur joined the Exeter and Cumberland from Montevideo on 17 October the Commodore ordered her to patrol off Rio Grande do Sul to intercept the German ships Rio Grande and Montevideo if they would come out, and sent HMS Havock to patrol inshore with orders to anchor the night clear of the shipping route.

This proved to be the last duty of these two destroyers with the South America Division. On 20 October the Admiralty ordered their transfer to the West Indies. Three days later the Commodore sent them into Buenos Aires to refuel, and as the distance to Trinidad, 4000 miles, was at the limit of their endurance, also obtained permission to refuel them at Pernambuco. They both left Buenos Aires on the 25th and, bidding the Commodore farewell, proceeded northwards. They sailed from Pernambuco on 1 November but on the 3rd HMS Havock was diverted to Freetown with engine trouble. The two remaining destroyers of the 4th Division, HMS Hyperion and HMS Hunter, had left Freetown with convoy SL 6 on 23 October. Off Daker their escort duty was taken over by the French light cruiser Duguay-Trouin (Capt. J.M.C. Trolley de Prevaux). The destroyers then fueled at Dakar on the 27th and sailed for Trinidad early on the 28th.

Meanwhile HMS Cumberland had entered Montevideo at 0800/26. At 0900/26 HMS Achilles joined HMS Exeter in the Plate area and after fueling from RFA Olwen sailed to meet HMS Cumberland off Lobos the next day and then patrol with her as ‘Force G’ in the Rio – Santos area. The Olwen was now nearly out of fuel and filled up HMS Ajax ,which had arrived from the Rio area on the 26th, with her remaining fuel minus 500 tons for her passage to Trinidad. In the morning of 27 October, Commodore Harwood transferred his Broad Pendant to HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter then parted company to proceed to the Falklands for repairs.

Meanwhile the newly formed ‘Force H’ and ‘Force K’ were busy on the other side of the South Atlantic. ‘Force H’, made up of HMS Sussex and HMS Shropshire had reached the Cape on 13 October. As HMS Cumberland had not passed on the report of the Martland, no news on the raider had reached the Admiralty or the Commander-in-Chief since October 1st. On 14 October ‘Force H’ sailed to search for her along the Cape – Freetown route as far as the latitude of St. Helena. That day ’Force K’ (HMS Ark Royal and HMS Renown) left Freetown with HMS Neptune, HMS Hardy, HMS Hero (Cdr. C.F. Tower, MVO, RN) and HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN) to search westwards towards St. Paul Rocks, the direction of their sweep being determined by the complete lack of any further raider information.

Finally a raider report on 22 October 1939, Sweeps by ‘Force H’ and ‘Force K’.

The three weeks old ‘mystery’ of the raiders whereabouts was partially solved on 22 October when the British merchant vessel Llanstephan Castle (11293 GRT, built 1914) intercepted a message from an unknown ship ‘Gunned in 16°S, 04°03’E’ at 1400 G.M.T. There was however no immediate confirmation of her report and the Commander-in-Chief ordered ‘Force H’ to sail after dark on the 27th to sail for the latitude of St. Helena. At noon on 31 October this Force was in 15°S, 02°51’E, the north-eastern limit of it’s patrol, when a Walrus aircraft failed to return to HMS Sussex from a reconnaissance flight. It was never found, though the two cruisers spend over three days searching for it. Being short of fuel they then returned to the Cape by the same route they had used outwards.

Sweep by ‘Force K’, 28 October – 6 November 1939.

To cover the northern end of the route from St. Helena onward, HMS Neptune and the destroyers HMS Hardy, HMS Hasty, HMS Hero and HMS Hereward had left Freetown on 28 October. HMS Neptune was to sweep independently from position 03°20’S, 01°10’W and then through 14°30’S, 16°50’W back to Freetown. On 30 October a report from Dakar stated that the German merchant Togo (5042 GRT, built 1938) had left the Congo on 26 October, that the German merchant Pionier (3254 GRT, built 1934) had sailed from Fernando Po (now called Bioko Island) on 28 October and that five German ships had left Lobito (Angola) the same day. When the Vice-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers, received this information her detached HMS Hardy and HMS Hasty to sweep north-westward for the Pioneer, while ‘Force K’ and the remaining two destroyers searched for her to the south-westward. Both searches were unsuccessful. Meanwhile a message from Lobito had stated that the five German ships that were stated to have left the harbour were still there. On 5 November the German merchant vessel Uhenfels (7603 GRT, built 1931), that had left Laurenco Marques (now called Maputo, Mozambique) on 16 October was sighted by an aircraft from HMS Ark Royal. Only energetic action from HMS Hereward saved her from being scuttled in position 06°02’N, 17°25’W. She was brought into Freetown on 7 November by HMS Herward, a few hours behind ‘Force K’.

’Force H’ and ‘Force G’, first half of November 1939.

The first half of November was relatively quiet on both sides of the South Atlantic At the start of the month ‘Force H’ and ‘Force K’ were still on the shipping lane between Sierra Leone and the Cape. On 3 November 1939 the Admiralty informed the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic that all German capital ships and cruisers were apparently in home waters. It appeared therefore that the pocket battleship, which was still thought to be the Admiral Scheer, had returned home and that the raider reported by the Llangstephan Castle on 22 October was nothing but an armed merchantman. Here was a good opportunity for resting the hunting groups and on 4 November the Admiralty issued orders that ‘Force G’ and ‘Force H’ should exchange areas. This exchange would not only give ‘Force G’ an opportunity of resting and refitting at the Cape, but would also provide Commodore Harwood with the hunting group of long endurance that he desired.

The Commander-in-Chief had planned that ‘Force H’ which had returned to the Cape on 7 November would then sweep towards Durban, arriving there on 16 November. However on the 11th they were ordered to sail for patrol in the Atlantic and on the evening of the 17th, while west of St. Helena, exchange patrol areas with ‘Force G’. The exchange of areas however did not take place as ‘Force G’ was delayed due to HMS Exeter being damaged while casting off from the oiler in heavy seas. Before the exchange now could take place it was cancelled.

South America Division, first half of November 1939.

After hoisting Commodore Harwood’s Broad on 27 October the HMS Ajax had swept the Plate focal area. When the Commodore received the signal of the Commander-in-Chief on the 5th regarding the changeover over patrol areas between ‘Force G’ and ‘Force H’, he ordered HMS Cumberland to proceed to the Plate at 20 knots to refuel. About this time a message reached him from Buenos Aires that the Argentinian Foreign Minister had drawn attention to cases of fueling in the Plate by HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax. Although the Argentinian Government had no apparent intention of raising the issue he decided to cut down the fuellings in the inshore waters of the Plate as much as possible. He therefore cancelled the fuelling of HMS Exeter, due to take place on 7 November from the oiler RFA Olynthus (6888 GRT, built 1918, Master L.N. Hill), which had relieved RFA Olwen. He ordered HMS Cumberland to fuel at Buenos Aires on 9 November. HMS Exeter which had arrived at the Falklands on 31 October for repairs, sailed again on 4 November to meet up with HMS Cumberland off the Plate on 10 November, but the Commodore ordered her to enter Mar del Plata for a 24-hour visit on the 9th. As this gave her some time at hand, he ordered her to cover the Plate while HMS Ajax visited Buenos Aires from 6 to 8 November during which the Commodore discussed the question of fuelling his ships in the River Plate Estuary with the Argentine naval authorities. During his visit to Buenos Aires, the Commodore discussed the matter of fuelling his ships of English Bank with the Argentinian Minister of Marine and his Chief of Naval Staff they both suggested that he should use San Borombon Bay which was most acceptable. He had in fact been using it for some time.

When HMS Ajax left Buenos Aires on 8 November she patrolled the Plate area. HMS Exeter arrived at Mar del Plata the next day but fuel could not be obtained there. She was ordered to fuel from RFA Olynthus in San Borombon Bay on the 10th and then meet up with HMS Cumberland off Lobos Island at 0600/11. On the 10th HMS Ajax also fueled from RFA Olynthus as did HMS Exeter after her while HMS Ajax was at anchor close by. However weather quickly deteriorated and the Olynthus was forced to cast off, damaging the Exeter in doing so. Besides that she was still 600 tons short of fuel. As she could not reach the Cape without a full supply the sailing of ‘Force G’ to exchange areas with ‘Force H’ was delayed. The Exeter finally finished fuelling on the 13th and sailed with HMS Cumberland for Simonstown. Before the exchange of areas could be effected, however, a raider was reported in the Indian Ocean and the order was cancelled.

Another raider report, 16 November 1939.

On 16 November 1939 the Naval Officer-in-Charge, Simonstown, reported that the small British tanker Africa Shell ( GRT, built ) had been sunk off Lourenco Marques the previous day by a raider identified as a pocket battleship. After the usual conflicting reports from eye-widnesses during the next few days, however, it was doubtful how many raiders there were or whether they were pocket battleships or heavy cruisers.

The presence of an enemy heavy ship in the Mozambique Channel called for new dispositions. When the raider report reached the Admiralty on 17 November they immediately cancelled the exchange of areas between ‘Force G’ an ‘Force H’. ‘Force H’ was ordered to return to the Cape and ‘Force G’ was ordered to return to the east coast of South America. They also ordered the dispatch of ‘Force K’ towards the Cape with instructions to go on to Diego Suarez in Madagascar. That morning a report reached the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic that the German merchant vessels Windhuk (16662 GRT, built 1937) and Adolph Woermann (8577 GRT, built 1922) had left Lobito. He at once ordered ‘Force H’, which was at that moment west of St. Helena in the approximate latitute of Lobito to spend three days searching for them.

Next day, 18 November 1939, ‘Force K’ left Freetown together with HMS Neptune, HMS Hardy, HMS Hero and HMS Hostile to sweep west of St. Helena through position 16°30’S, 10°W and thence on to Diego Suarez. The destroyers parted company at 2300/18 to search for the German ships. On 20 November 1939, the Commander-in-Chief ordered ‘Force H’ to return to the Cape of nothing of the German merchant vessels had been sighted. HMS Sussex and HMS Shropshire did so on 23 November.

The Adolph Woermann had not escaped. Early on 21 November 1939, the British merchant Waimarama (12843 GRT, built 1938) reported her in position 12°24’S, 03°31’W. At 1127/21, ‘Force K’ (HMS Ark Royal and HMS Renown) was in position 05°55’S, 12°26’W, altered course to close, and HMS Neptune, which was still with them, went ahead at high speed. Shortly after 0800/22 she made contact with the Adolf Woermann in position 10°37’S, 05°11’W and went alongside. Despite efforts to save her the German vessel was scuttled and when HMS Neptune returned to Freetown on 25 November 1939 she had 162 German survivors on board.

’Force H’ and ‘Force K’, second half of November 1939.

As the search for the Adolf Woermann had taken ‘Force K’ nearly 200 miles to the eastward, the Vice-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers decided to proceed to the Cape by the route east of St. Helena to save fuel. In hindsight this might have saved Altmark for being intercepted as she was waiting for the Admiral Graf Spee in the area ‘Force K’ would have otherwise passed through. On 23 November 1939, the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic, ordered ‘Force H’ to sail from the Cape the next day and patrol the ‘diverse routes’ as far as 33°E until 28 November.

At the northern end of the South Atlantic station HMS Neptune, HMS Hardy, HMS Hero, HMS Hostile, HMS Hasty and the submarine HMS Clyde (Cdr. W.E. Banks, RN) had established a patrol between 22 and 25 November 1939 to intercept escaping German merchant ships or raiders. No ships were however sighted and they were recalled to Freetown on 30 November.

In the meantime the Admiralty had ordered, ‘Force H’ and ‘Force K’ to conducted a combined patrol on the meridian of 20°E. The two forces met early on 1 December. The plan, according to the Commander-in-Chief, appeared to be a good one in theory but was found unsuitable in practice that on account of local weather conditions. These permitted flying off aircraft from HMS Ark Royal only once in five or six days, so that the patrol could not be extended far enough to the south to intercept a raider bent on evasion. In fact, only once, on 2 December weather was suitable for flying off aircraft.

South America Division, second half of November 1939.

After HMS Cumberland and HMS Exeter (‘Force G’) had sailed from San Borombon Bay for Simonstown on 13 November 1939, HMS Ajax patrolled the Plate area and escorted the French Massilia ( GRT, built ) that was bound for Europe from Buenos Aeres with French reservists. After parting from the Massilia she closed Rio Grande do Sul and ascertained that the German merchant vessels Rio Grande and Montevideo were still there. For the next two days she patrolled the normal peace time shipping routes.

When the Admiralty cancelled the exchange of ereas between ‘Force G’ and ‘Force H’ on 17 November, Commodore Harwood sent ‘Force G’ to cover Rio de Janeiro. He ordered HMS Achilles to fuel off the Olynthus in the Plate area on 22 November and then relieve ‘Force G’ in the Rio area as HMS Exeter would need to refuel in the Plate area again on 26 November. HMS Cumberland was to remain with the Exeter to keep ‘Force G’ together so she could refuel from the Olynthus as well. They were then to patrol the Plate area so that HMS Ajax could visit the Falklands.

On 18 November the Commodore was informed that the German merchant Ussukuma ( GRT, built ) might sail from Bahia Blanca for Montevideo at any time. He at once ordered the Olynthus to watch for her between Manos and Cape San Antonio and took the Ajax south to the same vicinity.

On 22 November 1939 HMS Achilles heard the German merchant Lahn (8498 GRT, built 1927) calling Cerrito by wireless, and when HMS Ajax arrived half an hour later a search was carried out. It was insuccessful for both cruisers but both the Lahn and another German merchant the Tacoma (8268 GRT, built 1930) reached Montevideo safely during the forenoon.

HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles then both fuelled from the Olynthus at San Borombon Bay during the next afternoon. The Achilles the sailed for the Rio de Janeiro area. She had orders to move up to Pernambuco and show herself off Cabadello and Bahia as a number of German ships in Pernambuco were reported ready to sail to Cabadello to load cotton for Germany. She was to return at once to the Rio area if any raiders were reported in the South Atlantic.

HMS Ajax left the Plate area on 25 November 1939 and sent up a seaplane to reconnoitre Bahia Blanca. The Ussukuma showed no signs of sailing so HMS Ajax proceeded to the Falklands, arriving there on the 27th. By this time HMS Cumberland and HMS Exeter were in urgent need of refits after long periods at sea, and Commodore Harwood ordered the Exeter to proceed to the Falklands forthwith. She arrived at Port Stanley on 29 November 1939 and her defects were immediately taken in hand as far as local resources permitted.

8 December 1939 was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of the Falklands, and thinking the enemy might attempt to avenge the defeat, the Commodore ordered HMS Cumberland to patrol off the Falklands as of 7 December for two days after which she too was to enter Port Stanley for rest and refit.

French Forces at Dakar in November 1939.

During November them most important event at Dakar, where the French were maintaining a number of more or less regular patrols, was the reorganisation of ‘Force X’. On 1 November 1939 the large destroyer L’Audacieux (Cdr. L.M. Clatin) sailed from Dakar to the westward to 26°W and thence south-west to search for the German merchant Togo. She returned to Dakar on 4 November having sighted nothing. That day the French light cruiser Duguay-Trouin sailed to sweep round the Cape Verde Islands and then on to St. Paul Rocks. She returned to Dakar on 10 November. The old ‘Force X’, the Strasbourg (Capt. J.F.E. Bouxin), Algerie (Capt. L.H.M. Nouvel de la Fleche) and Dupleix (Capt. L.L.M. Hameury) sailed on 7 November to sweep west of the Cape Verde Islands. It returned to Dakar on 13 November 1939. Meanwhile French submarines based at Casablanca were maintaining a continuous patrol round the Canary Islands between 25°N and 30°N.

On 18 November a new ‘Force X’ was formed, now made up of the Dupleix and her sister ship Foch (Capt. J. Mathieu) and the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. On 21 November the Strasbourg, Algerie and the destroyers Le Terrible (Cdr. A.E.R. Bonneau) and Le Fantasque (Capt. P.A.B. Still) left Dakar to return to France. The next day the new ‘Force X’ sailed with the destroyers Milan (Cdr. M.A.H. Favier) and Cassard (Cdr. R.A.A. Braxmeyer) to cruiser towards 08°N, 30°W. That day L’Audacieux departed Dakar with a convoy for Casablanca.

On 25 November, the Duguay-Trouin sailed to patrol the parallel of 19°N, between 25° and 30°W. Two days later the British submarine HMS Severn (Lt.Cdr. B.W. Taylor, RN) docked at Dakar. On the 30th the Dupleix and Foch returned from patrol being followed the next day by HMS Hermes and her escorts Milan and Cassard.

Dispositions of South Atlantic Forces at the beginning of December 1939.

At the beginning of December 1939, HMS Ark Royal, still flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Aircraft Carriers, and HMS Renown (‘Force K’), were patrolling the meridian of 20°E, south of the Cape together with HMS Sussex and HMS Shropshire (‘Force H’) to intercept the raider reported in the Mozambique Channel on 15 November 1939.

In the north the light cruiser HMS Neptune with the destroyers HMS Hardy, HMS Hero, HMS Hostile and HMS Hasty and the submarine HMS Clyde were returning to Freetown after patrolling between there and Cape San Roque for escaping German merchant ships or raiders. The French cruiers Dupleix and Foch and the British carrier HMS Hermes (‘Force X’) and their two escorting destroyers Milan and Cassard were approaching Dakar. The French cruiser Duguay-Trouin was patrolling the parallel of 19°N, between 25° and 30°W. The British submarine Severn was refitting at Dakar. Across the South Atlantic, Commodore Harwood, in HMS Ajax was at Port Stanley as was HMS Exeter. HMS Cumberland was patrolling of the Plate area and HMS Achilles was off Rio de Janeiro.

Forces ‘H’ and ‘K’, 1 – 13 December 1939.

No further reports have been received of the raider which had sunk the Africa Shell off Laurenco Marques on 15 November and it seemed clear that she had either gone further into the Indian Ocean or doubled back into the South Atlantic by going well south of the Cape. On 2 December 1939 the Admiralty ordered ‘Force K’ and ‘Force H’ to their patrol line south of the Cape after refueling, and the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic at once ordered them to proceed for the Cape ports to fuel. That day a reconnaissance aircraft of the South African Air Force reported a suspicious ship south of Cape Point at noon. HMS Sussex intercepted her but her crew set her on fire. She proved to be the German merchant Watussi (9521 GRT, built 1928). She was eventually be HMS Renown. Her survivors were taken on board HMS Sussex and were landed at Simonstown.

No news of the missing raider had been coming in since 16 November but then the mistery shrouding her whereabouts was again partially solved. At 1530/2 a raidar signal ‘R.R.R., 19°15’S, 05°05’E, gunned battleship) reached the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic. It came from the British merchant Doric Star. As this signal placed the raider in the South Atlantic he immediately ordered to abandon the patrol south of the Cape and ordered ‘Force H’ to cover the trade routes between the Cape and the latitude of St. Helena at 20 knots on completion of fuelling. As it was too late for ‘Force K’ to reach the Freetown-Pernambuco area in time to intercept the rainder if she was to proceed to the North Atlantic he proposed the Admiralty that ‘Force K’, after fuelling should sweep direct from the Cape to position 20°S, 15°W. This was changed at the request of the Vice-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers to place his force in a more central position for proceeding to Freetown, to the Falklands or to Rio de Janeiro. At 1030/3 a report reached the Commander-in-Chief that the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer had been in 21°20’S, 03°10’E at 0500 hours, clearly indicating that the raider was moving westwards, clear of the Cape-Sierra Leone trade route. ‘Force H’ left Simonstown at 1700 that afternoon and ‘Force K’ sailed from Capetown at 0915/4.

The Commander-in-Chief estimated that if the enemy was proceeding northwards to the North Atlantic she would cross the Freetown-Pernambuco line between 9 and 10 December. He therefore arranged that ‘Force X’ should take HMS Neptune and her destroyers under her orders and patrol the parallel of 3°N between 31° and 38°W from 10 to 13 December. ‘Force K’ would meet HMS Neptune and the destroyers on the 14th and then return with them to Freetown to refuel. The destroyers of the 3rd Division of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (HMS Hardy, HMS Hostile and HMS Hero) left Freetown on 6 December with the oiler RFA Cherryleaf (5896 GRT, built 1917). They had orders to meet the Dupleix, Foch, HMS Hermes and their escorting destroyers Milan and Cassard and HMS Neptune in position 03°N, 31°W on 10 December. On 7 December ‘Force X’ left Dakar for the rendez-vous. That day the submarine HMS Clyde left Freetown to patrol between 03°N, 23°W and 03°N, 28°W and thence to 05°15’N, 23°W between 9 (PM) and 13 (AM) December.

On the evening of 8 December 1939 the German merchant ship Adolf Leonhardt (2989 GRT, built 1925) sailed from Lobito for South America. ‘Force H’ which was by then between St. Helena and the west coast of Africa, was at once ordered to intercept her. The Walrus from HMS Shropshire made contact at 0952 hours next morning and alighted alongside in position 13°S, 11°44’E. At 1250 hours HMS Shropshire arrived at that position but the German ship was scuttled by her crew and could not be saved. ‘Force H’ then returned to the Cape to refuel where they arrived on 14 December.

At 0800/11 the submarine HMS Severn left Freetown for Port Stanley. She was to protect the whaling industry in South Georgio and was to intercept hostile raiders or supply ships. The cruiser HMS Dorsetshire, which arrived at Simonstown from Colombo on the 9th to finally relieve HMS Exeter in the South America Division left Simonstown on 13 December for Port Stanley. She was to call at Tristan da Cunha on the way. On that day, 13 December 1939, was fought the action between the British South America Division and the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, known as the Battle of the River Plate.

The South America Division, 1 to 13 December 1939.

At the beginning of December 1939, HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter were at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. HMS Cumberland was off the River Plate and HMS Achilles was patrolling the Rio de Janeiro area. On 2 December HMS Ajax left Port Stanley for the Plate area. That evening the Commodore learned that the Doric Star had been sunk by a raider to the south-east of St. Helena. Two days later the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic informed him that HMS Dorsetshire would arrive at Port Stanley on 23 December to relieve HMS Exeter which was then to proceed to Simonstown for a much needed refit.

Early on 5 December the British Naval Attaché at Buenos Aires reported that the German merchant Ussukuma had left Bahia Blanca at 1900 hours the previous evening. The Commodore immediately ordered HMS Cumberland which was on the way south to the Falkland Islands to search for her. Meanwhile HMS Ajax turned south and closed the Argentinian coast in case the Ussukuma, which was known to be short of fuel, should attempt to reach Montevideo inside territorial waters. At 1910/5, HMS Ajax sighted her smoke to the north-north-east but the Germans managed to scuttle their ship and despite the efforts to save her she sank during the night. At 0615/6, HMS Cumberland came up and embarked the German survivors and made off for the Falklands. HMS Ajax then refuelled at San Borombon Bay from the Olynthus.

About the same time the Brazilian authorities asked that HMS Achilles should not refuel in any Brazilian port at an interval less then three months. The Commodore, therefore, ordered her to return south and refuel at Montevideo on 8 December. HMS Achilles then joined HMS Ajax at 1000/10 in position 35°11’S, 51°13’W, 230 miles west of English Bank. At 0600/12 they were joined by HMS Exeter in position 36°54’S, 53°39’W.

Ever since the beginning of the war Commodore Harwood’s cruisers had worked off the east coast of South America either single or in pairs. The concentration of these three cruisers off the River Plate on 12 December 1939 was, however, no mere matter of chance.

Concentration of British Force in the River Plate area, 12 December 1939.

When a pocket battleship was located in position 19°15’S, 05°05’E on 2 December by the sinking of the Doris Star, her position was over 3000 miles from any of the South America focal areas. The Commodore however recognised that her next objective might be the valuable shipping off the east coast of South America. He estimated that at a cruising speed of 15 knots the enemy could reach the Rio area on 12 December the Plate area on 13 December and the Falklands on 14 December. As the Plate area was by far the most important of these three focal areas he decided to concentrate all his available ships off the Plate on 12 December.

The three cruisers then proceeded together towards position 32°N, 47°W. That evening the Commodore informed the Captains of his cruisers that it was intention that if they met a pocket battleship to attack immediately, by day or by night. By they they would act as two units, the light cruisers were to operate together and HMS Exeter was to operate diverged to permit flank marking. By night the ships were to remain in company in open order.

At 0614/13 HMS Ajax sighted smoke bearing 324° in position 34°28’S, 49°05’W and Commodore Harwood then ordered HMS Exeter to investigate it.

What then followed can be read in the article ‘The battle of the River Plate, 13 December 1939’ which can be found on the pages of HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter and HMS Achilles. (6)

2 Oct 1939
The battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the destroyers HMS Keppel (Capt. F.S.W. de Winton, RN) and HMS Watchman (Cdr.(Retd.) V. Hammersley-Heenan, RN) departed Gibraltar to join the liner Athlone Castle (British, 25564 GRT, built 1936) coming from Southampton and then escort her to Freetown.

HMS Ramillies however soon developed condenser problems and returned to Gibraltar with both destroyers. They arrived back at Gibraltar after a few hours.

Later in the day HMS Capetown suffered rudder defects and then also returned to Gibraltar. She arrived back at Gibraltar on 3 October. (7)

6 Oct 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (8)

9 Oct 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Malta where she is docked in No.5 Dock at the Malta Royal Dockyard. (8)

20 Oct 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) is undocked. (8)

25 Oct 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) conducted post repair trials and gunnery exercises off Malta. (8)

27 Oct 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta to patrol in the Ionian Sea. (8)

3 Nov 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned to Malta from patrol. (9)

8 Nov 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta for Gibraltar. (9)

10 Nov 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. (9)

12 Nov 1939
The submarine depot ship HMS Maidstone (A/Capt. E.H. Longsdon, RN) departed Gibraltar for Freetown. She is escorted by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN). (9)

15 Nov 1939
Around 0630A/15, light cruiser HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) made rendezvous west of the Canary Islands in approximate position 28°00'N, 20°50'W with the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) which is escorting the submarine depot ship HMS Maidstone (A/Capt. E.H. Longsdon, RN) which is on passage from Gibraltar to Freetown. HMS Neptune then took over the escort duties from HMS Capetown. (10)

17 Nov 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned from Gibraltar from escort duty. (9)

18 Nov 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (9)

20 Nov 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Malta from Gibraltar. (9)

25 Nov 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta to patrol in the Ionian Sea and later in the Aegean. (9)

5 Dec 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Malta from patrol. (11)

9 Dec 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) is docked in No.2 Dock at the Malta Dockyard. (11)

16 Dec 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) is undocked. (11)

18 Dec 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta to patrol in the Ionian Sea. (11)

18 Dec 1939
HMS Otway (Cdr. H.R. Conway, RN) conducted exercises off Malta together with HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN), HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Cant, RAN) and HMAS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RN). (12)

27 Dec 1939
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned to Malta from patrol. (11)

2 Jan 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta to patrol in the Aegean. (13)

10 Jan 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned to Malta from patrol. She is then taken in hand for a short refit.

She berthed in No.4 Dock but there is no mention in the log of her being docked down. (13)

1 Feb 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) conducted exercises off Malta.

She departed for patrol later the same day. She was ordered to patrol in the Aegean. (14)

11 Feb 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned to Malta from patrol. (14)

18 Feb 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Ionian Sea. (14)

28 Feb 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Alexandria from patrol. (14)

3 Mar 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Alexandria for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Aegean. (14)

11 Mar 1940
HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), HMS Calypso (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria.

HMS Capetown just returned from a patrol in the Aegean. (15)

13 Mar 1940
HMS Calypso (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. (16)

13 Mar 1940
HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), HMS Calypso (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. (15)

14 Mar 1940
HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), HMS Calypso (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. (15)

21 Mar 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Alexandria for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Aegean. (17)

30 Mar 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Malta from patrol. (17)

5 Apr 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Ionian Sea. (18)

13 Apr 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned to Malta from patrol. (18)

19 Apr 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Ionian Sea. (18)

25 Apr 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) returned to Malta from patrol. (18)

29 Apr 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Ionian Sea. (18)

6 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Haifa from patrol. (19)

8 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Haifa for Alexandria. (19)

9 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Alexandria from Haifa. (19)

12 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Alexandria for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Ionian Sea. (19)

18 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Malta from patrol. (19)

20 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta for Marseilles. (19)

22 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Marseilles from Malta.

She departed again later the same day to return to Malta. (19)

23 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Malta. (19)

24 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Malta for Alexandria. (19)

25 May 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Alexandria from Malta. (19)

2 Jun 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Alexandria for patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Kithira Channel. (20)

11 Jun 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Port Said from patrol. (20)

27 Jun 1940

Operation MA 3, convoy’s from Malta and convoy AS 1 from the Dardanelles.

Convoy AS 1 from the Aegean (mostly from the Dardanelles) to Port Said.

This convoy was made up of the following ships:

From the Dardanelles:
British merchants: Deebank (5060 GRT, built 1929), Destro (3553 GRT, built 1920), Eastlea (4267 GRT, 1924), Egyptian Prince (3490 GRT, 1922), Palermo (2797 GRT, built 1938), Volo (1587 GRT, built 1938) and the tug Brittania towing the small river tanker Danube Shell II (704 GRT, built 1934).

From Kalamata:
British merchant Destro (3553 GRT, built 1920).

From Izmir:
British merchant African Prince (4653 GRT, built 1939).

The Dutch merchant Ganymedes (2682 GRT, built 1917) also joined the convoy. Her port of origin is currently unknown to us.

These ships were escorted by the British light cruisers HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN, senior officer of the escort) and the destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Mohawk (Cdr. J.W.M. Eaton, RN), HMAS Vampire (Lt.Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and ORP Garland (Kpt. mar. (Lt.Cdr.) A. Doroszkowski). These ships had sailed from Port Said (HMS Capetown, HMS Nubian, HMS Mohawk. These ships had sailed late in the afternoon of the 26th.) and Alexandria (HMS Caledon, HMAS Vampire and ORP Garland. These ships had sailed in the evening of the 26th).

The escort joined up with the convoy late in the morning of 28 June 1940 and then proceeded towards Port Said where it arrived on 3 July 1940. In the afternoon of 29 June 1940, when near the Doro Channel, the convoy had been bombed by Italian aircraft but no damage had been sustained. The next day, when between Gavdo Island and Crete the convoy was attacked again by the Italian air force but again no damage was sustained. Following the first air attack HMS Orion, HMS Neptune and HMAS Sydney proceeded to the convoy to provide additional protection. They were near the convoy when it was attacked for the second time and were attacked themselves by eight enemy aircraft. Heavy bombs fell close to the Orion and Neptune but no actual hits were sustained although Neptune suffered some splinter damage to her aircraft and some superficial damage to the superstructure as well. The aircraft was jettisoned due to the danger of fire. Three of her crew were injured. The three cruisers left the convoy at 0900/1. When they arrived at Alexandria in the second half of 1 July 1940, HMAS Sydney landed 44 survivors from the Espero.

Operation MA 3

On 27 June 1940, five destroyers, (Force C), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN) and HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN) departed Alexandria at 0600B/27 to carry out an A/S hunt off the Anti-Kithera channel on 28 June leaving that area at 2200B/28 to arrive at Malta at 1800B/29 to provide escort for two groups of merchants ships that were to proceed from Malta to Alexandria. They were to sail at 2100B/29 with a 13 knot convoy and a 9 knot convoy. The convoy’s were to arrive at Alexandria on 2 July and 4 July respectively. The fast convoy was to be escorted by HMS Dainty, HMS Ilex and one destroyer from Malta, HMS Diamond (Lt.Cdr. P.A. Cartwright, RN). The slow convoy was to be escorted by the other destroyers, HMS Decoy, HMS Defender and HMAS Voyager. In the end the sailing of both these convoy's was cancelled.

Also on 27 June 1940, at 1100 hours, to provide cover for the convoy’s from a position about 60 nautical miles north of their track. They were to return to Alexandria at 1800/3. Force B, made up of the battleships HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.D. Pridham-Whippell, CB, CVO, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), aircraft carrier HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN) and the destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicholson, RN), HMS Hasty, (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Havock (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) and HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN) were to leave Alexandria at 1230B/28. They were to cruise to the north-west of position 35°N, 22°E from 2000B/29 until the convoy had passed.

The 7th Cruiser Squadron (Force A), made up of (1st Division) HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Neptune (Capt. R.C. O'Conor, RN), HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, RAN), (2nd Divsion) HMS Gloucester (Capt. F.R. Garside, CBE, RN) and HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN). These had departed Alexandria also at 1100B/27 to provide close cover for the convoy’s coming from Malta.

On 28 June air reconnaissance reported three Italian destroyers about 75 nautical miles west-south-west of Cape Matapan and the 7th Cruiser Squadron set a course to intercept which they successfully did at 1830 hours. In a long range action one of the Italian destroyers, the Espero was sunk by HMAS Sydney. She attacked the British cruisers so that the other two destroyers had a chance to escape in which the succeeded. During the action HMS Liverpool was hit by a 4.7" shell which cut the degaussing wire. After this action it was decided the next to postpone the sailing of the convoy’s and to send HMS Gloucester and HMS Liverpool to Port Said (Bitter Lakes) to complete with ammunition. The remaining forces were ordered to cover convoy AS 1 coming from the Aegean. As said above the other three cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron returned to Alexandria on 1 July. HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Ramillies, HMS Eagle and their escorting destroyers returned to Alexandria around 1000B/2.

The A/S sweep by the five destroyers also proved very successful as they sank three Italian submarines. On the 27th the Console Generale Liuzzi by HMS Decoy, HMS Defender and HMS Ilex and on the 29th HMS Decoy, HMS Dainty, Defender, HMS Ilex and HMAS Voyager carried out depth charge attacks on three Italian submarines. They sank the Uebi Scebelli and damaged the Salpa. The Capitano Tarantini managed to escape. Following the sinking of the Uebi Scebelli, HMAS Voyager picked up secret Italian documents and she was ordered to proceed with these documents to Alexandria where she arrived in the second half of 30 June 1940. The destroyers HMAS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, RAN) and HMS Hostile (Cdr. J.P. Wright, DSO, RN) proceeded to sea from Alexandria P.M. on the 29th to join the hunt for other Italian submarines of which the patrol positions were mentioned in these secret documents. On completion of their A/S hunt they joined convoy AS 1. HMS Dainty had picked up 10 officers and 72 ratings from the Liuzzi and Uebi Scebelli. The destroyers, minus HMAS Voyager continued their A/S sweep until 2000B/30 but no further enemy submarines were encountered. HMAS Voyager, which had besides survivors, also recovered secret enemy documents from the water, had parted company around 1810B/30 to take these to Alexandria.

Convoy AS 1 arrived at Port Said on 2 July 1940. It's (close) escorts arrived at Alexandria also on 2 July 1940. (21)

5 Jul 1940
The light cruisers HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the destroyers HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN) and HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) departed Alexandria to assist possible downed flyers from Swordfish aircraft of 813 Squadron (HMS Eagle which had taken off from the airfield at Sidi Barrani to raid Tobruk.

During the raid the Italian destroyer Zeffiro was sunk while the destroyer Euro was badly damaged with her bow blown off. She was later towed to Taranto and repaired. The Italian liner (troopship) Liguria (15354 GRT, built 1918) was damaged by bombs and beached to prevent her from sinking. She was scuttled on 22 January 1941. The Italian merchant vessels Manzoni (3955 GRT, built 1902) was sunk while the Serenitas (5171 GRT, built 1918) was badly damaged and was also beached to prevent her from sinking. Both these merchant vessels were later raised by the British. (21)

6 Jul 1940
The light cruisers HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the destroyers HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN) and HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) returned to Alexandria.

On the way back they had bombarded Bardia between from 0537 and 0631 hours. The small Italian merchant vessel Axum (249 GRT, built ????) was sunk while another merchant ship was damaged. After the bombardmemnt the British ships were attacked by Italian aircraft but they sustained no damage. (21)

7 Jul 1940

Operation MA 5 and the resulting battle of Punta Stilo on 9 July 1940.

The passage of convoys MF 1 (fast) and MS 1 (slow) from Malta to Alexandria with evacuees and fleet stores.

After the cancellation of Operation MA 3 a new plan to pass the convoys from Malta to Alexandria was made.

The Mediterranean Fleet, less HMS Ramillies and the 3rd Cruiser Squadron (HMS Caledon and HMS Capetown) departed Alexandria on 7 July 1940 to carry out operation MA 5, the object being to cover convoys MF 1 (fast) and MS 1 (slow) from Malta to Alexandria with evacuees and fleet stores.

The composition of these convoys were as follows:

Convoy MF 1, the fast convoy:
This convoy departed Malta on 9 July 1940 and arrived at Alexandria on 11 July 1940 and was made up of the Egyptian merchant El Nil (7775 GRT, built 1916), British merchants Knight of Malta (1553 GRT, built 1929), Rodi (3220 GRT, built 1928, former Italian).

Convoy MS 1, the slow convoy:
This convoy departed Malta on 10 July 1940 and arrived at Alexandria on 14 July 1940 and was made up of the British merchant ships Kirkland (1361 GRT, built 1934), Misirah (6836 GRT, built 1919), Tweed (2697 GRT, built 1926), Zealand (2726 GRT, built 1930) and the Norwegian merchant Novasli (3194 GRT, built 1920).

Cover for these convoys was provided by ships of the Mediterranean Fleet which was divided into three groups:

Force A:
Light cruisers HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Neptune (Capt. R.C. O'Conor, RN), HMS Gloucester (Capt. F.R. Garside, CBE, RN), HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN) and HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, RAN) and the destroyer HMAS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, RAN).

Force B:
Battleship HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, OBE, RN flying the flag of A/Admiral Sir A.B. Cunningham, KCB, DSO and 2 Bars, RN), destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Mohawk (Cdr. J.W.M. Eaton, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN) and HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN).

Force C:
Battleships HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.D. Pridham-Whippell, CB, CVO, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. Sir A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN), aircraft carrier HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicholson, RN), HMS Hasty, (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Hostile (Cdr. J.P. Wright, DSO, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Defender (Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMAS Vampire (Lt.Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and HMAS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN).

8 July 1940.

All forces were clear of the harbour by midnight during the night of 7/8 July 1940. All forces were to make rendez-vous in position 36°30’N, 17°40’E at 1400B/10. HMS Liverpool, who was en-route from Port Said to Alexandria with spare 6" ammunition from the East Indies station, arrived at Alexandria at 0202 hours. She then quickly unloaded some of the 6" ammuntion and topped off with fuel. She departed Alexandria at 0520 hours to join her force at sea. HMS Imperial had to return to Alexandria with defects.

Shortly before midnight, at 2359 hours, HMS Hasty reported that she sighted a surfaced submarine at a range of 1000 yards. A full pattern depth charge attack was made an the submarine was thought to have been sunk. One hour later when about to rejoin Force C she carried out another attack on a confirmed contact. It was consided that this attack caused damage to another Italian submarine.

At 0807B/8 a report was received from the submarine HMS Phoenix (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Nowell, RN) that she had sighted two enemy battleships escorted by four destroyers in position 35°23’N, 17°45’E, steering 180° at 0515B/8. It was suspected that this force was covering an important enemy convoy. The Vice-Admiral, Malta, was ordered to arrange air reconnaissance to the eastward and to the Rear-Admiral, Alexandria to arrange for a flying boat to shadow this force. Two enemy submarines were sighted by A/S patrols from HMS Eagle.

The Italians were aware of the Mediterranean Fleet being at sea as the Fleet had been reported by the Italian submarine Beilul. This resulted in air attacks on the Fleet during the 8th.

Damage was done to HMS Gloucester which was hit on the compass platform causing seven officers to be killed and three wounded. Amongst the officers killed was the ships Captain. Besides the officers eleven ratings were killed and six were wounded.

At 1510B/8 a flying boat reported a force of three battleships, six cruisers and seven destroyers in position 33°18’N, 19°45’E, steering 340°. At 1610 hours it was reported that this force had changed course to 070°. The flying boat that reported this force had to return to base at 1715 hours but no relief was available to continue shadowing. The Commander-in-Chief therefore, in the absence of further information, decided to continue the course of the Fleet to the north-westward in order to get between the enemy and his base. A mean line of advance of 310° at 20 knots was therefore maintained during the night.

9 July 1940.

There were no incidents during the night and at 0600 hours the Fleet was concentrated in position 36°55’N, 20°30’E. An air search by aircraft from HMS Eagle was commenced at dawn between 180° and 300°. Meanwhile a mean line of advance of 300° at 16 knots was maintained by the Fleet.

The first enemy report was received from a flying boat from Malta who reported two battleships, four cruisers and ten destroyers at 0732 hours in position 37°00’N, 17°00’E, steering 330° and subsequent reports showed that there was a further large force of cruisers and destroyers in the vicinity.

A second search by aircraft from HMS Eagle covered these positions and by 1130 hours it was considered that the enemy’s position was sufficiently well established to launch the air striking force. At this time the enemy fleet was approximately 90 miles to the westward of our forces. Unfortunately, touch with the enemy fleet was lost by the shadowing aircraft at this time and shortly afterwards it appears that the enemy turned to the southward. The striking force therefore failed to locate the enemy battlefleet, but carried out an attack on some cruisers at about 1330 hours without result.

Touch was regained with the enemy battleships at 1340 hours by a relief shadower from HMS Eagle and by a flying boat. The air striking force was flown of again at 1539 hours shortly after action was joined and they are believed to have scored one hit on a cruiser. All aircraft from HMS Eagle returned. In the meanwhile reports from shadowing aircraft show that the enemy force consisted of two battleships of the Cavour-class, twelve cruisers and twenty destroyers, and that they appeared to be keeping close to the coast of Calabria.

At 1400 hours the British Fleet as in position 38°02’N, 18°40’E. The 7th Cruiser Squadron was 8 nautical miles ahead of HMS Warspite, with HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Eagle and HMS Malaya 10 nautical miles astern. Destroyers were screening these ships. The mean line of advance the Fleet was 270° the speed being limited by that of HMS Royal Sovereign. The Commander-in-Chief was obliged to use HMS Warspite as a battle cruiser to keep ahead of the battle Squadron, in order to support the cruisers, who being so few and lacking 8” ships, were very weak compared to the enemy’s cruiser force.

At 1510 hours the enemy, consisting of six 8” cruisers and a number of destroyers, was sighted steering about 020°. HMS Eagle and the 19th division (HMAS Stuart, HMAS Vampire and HMAS Voyager) were now detached from the 1st Battle Squadron and the damaged HMS Gloucester was ordered to join them. At 1514 hours HMS Neptune sighted the enemy battlefleet bearing 260° from HMS Warspite The ensuing action can best be described in five phases.

Phase 1.

A short action with enemy 8” and 6” cruisers in which our own cruisers were out ranged and came under a very heavy fire. HMS Warspite intervened and engaged successively two 8” and two 6” cruisers at long range, which after a few salvos turned away. One hit might have been obtained on a 8” cruiser.

Phase 2.

After a short lull, during which HMS Warspite fell back on HMS Malaya who was now proceeding ahead of HMS Royal Sovereign. HMS Warspite and HMS Malaya then engaged two battleships of the Cavour-class at 1553 hours. HMS Warspite was straddled at 26000 yards and she herself scored a hit on one of the enemy battleships (the Guilio Cesare). The enemy then turned away making smoke. HMS Malaya was outranged and by now HMS Royal Sovereign was now well astern and never got into action. The 7th Cruiser Squadron continued their action with the enemy cruisers, who appeared to be working round to the north with the intention of engaging HMS Eagle. They were driven off with the assistance of a few salvoes from HMS Warspite.

Phase 3.

Enemy destroyers moved out to attack, but half heartedly, and made a large volumes of smoke which soon obscured the larger targets. Destroyers were now ordered to counter attack the enemy destroyers, in which they were assisted by the 7th Cruiser Squadron, but before the range could be closed sufficiently to do damage to them the enemy retired behind their extensive smoke screen.

Phase 4.

The British fleet chased up the smoke but, appreciating that to pass through it would be playing the enemy’s game, and suspecting that enemy submarines might be in the vicinity, the Commander-in-Chief worked round to the northward and windward of the screen. When clear, all enemy forces were out of sight and air attacks had started. The British fleet was now (1652 hours) only 45 miles from the coast of Calabria and continued on a westerly course until within 25 miles of the Punta Stilo lighthouse.

Phase 5.

A succession of heavy bombing attacks were carried out between 1640 and 1912 hours. At least nine distinct bombing attacks were made and it is estimated that probably some 100 aircraft took part. Many attacks were made on HMS Eagle, but the fleet suffered no damage. Between 1640 and 1740 hours the fleet made good a course of 270° and from 1740 hours of 220°, this latter course being selected in the hope that the enemy would renew the fight. At 1830 hours it became clear that the enemy could not be intercepted before reaching Messina and course was altered to the south-eastward to open the land, turning back at 2115 hours to 220° for a position south of Malta.

During the action one of the aircraft from HMS Warspite was damaged by gun blast of her own gunfire and had to be jettisoned. The other aircraft was catapulted for action observation. After this mission was completed the aircraft landed at Malta. During the night there were no incidents.

10 July 1940.

At 0800 hours, the fleet was in position 35°24’N, 15°27’E, steering west, and remained cruising to the southward of Malta throughout the day while destroyers were sent there to refuel. The following fuelling programme was carried out. At 0530 hours the following destroyers arrived at Malta; HMAS Stuart, HMS Dainty, HMS Defender, HMS Hyperion, HMS Hostile, HMS Hasty, HMS Ilex and HMS Juno. After they had fuelled they sailed again at 1115 hours and rejoined the fleet at 1525 hours.

HMS Hero, HMS Hereward, HMS Decoy, HMAS Vampire and HMAS Voyager were then sent in, the last three to sail with convoy MS 1 after fuelling.

At 2030 hours, HMS Royal Sovereign with HMS Nubian, HMS Mohawk and HMS Janus were detached to refuel and to rejoin the fleet before noon the next day.

HMS Gloucester and HMAS Stuart were detached to join convoy MF 1, which had been sailed from Malta at 2300B/9 escorted by HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN), HMS Diamond (Lt.Cdr. P.A. Cartwright, RN) and HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. R. Rhoades RAN).

In the morning an air raid took place at Malta at 0855 hours. Three or four of the attackers were shot down. Destroyers that were fuelling at Malta were not hit.

Flying boat reconnaissance of Augusta had located three cruisers and eight destroyers in harbour and at 1850 hours a strike force was flown off from HMS Eagle to carry out a dust attack. Unfortunately the enemy forces left harbour before the attack force arrived. One flight however located a Navigatori class destroyer in a small bay to the northward, which was sunk, this was the Leone Pancaldo which was later raised and repaired. The other flight did not drop their torpedoes. All aircraft landed safely at Malta.

At 2100 hours the position of the fleet was 35°28’N, 14°30’E, steering 180°. There were no incidents during the night.

In view of the heavy bombing attacks experienced during the last three days, the Commander-in-Chief has requested the Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, to do anything possible to occupy the Italian air forces during the passage of the fleet and the convoys to Alexandria.

11 July 1940.

At 0130 hours, the fleet altered course to 000° to be in position 35°10’N, 15°00’E at 0800 hours. HMS Royal Sovereign with HMS Hero, HMS Hereward, HMS Nubian, HMS Mohawk and HMS Janus rejoined from Malta at this time, and HMS Eagle landed on her striking force from Malta.

At 0900 hours the Commander-in-Chief in HMS Warspite, screened by HMS Nubian, HMS Mohawk, HMS Juno and HMAS Vampire, proceeded ahead to return to Alexandria at 19 knots. The Rear-Admiral, First Battle Squadron, in HMS Royal Sovereign , with HMS Malaya and HMS Eagle and the remaining destroyers, proceeded on a mean line of advance of 80° at 12 knots to cover the passage of the convoys. The 7th Cruiser Squadron had already been detached at 2000B/10 to search to the eastward in the wake of convoy MF 1.

The fleet was again subjected to heavy bombing attacks. Between 1248 and 1815 hours, five attacks were made on HMS Warspite and her escorting destroyers. A total of 66 bombs were counted. Between 1112 and 1834 hours, twelve attacks were carried out on forces in company with Rear-Admiral First Battle Squadron, a total of about 120 bombs were dropped. No damage was sustained. It was noted that the fleet was shadowed by aircraft who homed in attacking aircraft.

At 1200 hours, HMAS Vampire was sighted. She reported that her Gunner had been badly wounded in an air attack made on convoy MS 1 at 1015 hours. The officer was transferred to HMS Mohawk for treatment but died aboard that ship later the same day.

At 2100 hours, HMS Warspite was in position 34°22’N, 19°17’E steering 110°.

12 July 1940.

There had been no incidents during the night. Course was altered to 070° at 0200 hours and to 100° at 0630 hours. Course was altered from time to time during the day to throw off shadowers and attacking aircraft.

At 0700 hours, Vice-Admiral (D) with the 7th Cruiser Squadron rejoined the Commander-in-Chief. Vice-Admiral (D) in HMS Orion, together with HMS Neptune was detached to join convoy MF 1.

The following bombing attacks took place during the day; Between 0850 and 1550 hours, seventeen attacks were made on HMS Warspite. About 160 bombs were dropped but none hit although there were several near misses. On the First Battle Squadron and HMS Eagle between 1110 and 1804 hours, three attacks were made, 25 bombs were dropped but none hit.

13 July 1940.

HMS Warspite, HMS Orion, HMS Neptune, HMS Liverpool, HMAS Sydney, HMS Nubian, HMS Mohawk, HMS Juno and HMAS Vampire arrived at Alexandria around 0600 hours. Convoy MF 1 and it’s escort (HMS Jervis, HMS Diamond and HMAS Vendetta) arrived during the forenoon. HMS Gloucester had detached from the convoy around 0400 hours and had already arrived at Alexandria around 0800 hours. This convoy had been unmolested during it’s passage from Malta to Alexandria.

HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN) then departed Alexandria to join the escort of convoy MS 1 escorted by HMS Diamond, HMS Havock (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, RN), HMS Imperial and HMAS Vendetta. The two cruisers from the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN), had already left Alexandria on the 12th to join the escort of convoy MS 1.

14 July 1940.

The 1st Battle Squadron, HMS Eagle and their escorting destroyers arrived at Alexandria in the forenoon. They reported very heavy bombing attacks of the Libyan coast. Three enemy aircraft were reported shot down by fighters from HMS Eagle while a fourth was thought to be heavily damaged.

15 July 1940.

Convoy MS 1, HMS Ramillies, HMS Caledon, HMS Capetown, HMS Diamond, HMS Havock, HMS Imperial, HMAS Vendetta, HMS Decoy, HMAS Vampire and HMAS Voyager arrived at Alexandria before noon.

Italian forces involved in the battle of Punta Stilo.

On 6 July 1940 an important Italian troop convoy departed Naples for Benghazi, Libya. This convoy was made up of the troopship Esperia (11398 GRT, built 1920) and the transports Calitea (4013 GRT, built 1933), Marco Foscarini (6338 GRT, built 1940), Vettor Pisani (6339 GRT, built 1939). Escort was provided by the torpedo boats Orsa, Pegaso, Procione and Orione. The next day this convoy was joined by the transport Francesco Barbaro (6343 GRT, built 1940) that came from Catania and was escorted by the torpedo boats Giuseppe Cesare Abba and Rosolino Pilo. Cover for this convoy was provided by the light cruisers Giovanni Delle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni and the destroyers Maestrale, Libeccio, Grecale and Scirocco.

This cover force was joined on 7 July by the heavy cruiser Pola and the destroyers Lanciere, Carabinieri, Corazziere and Ascari which came from Augusta.

From Messina came the heavy cruisers Zara, Fiume, Gorizia and the destroyers Vittorio Alfieri, Giosuè Carducci, Vincenzo Gioberti and Alfredo Oriani.

From Messina (these ships departed shortly after the other ships) came also the heavy cruisers Bolzano and Trento and the destroyers Artigliere, Camicia Nera, Aviere and Geniere.

From Palermo came the light cruisers Eugenio di Savoia, Emanuelle Filiberto Duca D’Aosta, Muzio Attendolo and Raimondo Montecuccoli with the destroyers Granatiere, Fuceliere, Bersagliere and Alpino.

From Taranto came the battleships Gulio Cesare (flagship) and Conte di Cavour with the dstroyers Freccia, Saetta, Dardo and Strale.

Also from Taranto came the light cruisers Giuseppe Garibaldi and Luigi di Savoia Duca delgi Abruzzi with the destroyers Folgore, Fulmine, Baleno and Lampo.

And finally, also from Taranto, came the light cruisers Armando Diaz, Luigi Cadorna, Alberto di Giussano, Alberico di Barbiano and the destroyers Antonio Pigafetta, Nicolò Zeno, Nicoloso Da Recco, Emanuelle Pessagno and Antoniotto Usodimare. Later the destroyers Ugolino Vivaldi, Antonio Da Noli and Leone Pancaldo were sent out as reinforements.

The destroyers Stale, Dardo and Antonio da Noli developed mechanical problems and had to return to port for repairs.

During the battle with the Mediterranean Fleet the following ships sustained damage;
Battleship Gulio Cesare was hit by a heavy shell from HMS Warspite, heavy cruiser Bolzano sustained three medium shell hits. As stated earlier the destroyer Leone Pancaldo was sunk off Augusta by aircraft from HMS Eagle but was later raised and repaired.

The Italian convoy meanwhile had arrived at Benghazi without losses on 8 July. (21)

15 Jul 1940
HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Havock (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Diamond (Lt.Cdr. P.A. Cartwright, RN), HMAS Vampire (Lt.Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN), HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. R. Rhoades RAN) and HMAS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN) arrived at Alexandria from operations. (21)

21 Jul 1940

Convoy operations AN 2 and AS 2

Convoys to and from the Aegean.

On 21 July 1940 six merchant vessels departed Port Said and two departed Alexandria. The next day they merged into convoy AN 2 at sea. [we currently do not know the names of these merchant vessels.] The six merchant ships coming from Port Said had been escorted by the destroyers HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN) and HMS Defender (Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN). The two merchant ships coming from Alexandria were escorted by the light cruisers HMS Liverpool (Capt. A.D. Read, RN) (she departed Alexandria shortly after midnight, 0030C/22), HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the destroyers HMAS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, RAN) and HMS Diamond (Lt.Cdr. P.A. Cartwright, RN). After the rendez-vous the convoy proceeded northwards to the Aegean. While in the Aegean the ships were to disperse and proceed independently towards their destinations covered by the escorting warships.

Distant cover for this convoy was provided by the battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN) and HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN). This force departed Alexandria at 0400C/23 and returned in the afternoon of the 26th.

A diversion was also created by having the light cruiser HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMAS Vampire (Lt.Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. R. Rhoades, RAN) appear of Castellorizio island on 23 July 1940. They had sailed from Alexandria at 0001C/24. HMS Orion then proceeded to Haifa while the destroyers proceeded to Port Said.

The escorting warships from convoy AN 2 were then to escort a convoy coming from the Aegean (AS 2) southwards. This convoy was formed off the Dardanelles on 27 July 1940 and was escorted in the Aegean by HMS Capetown, HMAS Stuart and HMS Defender. The next day the convoy was joined by HMS Liverpool, HMS Dainty and HMS Diamond and passed through the Kaso Strait.

Distant cover for this convoy was provided by the battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, OBE, RN, flying the flag of A/Admiral Sir A.B. Cunningham, KCB, DSO and 2 Bars, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H.D. Pridham-Whippell, CB, CVO, RN), HMS Ramillies, aircraft carrier HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), light cruisers HMS Neptune (Capt. R.C. O'Conor, RN), HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN) and the destroyers HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Mohawk (Cdr. J.W.M. Eaton, RN), HMS Hyperion, HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, RN), HMS Hereward, HMS Ilex, HMS Imperial and HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN) which departed Alexandria at 0330C/27.

Again a diversion was created by having the light cruiser HMS Orion escorted by the destroyers HMAS Vampire and HMAS Vendetta appear of Castellorizio island but this time the ocean boarding vessels HMS Chakla (Cdr. L.C. Bach, RD, RNR) and HMS Fiona (Cdr. A.H.H. Griffiths, RD, RNR) were added to the force so that it appeared that troops were going to be landed on the island in the evening of the 27th. The destroyers and the ocean boarding vessels departed at 0700C/27 and then made rendez-vous with HMS Orion which came from Haifa.

HMS Warspite escorted by HMS Hyperion, HMS Ilex and HMS Imperial returned to Alexandria at 2000C/29. In the approaches to Alexandria the destroyer screen was reinforced by the destroyers HMS Hostile (Lt.Cdr. A.F. Burnell-Nugent, DSC, RN) and HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN).

HMS Capetown, HMS Dainty and HMS Diamond which went with the convoy to Port Said where they arrived on 31 July 1940. The following merchant ships made up the convoy; British cargo ships Bantria (2407 GRT, built 1928) and Sardinian Price (3491 GRT, built 1922), Norwegian cargo ship Bruse Jarl (1890 GRT, built 1923) and the Greek cargo ship Perseus (5178 GRT, built 1918).

During this operation the cruisers HMS Neptune and HMAS Sydney made a anti-shipping raid in the Gulf of Athens sinking the small Greek tanker Ermioni (436 GRT, built 1902) which was transporting fuel for the Italians in the Dodecanese. They had separated from the fleet to intercept this ship on the 27th.

During 27 to 29 July 1940 the Allied ships were attacked several times by the Italian air force but no hits were obtained except a dud bomb hit on HMS Liverpool on the 29th causing one crewmember to be killed and two to be wounded.

HMS Malaya, HMS Ramillies, HMS Eagle, HMS Liverpool, HMS Jervis, HMAS Stuart, HMS Defender, HMS Hereward, Hero, HMS Juno, HMS Mohawk and HMS Nubian arrived at Alexandria P.M. on 30 July. (21)

3 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Alexandria for the East Indies Station. Upon departure gunnery exercises were carried out off Alexandria.

She arrived at Port Said later the same day. (22)

4 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Port Said for Aden. (23)

7 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Aden. After fuelling she departed for Colombo later the same day. (23)

13 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Colombo from Aden. (23)

18 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Colombo to patrol off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and to proceed to Penang afterwards. (24)

21 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Port Blair. (23)

22 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Port Blair to resume her patrol. (23)

23 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Car Nicobar. She proceeded from Car Nicobar to Nancowry later the same day. (23)

24 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Nancowry for Penang. (23)

25 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Penang. (23)

27 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Penang for Colombo. Later the same day she made rendezvous in the Straits of Malakka with the troopship Strathallan (British, 23722 GRT, built 1938) which she is to escort. (24)

31 Aug 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the troopship Strathallan (British, 23722 GRT, built 1938) arrived at Colombo.

They departed again later the same day for Bombay. (24)

3 Sep 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) and the troopship Strathallan (British, 23722 GRT, built 1938) arrived at Bombay.

HMS Capetown departed again to return to Colombo later the same day. (24)

6 Sep 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Colombo from Bombay. (25)

9 Sep 1940
The German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis (Schiff 16) sank the tanker Athelking (9557 GRT, built 1926) east of Mauritius in position 21°52'S, 67°20'E. The tanker was in ballast en-route from Capetown to Surabaya. Four crew were killed and thirty-six were made prisoners of war. The Athelking was able to get off a raider report which the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station received and he then dispatched the light cruisers HMS Neptune (Capt. R.C. O'Conor, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN and armed merchant cruisers HMS Arawa (A/Capt. G.R. Deverell, RN) and HMAS Westralia (Cdr. A.S. Rosenthal, RAN) to search for the German raider but none was able to make contact with the German ship. (26)

10 Sep 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Colombo to patrol near position 08°00'S, 76°00'E to search for a German raider which had been reported the day before. (27)

16 Sep 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) made a short stop at Diego Garcia to fuel. She departed again to continue her patrol later the same day. (25)

21 Sep 1940

Convoy BM 1.

This convoy departed Bombay on 21 September 1940.

It was made up of the troop transports; Batory (Polish, 14287 GRT, built 1936), Orcades (British, 23456 GRT, built 1937) and Stratheden (British, 23722 GRT, built 1937).

It was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMAS Westralia (Cdr. A.S. Rosenthal, RAN).

The convoy arrived at Colombo on 24 September 1940.

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The convoy departed Colombo on 25 September 1940.

It was now made up of the Batory and Stratheden.

Escort was provided by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN). Course was first set to Madras.

At 0750EF(-5.5)/27, the transport Ellenga (British, 5196 GRT, built 1911) joined coming from Madras. Course was then set for Singapore.

The convoy arrived at Singapore on 1 October 1940.

(28)

23 Sep 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Colombo from patrol. (25)

25 Sep 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) departed Colombo escorting convoy BM 1.

For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy BM 1 ' for 21 September 1940. (27)

1 Oct 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) arrived at Singapore with convoy BM 1. (29)

2 Oct 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) is taken in hand for refit at the Singapore Dockyard. (30)

10 Oct 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) is docked in No.1 Dock (aka King George VI dock) at the Singapore Dockyard. (29)

25 Oct 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) is undocked. (29)

31 Oct 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) conducted compass swing trials off Singapore. (29)

6 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Singapore. On completing course was set for Penang escorting the river gunboat Cricket (Lt. J.L. Goatley, RN). (31)

8 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and Cricket (Lt. J.L. Goatley, RN) arrived at Penang. After topping off with fuel they departed again later the same day for Nancowry. (31)

10 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and Cricket (Lt. J.L. Goatley, RN) arrived at Nancowry. HMS Capetown briefly grounded but no damage was sustained. (31)

10 Nov 1940
The German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis (Schiff 16) captured the Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob (8306 GRT, built 1939) in the Bay of Bengal, west of the Nicobar Islands in position 06°29'N, 90°16'E. On receiving a raider report from the tanker the Commander-in-Chief East Indies despatched the heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (Capt. H.B. Farncomb, RAN), light cruisers HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN), HMS Durban (Capt. J.A.S. Eccles, RN) and armed merchant cruiser HMAS Westralia (A/Capt.(Emgy.) H.V. Hudson, OBE, RAN) to search for the German raider, but none made contact with the German ship. (26)

11 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Nancowry for anti raider patrol and onwards to Colombo. (31)

13 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Colombo from Nancowry.

After fuelling she departed again for anti-raider patrol and onwards to Nancowry. (32)

14 Nov 1940

Convoy US 7.

This convoy departed Sydney on 14 November 1940.

The convoy was made up of the following troopships; Batory (Polish, 14287 GRT, built 1936) and Orion (British, 23371 GRT, built 1935).

On departure from Sydney the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMAS Adelaide (Capt. H.A. Showers, RAN).

Around 1000K/17, the troopship Strathmore (British, 23428 GRT, built 1935) joined in Bass Strait coming from Melbourne.

Around 1600J/18, the light cruiser HMAS Perth (Capt. P.W. Bowyer-Smith, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral J.G. Crace, RN) joined and took over escort from HMAS Adelaide which then parted company to proceed to Melbourne.

Around 1800J/18, the troopship Stratheden (British, 23722 GRT, built 1937) joined the convoy coming from Adelaide.

The convoy arrived at Fremantle on 21 November 1940.

Sailing of the convoy from Fremantle was then delayed due to enemy raiders being active in the Indian Ocean and the escorting cruisers being used to search for these.

The convoy finally departed Fremantle on 28 November 1940 still escorted by HMAS Perth. Later on the day of departure the convoy was joined by the heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (Capt. H.B. Farncomb, RAN) which also came from Fremantle but departed a little later to overtake the convoy.

On 3 December 1940, HMAS Canberra was relieved by HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN).

On 5 December 1940 the convoy arrived at Colombo.

The convoy and escort (still HMAS Perth and HMS Capetown) departed Colombo on 7 December to continue it's passage to Suez.

On 11 December 1940, HMAS Perth was relieved by HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN). HMAS Perth then proceeded to Aden to fuel arriving and leaving there on 12 December 1940 to rejoin the convoy. Also from Aden on the 12th additional escorts joined the convoy, these were the AA cruiser HMS Carlisle (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) and the destroyers HMS Kandahar (Cdr. W.G.A. Robson, RN) and HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, RN). HMS Capetown and HMS Caledon then parted company with the convoy.

HMS Kingston parted company with the convoy oround midnight during the night of 13/14 December and proceeded to Port Sudan to fuel.

The following morning HMAS Perth, HMS Carlisle parted company with the convoy to join southbound convoy BS 10A. US 7 then continued on to Suez escorted by HMS Kandahar. US 7 arrived at Suez on 15 December 1940.

16 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Nancowry to escort the river gunboat Cricket (Lt. J.L. Goatley, RN) to Colombo. (31)

20 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and Cricket (Lt. J.L. Goatley, RN) departed Nancowry for Penang. Weather conditions in the Bay of Bengal were unsuitable for the shallow draft river gunboat for the passage to Colombo. (32)

22 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and Cricket (Lt. J.L. Goatley, RN) arrived at Penang.

HMS Capetown departed again later the same day to return to Nancowry. (32)

23 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Nancowry. (31)

24 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Nancowry to patrol in the Bay of Bengal and then onwards to Colombo. (31)

30 Nov 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Colombo from patrol. (31)

1 Dec 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Colombo for escort duty with convoy US 7.

[For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy US 7 ' for 14 November 1940.] (33)

3 Dec 1940
Around 1500F/3, HMAS Canberra (Capt. H.B. Farncomb, RAN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral J.G. Crace, RN) was relieved as escort of convoy US 7 by HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN). (34)

5 Dec 1940
HMAS Perth (Capt. P.W. Bowyer-Smith, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Colombo with convoy US 7. (35)

7 Dec 1940
HMAS Perth (Capt. P.W. Bowyer-Smith, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Colombo escorting convoy US 7.

[For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy US 7 ' for 14 November 1940.] (36)

12 Dec 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Aden after convoy escort duty. (33)

13 Dec 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Aden for patrol in the Indian Ocean. (33)

18 Dec 1940

Convoy WS 5A and the attack by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper

This convoy departed U.K. ports on 18/19 December 1940. Destination for the majority of the convoy was Suez where the convoy arrived on 16 February 1941.

On 17 December 1940 the transport Rangitiki (British, 16698 GRT, built 1929) departed Avonmouth. She was escorted by HMS Kipling (Cdr. A. St. Clair-Ford, RN) towards the rendezvous position.

On 18 December 1940 the following troop transports / transports departed Liverpool, they formed WS 5A slow;
Anselm (British, 5954 GRT, built 1935), Atreus (British, 6547 GRT, built 1911), Bhutan (British, 6104 GRT, built 1929), City of Canterbury (British, 8331 GRT, built 1922), City of London (British, 8956 GRT, built 1907), Delane (British, 6054 GRT, built 1938), Elizabethville (Belgian, 8351 GRT, built 1922), Menelaus (British, 10307 GRT, built 1923), Orbita (British, 15495 GRT, built 1915), Settler (British, 6202 GRT, built 1939) and Tamaroa (British, 12405 GRT, built 1922). They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Witherington (Lt.Cdr. J.B. Palmer, RN), HMS Witch (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Barnes, RN), sloop HMS Wellington (Cdr. I.H. Bockett-Pugh, RN) and the corvettes HMS Clematis (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Jonquil (Lt.Cdr. R.E.H. Partington, RNR), HMS Cyclamen (Lt. H.N. Lawson, RNR) and HMS Geranium (T/Lt. A. Foxall, RNR).

On 18 December 1940 the following troop transports / transports departed from the Clyde;
Costa Rica (Dutch, 8055 GRT, built 1910), Ernebank (British, 5388 GRT, built 1937), Leopoldville (Belgian, 11509 GRT, built 1929) and Neuralia (British, 9182 GRT, built 1912). Ernebank was however forced to return around 1800 hours on the 21st escorted by HMS Witch and HMS St. Mary’s. On the 22nd, HMS Wellington, was detached to take over the escort of the Ernebank. They were escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Cairo (Capt. P.V. McLaughlin, RN) and the destroyers HMS Bath (Cdr.(Retd.) A.V. Hemming, RN), HMS St. Marys (Lt. K.H.J.L. Phibbs, RN), HMS St. Albans (Lt.Cdr.(Emgy.) S.G.C. Rawson, RN), HMS Worcester (Lt.Cdr. E.C. Coats, RN).

On 18 December 1940 the following troop transports / transports departed from Lough Foyle (Belfast); City of Derby (British, 6616 GRT, built 1921) and Stentor (British, 6148 GRT, built 1926). They were escorted by the destroyer HMS Venomous (Lt.Cdr. J.E.H. McBeath, RN).

The slow part of the convoy was met around dawn on the 19th by the light cruiser HMS Bonaventure (Capt. H.G. Egerton, RN) and the destroyers HMS Vesper (Lt.Cdr. W.F.E. Hussey, DSC, RN), HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, RN) and HMS Highlander (Cdr. W.A. Dallmeyer, RN).

Around 2300/21 all destroyers parted company with the slow part of the convoy.

On 19 December 1940 the following troop transports / transports departed Liverpool, they formed WS 5A fast;
Clan MacDonald (British, 9653 GRT, built 1939), Essex (British, 13655 GRT, built 1936) and Northern Prince (British, 10917 GRT, built 1929).

On 19 December 1940 the following troop transports / transports departed from the Clyde;
Adviser (British, 6348 GRT, built 1939), Arabistan (British, 5874 GRT, built 1929), Barrister (British, 6348 GRT, built 1939), Benrinnes (5410 GRT, built 1921), Clan Cumming (British, 7264 GRT, built 1938), Empire Song (British, 9228 GRT, built 1940) and Empire Trooper (British, 14106 GRT, built 1922).

Escort for the fast section of convoy WS 5A joined around dawn on the 20th and was provided by the aircraft carrier HMS Argus (Capt. E.G.N. Rushbrooke, DSC, RN), light cruiser HMS Naiad (Capt. M.H.A. Kelsey, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral E.L.S. King, CB, MVO, RNRN), destroyers HMCS Ottawa (Cdr. E.R. Mainguy, RCN), HMCS St. Laurent (Lt. H.S. Rayner, RCN) and Piorun (Cdr. E.J.S. Plawski) which came from the Clyde. And also by the destroyers HMS Highlander, HMS Harvester and FSS Le Triomphant (Cdr. P.M.J.R. Auboyneau) which came from Londonderry. The first two of these destroyers had fuelled there after escorting the slow part of the convoy for a while. Also the aircraft carrier HMS Furious (Capt. A.G. Talbot, DSO, RN) (with fighters embarked for Takoradi) and the destroyers HMS Beverley (Cdr.(Retd.) E.F. Fitzgerald, RN), HMS Kelvin (Cdr. J.H. Allison, DSO, RN) and HMS Kipling joined from Liverpool.

The destroyers of the fast portion of the convoy were detached during the night of 21/22 December 1940.

At dawn on 23 December 1940 the slow and fast part of the convoy made rendez-vous and proceeded in company.

On the 24th, HMS Naiad parted company to return to the U.K. The heavy cruiser HMS Berwick (Capt. G.L. Warren, RN) and the light cruiser HMS Dunedin (Capt. R.S. Lovatt, RN) both joined the escort of the convoy.

At dawn on the 25th the convoy was attacked by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. She had made contact with the convoy with radar the previous day and had already made a torpedo attack shortly before 0400/25 but no hits had been obtained nor had the attack been noticed by the British.

Then shortly after 0800/25 she made visual contact with the convoy and it came as a surprise to the Germans to sight HMS Berwick.

Around 0830 hours the Germans opened fire on HMS Berwick but due to the bad visibility she soon shifted target to the troopship Empire Trooper which was not in her assigned station. The troopship was slightly damaged as was the merchant vessel Arabistan.

The convoy was ordered to scatter and HMS Berwick and HMS Bonaventure both engaged the German cruiser as did the corvette Cyclamen briefly.

Meanwhile HMS Dunedin laid a smokescreen to cover the ships of the convoy. HMS Furious flew off a few aircraft but these failed to find the German cruiser in the bad visibility.

HMS Berwick was damaged by gunfire from the German cruiser but she forced, together with HMS Bonaventure, the enemy to break off the action around 0915 hours.

In the evening HMS Boneventure was detached to search for the damaged Empire Trooper.

On the 28th the convoy was reassembled at sea (minus Empire Trooper which was ordered to proceed to Gibraltar via the Azores) and continued on to Freetown where it arrived on 5 January 1941.

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The convoy departed Freetown for South Africa on 8 January.

The convoy was now made up of the (troop) transports; Adviser, Anselm, Arabistan, Atreus, Barrister, Benrinnes, Bhutan, City of Canterbury, City of Derby, City of London, Costa Rica, Delane, Elisabethville, Empire Ability (British, 7603 GRT, built 1931), Menelaus, Neuralia, Orbita, Rangitiki, Settler, Stentor and Tamaroa.

On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable (Capt. A.W.La T. Bisset, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral W.F. Wake-Walker CB, OBE, RN), heavy cruisers HMS Dorsetshire (Capt. B.C.S. Martin, RN), HMS Hawkins (Capt. H.P.K. Oram, RN), destroyers HMS Velox (Lt.Cdr. E.G. Roper, DSC, RN), HMS Vidette (Lt. E.N. Walmsley, RN), sloops HMS Milford (Cdr. (Retd.) the Hon. V.M. Wyndham-Quin, RN), HMS Bridgewater (A/Cdr. (Retd.) H.F.G. Leftwich, RN) and the corvettes HMS Asphodel (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) K.W. Stewart, RN) and HMS Calendula (Lt.Cdr. A.D. Bruford, RNVR).

At 0700N/9, the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk (Capt. A.J.L. Phillips, RN) joined the convoy. She had also departed Freetown around the same time as the convoy but apparently acted independently until the time she joined the convoy.

At 0600N/10, HMS Formidable, HMS Dorsetshire, HMS Norfolk, HMS Velox and HMS Vidette parted company with the convoy. At the same time the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. R.D. Oliver, DSC, RN) joined.

It appears that HMS Bridgewater, HMS Milford, HMS Asphodel and HMS Calendula parted company on 12 January.

At 1000B/21, the heavy cruiser HMS Shropshire (Capt. J.H. Edelsten, RN) joined the convoy and HMS Devonshire parted company.

At 1600B/22, HMS Hawkins parted company with the convoy taking the transports Anselm and City of Canterbury to Capetown where they arrived on 23 January.

The remainder of the convoy arrived at Durban on 25 January 1941 escorted by HMS Shropshire.

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The convoy departed Durban for Suez on 29 January 1941. It was now made up of the transports, Adviser, Anselm, Arabistan, Atreus, Barrister, Benrinnes, Bhutan, City of Canterbury, City of Derby, City of London, Costa Rica, Delane, Elisabethville, Empire Ability, Menelaus, Neuralia, Nieuw Holland (Dutch, 11066 GRT, built 1927), Orbita, Rangitiki, Settler, Stentor, Talamba (British, 8018 GRT, built 1924) and Tamaroa.

They were escorted by the heavy cruiser HMS Shropshire and the light cruiser HMS Ceres (Capt. E.G. Abbott, AM, RN).

Around 0800B/30, HMS Shropshire was relieved by the light cruiser HMS Enterprise (Capt. J.C. Annesley, DSO, RN).

In the morning of 31 January the transport Delane parted company with the convoy to return to Durban due to engine defects.

At 1000CD(-3.5)/4, HMS Ceres parted company taking the transports Nieuw Holland and Orbita with her to Kilindini / Mombasa where they arrived on 5 February.

At 1440CD/5, the armed merchant cruiser HMS Hector (Capt.(Retd.) F. Howard, DSC, RN) joined.

At 1500CD/5, the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) joined.

At 0430CD/6, HMS Capetown parted company with the convoy having been ordered to do so.

At 1730CD/10, HMS Enterprise parted company with the convoy to fuel at Aden. She rejoined the convoy around 2130C/11.

Around 0630C/11, the convoy was joined by the light cruiser HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN) and the sloops HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN) and HMIS Indus (Cdr. E.G.G. Hunt, RIN). HMS Hector then parted company with the convoy.

At 2300C/11, HMIS Indus parted company with the convoy upon being relieved by the sloop HMS Grimsby (Cdr. K.J. D'Arcy, RN).

At 1830C/13, HMS Flamingo parted company with the convoy to return to Aden and HMS Grimsby parted company with the convoy taking the transport Neuralia with her to Port Sudan.

At 0400C/14, HMS Enterprise parted company with the convoy.

The convoy escorted by HMS Caledon arrived at Suez on 16 February 1941. (37)

20 Dec 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) made a short stop at Addu Atoll to fuel and then departed again to resume patrol. (33)

24 Dec 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Colombo from patrol. (33)

29 Dec 1940
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Colombo to patrol off the Bay of Bengal to the south-east and east of Ceylon. (38)

6 Jan 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Trincomalee from patrol (38)

7 Jan 1941

Convoy WS 5B

This convoy departed U.K. ports on 7 January 1941 for variuos ports in the Far East and Mediterranean (see below).

The convoy was made up of the following troop transports; Arundel Castle (British, 19118 GRT, built 1921), Athlone Castle (25564 GRT, built 1936), Britannic (British, 26943 GRT, built 1930), Capetown Castle (British, 27002 GRT, built 1938), Duchess of Bedford (British, 20123 GRT, built 1928), Duchess of Richmond (British, 20022 GRT, built 1928), Duchess of York (British, 20021 GRT, built 1929), Durban Castle (British, 17388 GRT, built 1938), Empress of Australia (British, 21833 GRT, built 1914), Empress of Japan (British, 26032 GRT, built 1930), Franconia (British, 20175 GRT, built 1923), Highland Chieftain (British, 14131 GRT, built 1929), Highland Princess (British, 14133 GRT, built 1930), Monarch of Bermuda (British, 22424 GRT, built 1931), Nea Hellas (British, 16991 GRT, built 1922), Orbita (British, 15495 GRT, built 1915), Ormonde (British, 14982 GRT, built 1917), Pennland (Dutch, 16082 GRT, built 1922), Samaria (British, 19597 GRT, built 1921), Winchester Castle (British, 20012 GRT, built 1930) and Windsor Castle (British, 19141 GRT, built 1922).

Four of these ships departed Avonmouth on 7 January and six sailed from Liverpool. These ships anchored in Moelfre Bay for several days as the eleven ships that were to be sailed from the Clyde could not do so due to thick fog.

The Avonmouth (Bristol Channel) section of the convoy had been escorted to Moelfre Bay by the destroyer HMS Vansittart (Lt.Cdr. R.L.S. Gaisford, RN).

The Liverpool section was escorted to Moelfre Bay by the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (Capt. R.R. Stewart, RN) and the destroyers HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, DSC, RN), HMS Highlander (Cdr. W.A. Dallmeyer, DSO, RN) and HMS Witherington (Lt.Cdr. J.B. Palmer, RN).

The ships and their escorts anchored in Moelfre Bay from 8 to 11 January. The escorts remained there for A/S patrol and AA protection and were joined by the destroyer HMS Foresight (Lt.Cdr. G.T. Lambert, RN) which had departed Liverpool on the 8th and the light cruiser HMS Naiad (Capt. M.H.A. Kelsey, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral E.L.S. King, CB, MVO, RN) which came from the Clyde.

When it became clear that the ships from the Clyde were finally able to sail the ships in Moelfre Bay sailed for Lough Foyle (near Londonderry, Northern Ireland) to take on board additional water.

The ships from Lough Foyle and the Clyde made rendez-vous at sea on 12 January and course was then set to Freetown.

The convoy was now escorted by the battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. A.D. Read, RN), heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, light cruisers HMS Phoebe (Capt. G. Grantham, RN), HMS Naiad, destroyers HMS Jackal (Cdr. C.L. Firth, MVO, RN), HMS Harvester, HMS Highlander, HMS Fearless (Cdr. A.F. Pugsley, RN), HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. F.C. Brodrick, RN), HMS Beagle (Lt.Cdr. R.H. Wright, DSC, RN), HMS Witherington, HMS Watchman (Lt.Cdr. E.C.L. Day, RN), HMS Vansittart, HMS Lincoln (Cdr. A.M. Sheffield, RN), HMS Leamington (Cdr. W.E. Banks, DSC, RN) and Léopard (Lt.Cdr. J. Evenou).

On 14 January the destroyers HMS Witherington and FFS Leopard parted company.

The light cruiser HMS Emerald (Capt. F.C. Flynn, RN) departed Plymouth on 12 January. She joined the convoy around noon on the 15th. Shortly afterwards HMS Naiad then parted company with the convoy and proceeded to Scapa Flow where she arrrived around 1430/17.

HMS Phoebe and HMS Fearless also parted company with the convoy escorting the Capetown Castle and Monarch of Bermuda to Gibraltar where they arrived in the afternoon of the 18th. On the 17th they were joined by the destroyer HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, RN) and on the 18th by two more destroyers; HMS Duncan (A/Capt. A.D.B. James, RN) and HMS Fury (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Robinson, RN).

At Gibraltar the two troopships took on board troops from the damaged troopship Empire Trooper. They departed Gibraltar for Freetown on 19 January being escorted by the destroyers HMS Fury, HMS Fearless and HMS Duncan until 21 January when they parted company. Both troopships arrived at Freetown on 26 January escorted by HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN) and HMS Forester.

Meanwhile convoy WS 5B had coninued its passage southwards.

On the 16 January all remaining destroyers parted company.

Around 0330Z/17, HMS Ramillies parted company with the convoy. She took the troopship / liner Duchess of York with her.

When approaching Freetown local A/S vessels started to join the convoy. On 21 January the corvettes HMS Asphodel (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) K.W. Stewart, RN) and HMS Calendula (Lt.Cdr. A.D. Bruford, RNVR) joined and the next day the destroyer HMS Velox (Lt.Cdr. E.G. Roper, DSC, RN) also joined the convoy. Finally on 24 January the destroyer HMS Vidette (Lt. E.N. Walmsley, RN) also joined the convoy.

On 25 January 1941 the convoy arrived at Freetown escorted by HMAS Australia, HMS Emerald, HMS Velox, HMS Vidette, HMS Asphodel and HMS Calendula.

The convoy departed Freetown on 29 January with the addition of troop transport Cameronia (British, 16297 GRT, built 1920) still escorted by HMAS Australia and HMS Emerald. A local A/S force remained with the convoy until 1 February and was made up of the destroyers HMS Faulknor, HMS Forester, sloop HMS Milford (Capt.(Retd.) S.K. Smyth, RN) and the corvettes HMS Clematis (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Cyclamen (Lt. H.N. Lawson, RNR).

HMS Emerald arrived at Capetown on 8 February escorting Arundel Castle, Athlone Castle, Capetown Castle, Duchess of Bedford, Durban Castle, Empress of Australia, Empress of Japan, Monarch of Bermuda and Winchester Castle. The light cruiser then went to Simonstown.

HMAS Australia arrived at Durban on 11 February with Britannic, Cameronia, Duchess of Richmond, Franconia, Highland Chieftain, Highland Princess, Nea Hellas, Ormonde, Pennland, Samaria and Windsor Castle.

The Capetown section departed that place on 12 February and the Durban section on 15 February after which a rendez-vous of Durban was effected.

On 21 February the troopships Empress of Australia, Empress of Japan, Ormonde and Windsor Castle were detached to Kilindini / Mombasa escorted by HMS Emerald. They arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa on 22 February. In the approaches to Kilindini / Mombasa the convoy was joined by the destroyer HMS Kandahar (Cdr. W.G.A. Robson, RN).

The remainder of the convoy continued on Suez escorted by HMS Australia (until 2040D/22) and HMS Hawkins (Capt. H.P.K. Oram, RN) which joined the convoy shortly before HMS Emerald and the four troopships for Kilindini / Mombasa were detached.

Around 1200D/26, the light cruiser HMS Caledon (Capt. C.P. Clarke, RN) joined. HMS Hawkins then parted company and proceeded to Aden with the Duchess of Richmond.

On 27 August the sloops HMS Auckland (Cdr. J.G. Hewitt, DSO, RN) and HMAS Parramatta (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Walker, MVO, RAN) joined the convoy. HMS Hawkins and the Duchess of Richmond also rejoined after which HMS Caledon parted company to return to Aden.

Also on 27 August, the destroyer HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, DSC, RN) departed Aden with the following (troop) transports; President Doumer (British, 11898 GRT, built 1935), Takliwa (British, 7936 GRT, built 1924), Varsova (British, 4701 GRT, built 1914) and Waimarama (British, 12843 GRT, built 1938).

Around daylight on 1 March, HMS Auckland was detached to proceed to Port Sudan taking the President Doumer with her.

Around 1600C/1, HMAS Parramatta was detached to return to Aden.

In the morning of 2 March, HMS Hawkins was detached to proceed to Aden.

The convoy arrived at Suez on 3 March 1941, still escorted by HMS Kingston.

The 'Kilindini / Mombasa section' meanwhile departed there on 24 February as convoy WS 5X now escorted by light cruiser HMS Enterprise (Capt. J.C. Annesley, DSO, RN). On 27 February light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) joined this convoy as additional escort. The convoy arrived at Bombay on 3 March 1941.

Convoy WS 5BX, now made up of the troopship Aquitania (British, 44786 GRT, built 1914) and Empress of Japan, departed Bombay for Singapore on 5 March escorted by HMS Enterprise. The convoy was joined on 8 March by the light cruiser HMS Durban (Capt. J.A.S. Eccles, RN). HMS Enterprise left the convoy on 9 March. The convoy arrived at Singapore on 11 March. HMS Durban had parted company with the convoy the day before.

8 Jan 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Trincomalee for patrol. She is ordered to patrol to the south-east of Ceylon. (38)

13 Jan 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Colombo from patrol. (38)

16 Jan 1941

Convoy US 8A.

This convoy departed Colombo on 16 January 1941 for Suez where it arrived on 28 January 1941.

The convoy was made up of the following troopships / merchant vessels; Christiaan Huygens (Dutch, 16287 GRT, built 1927), Devonshire (British, 11275 GRT, built 1939), Dilwara (British, 11080 GRT, built 1936), Dominion Monarch (British, 27155 GRT, built 1939), Indrapoera (Dutch, 10825 GRT, built 1925), Johan de Witt (Dutch, 10474 GRT, built 1920), Lancashire (British, 9557 GRT, built 1917), Nevassa (British, 9213 GRT, built 1913), Nieuw Zeeland (Dutch, 11069 GRT, built 1928), Rajula (British, 8478 GRT, built 1926), Rohna (British, 8602 GRT, built 1926) and Slamat (Dutch, 11636 GRT, built 1924).

On departure from Colombo the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Antenor (Capt.(Retd.) D.I. McGillewie, RN). The heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (Capt. H.B. Farncomb, RAN) provided cover to the south of the convoy until the 18th after which she returned to Colombo on 19 January 1941. While berthing there she hit a pier and sustained some damage.

On 22 January the convoy escort was taken over by the AA cruiser HMS Carlisle (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) and the destroyers HMS Kandahar (Cdr. W.G.A. Robson, RN) and HMS Kimberley (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN).

On 23 January two more merchant vessels joined the convoy coming from Aden, these were the City of Lincoln (British, 8039 GRT, built 1938) and the Thurland Castle (British, 6372 GRT, built 1929). They were escorted by the sloop HMAS Yarra (Lt.Cdr. W.H. Harrington, RAN).

On the 24th HMS Capetown rejoined the convoy.

Early in the evening of 26 January HMS Carlisle and HMAS Yarra parted company with the convoy to proceed to Port Sudan where they arrived the following day. HMS Capetown and HMS Kimberley also parted company with the convoy to proceed to Aden where they arrived on the 27th.

On the 27th the sole remaining escort, HMS Kandahar was relieved by HMS Grimsby (Cdr. K.J. D'Arcy, RN). HMS Kandahar then proceeded to Port Sudanwhere she arrived on the 28th.

The convoy arrived at Suez also on 28 January 1941. (39)

29 Jan 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Aden for a patrol which was to end at Kilindini / Mombasa. During the patrol she was to make a call at Port Victoria, Seychelles to fuel. (40)

4 Feb 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) made a short call at Port Victoria, Seychelles to fuel. On completion of which she departed again to resume patrol.

On 6 February she joined convoy WS 5A but parted company again the following morning.

[For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy WS 5A and the attack by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper ' for 18 December 1940.] (41)

11 Feb 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa from patrol. (41)

11 Feb 1941

Operation Canvas

The object of this operation was the capture of Kismayu by land militery forces with the support of Naval and Air Force co-operation.

Regarding the naval side of the operations there were two objectives for which they were to assist the Army forces; 1) Bombarding the coast road and demonstrations off Brava (Barawe) and Merca (Marka). 2) Bombardment and bombing of Kismayu prior to the assault.

Purely naval objectives were; 1) The interception, capture or sinking of enemy merchant vessels escaping from Kismayu or Mogadishu. 2) Sweeping Kismayu clear after capture. 3) The arrangement and protection of seaborne military supplies in former Italian ports. 4) The taking over and establishment of a Naval Base at the port of Kismayu.

For the naval side of the operation ' Force T ' was formed. It was made up of the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (Capt. R.F.J. Onslow, DSC, MVO, RN), heavy cruisers HMS Shropshire (Capt. J.H. Edelsten, RN, Senior Officer), HMS Hawkins (Capt. H.P.K. Oram, RN), light cruisers HMS Ceres (Capt. E.G. Abbott, AM, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and the destroyer HMS Kandahar (Cdr. W.G.A. Robson, DSO, RN).

Of these ships HMS Hermes and HMS Hawkins had departed Kilindini / Mombasa around 1300C/10.

HMS Kandahar had already departed Aden on 8 Febraury.

A bombardment for coast road to the North of Kismayu was set for 13 and 14 February.

Bombardment and bombing of Kismayu was set for 15 and 16 February.

Air reconnaissance photographs taken on 30 January 1941 had shown 16 merchant ships off Kismayu, 10 of which were Italian and 4 German.

Air reconnaissance photographs taken on 5 and 6 February 1941 had shown that the German Tannenfels (7840 GRT, built 1938) had sailed.

Air reconnaissance, carried out on 11 February, showed a merchant vessel 26 miles south of Brava, and two self propelled lighters 10 miles south of Brava proceeding North, while three larger ships, one tug and one coaster were observed in the Northern anchorage at Kismayu and five merchant ships in the Southern anchorage.

11 February 1941.

On 11 February 1941, The Italian ships Adria (3809 GRT, built 1914) and Savoia (5490 GRT, built 1922) were captured by HMS Hawkins. Prize crews were put on board and the ships were taken to Kilindini / Mombasa. The captured Adria came across another Italian merchant ship, the Erminia Mazzella (5644 GRT, built 1917). This ship was then also captured. On this day HMS Ceres departed Kilindini / Mombasa to arrive in the operations area the following day.

Air reconnaissance, carried out on 12 February, showed that many of the merchant vessels had sailed. Four merchant vessels were seen in the Southern anchorage. In the Northern anchorage nine lighters were spotted.

Around 1630C/11, HMS Shropshire and HMS Ceres departed Kilindini / Mombasa for operations.

12 February 1941.

On 12 February 1941, The Italian ships Manon (5652 GRT, built 1901) and Leonardo da Vinci (7432 GRT, built 1937) were captured by HMS Hawkins and HMS Hermes respectively. Later the German Uckermark (7021 GRT, built 1930) was intercepted by HMS Hawkins but before she could be closed and captured she was scuttled by her crew. She did not sink however but no ship could be spared to try to salvage her at this moment in the operation as HMS Kandahar had been detached to fuel at Kilindini / Mombasa where she arrived on this day and HMS Capetown only departed Kilindini / Mombasa on this day to arrive in the operations area the following day. The small German ship Askari, with 'white' troops on board, is attacked by aircraft from HMS Hermes and driven ashore by near Brava.

Around 0830C/12, HMS Capetown departed Kilindini / Mombasa for operations.

13 February 1941.

On 13 February 1941, the Senior Officer of ' Force T ' was ordered, given the speedy advance on land, to reconnoitre Kismayu. HMS Kandahar, which had returned from Kilindini / Mombasa , was ordered to do this. She fired three salvoes from 10000 yards. There was no answering fire and it appreared the town had been abandoned by the enemy. Aircraft reported that there was oil all over the harbour and that no AA fire was encountered. HMS Shropshire showed herself of Mogadishu and bombarded a merchant vessel in the anchorage. This was later found out to be the Italian Pensilvania (6268 GRT, built 1903). On retiring from the area HMS Shropshire was bombed by a single Caproni bomber. She sustained no damage. HMS Shropshire also carried out a successful bombardment of an encampment and military lorries near Brava.

14 February 1941.

On 24 February, HMS Shropshire bombarded the Kismayu Island Battery for 22 minutes and then the Mtanga Ya Papa Battery for 15 minutes. They were engaged from ranges between 20000 and 25000 yards. There was no reply from either battery and numerous fires were started. As a result ground forces were able to enter Kismayu at 1415Z/14, six days ahead of shedule. The remainer of ' Force T ' patrolled so as to try to intercept enemy shipping. HMS Ceres left the area to fuel at Kilindini / Mombasa. She briefly towed the scuttled, but still not sunken, Uckermark but in the end the German ship could not be saved and she finally sank in the afternoon.

15 February 1941.

On 15 February 1941, HMS Shropshire carried out a bombardment of targets off Brava. With Kismayu fallen and the Italians in full retreat, the plan developed into an advance on Mogadishu, where it was proposed that HMS Shropshire, HMS Hermes and HMS Hawkins should bombard and bomb the defences as well as shipping. This proposal was, however, cancelled on receipt of an Admiralty message that no merchant vessel was to be sunk that could possibly be saved, and information that the advance on Mogadishu could not start for four day in view of the opposition encountered at the Jubba River. A supply convoy and minesweepers (these were most likely the 109th M/S Group made up of the M/S whalers, Skudd 3 (Lt. A.F. Harkness, RNR), Skudd 4 (T/Lt. K. Tholfson, RNR), Skudd 5 (S.Lt. R.A.N. Cox, RNR) and Swona (T/Lt. A.C.C. Seligman, RNR)) had left Kilindini / Mombasa for Kismayu. HMS Ceres arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa.

16 February 1941.

On 16 February HMS Shropshire remained in the Jubba River / Brava area in support of the ground troops. HMS Hermes and HMS Hawkins left the area for Kilindini / Mombasa, sweeping well to seaward during their passage south to look for enemy shipping. HMS Capetown remained on patrol off Mogadishu. HMS Ceres and HMS Kandahar were employed in giving protection to the supply convoy and the minesweepers.

17 February 1941.

On 17 February, HMS Shropshire relieved HMS Capetown on the Mogadishu patrol, HMS Capetown then proceeded to Kilindini / Mombasa to fuel and clean boilers. The Military hospital ship Tairea (7934 GRT, built 1924) arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa. The Admiralty suggested the withdrawal of HMS Hermes from this operation, and she was therefore sent to Kilindini / Mombasato fuel and clean boilers. In the meantime discussions were ongoing about the future of the operation. If not required HMS Hermes was to operate in the Indian Ocean together with the light cruiser HMS Enterprise (Capt. J.C. Annesley, DSO, RN) which was also proceeding to Kilindini / Mombasa. On land the Army was in contact with the enemy near the Jubba River.

18 February 1941.

On 18 February, HMS Shropshire left patrol off Magadishu and set course for Kilindini / Mombasa. HMS Ceres took over the Mogadishu patrol after arrival of the minesweepers and part of the supply convoy at Kismayu. HMS Capetown arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa. It was decided that ships involved in the operation would prepare for the next move, presumably to Mogadishu. It was confirmed that HMS Hermes was to clean boilers and then team up with HMS Enterprise for trade route protection. HMS Kandahar was to return to Aden to rejoin the Red Sea force. HMS Shropshire, HMS Ceres and HMS Capetown would remain on patrol off Mogadishu, one cruiser only at a time.

19 February 1941.

On 19 February, the remainder of the supply convoy arrived at Kismayu. HMS Shropshire, HMS Hermes, HMS Hawkins and HMS Kandahar arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa.

20 February 1941.

On 20 February, the Army crossed the Jubba River in force and captured Jumbo (Jamame). It was decided that the Army was to capture Mogadishu if possible but that they should also prepare to release a South African division for deployment in Eritrea at short notice if required.

21 February 1941.

On 21 February, an inter-service conference was held at Kismayu and, in brief, the following plans were made; 1) On 22 and on 23 February bombardments from seaward were to be carried out on the Brava area. HMS Shropshire was detailed for this duty. 2) On 24 February Brava was to be captured. 3) On 27 February Merca was to be captured. 4) On 1 March the attack on Magadishu was to commence. Also on 21 February HMS Shropshire left Kilindini / Mombasa for the Brava area and HMS Ceres left the Mogadishu patrol to return to Kilindini / Mombasa.

22 February 1941.

The ships in the operation were now designated as ' Force W '. HMS Shropshire bombarded Modun over Brava. Considarable damage was inflicted including direct hits on targets. Many casualties were reported. It was later learnt that the bombardment had been a decisive factor in the Italian rout. After the bombardment HMS Shropshire proceeded to join the hunt for the German pocket battleship sighted in the Indian Ocean and HMS Ceres was ordered to take over.

23 February 1941.

On 23 February 1941, HMS Ceres arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa. On land the rapid military advance continued and over 3000 prisoners were taken.

24 February 1941.

On 24 February 1941, the Army occupied Modaneun (?) and Brava.

25 February 1941.

On 25 February 1941, the Army occupied Merca and Vittorio (?). HMS Ceres departed Kilindini / Mombasa for Kismayu.

26 February 1941.

On 26 February 1941, HMS Ceres arrived at Kismayu. The army captured Mogadishu, three days before the assualt had been sheduled to start. (39)

22 Feb 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Kilindini / Mombasa for the Seychelles. (42)

22 Feb 1941
At 0515Z/22, the Dutch merchant vessel Rantaupandjang (2542 GRT, built 1922) sent out a raider signal from position 08°24'S, 51°35'E.

Then at 0818Z/22, a Walrus aircraft from the light cruiser HMS Glasgow (Capt. H. Hickling, RN) reported a German pocket battleship in position 08°30'S, 51°35'E. This was the Admiral Scheer. Later that afternoon after the aircraft had been launched again it failed to make contact with the enemy.

In response the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (Capt. R.F.J. Onslow, DSC, MVO, RN) and light cruiser HMS Emerald (Capt. F.C. Flynn, RN) were sailed from Kilindini / Mombasa for the area the raider was spotted. The light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) was sent to the Seychelles.

The heavy cruiser HMS Shropshire (Capt. J.H. Edelsten, RN) was operating off Somaliland. She was ordered to joined HMS Hermes and HMS Emerald.

The heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (Capt. R.R. Stewart, RN) was sent to the area the raider was spotted from escort duty with convoy WS 5B. HMS Hawkins (Capt. H.P.K. Oram, RN) remained with this convoy.

Heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra (Capt. H.B. Farncomb, RAN), which was en-route to the Maledive Islands from Colombo was ordered to proceed towards position 06°00'S, 60°00'E.

Heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire (Capt. B.C.S. Martin, RN) was with ' Z Force ' near Durban. She was ordered to join the East Indies command to search for the enemy. She was ordered to return to Durban the following day to continue escorting ' Z Force '.

Light cruiser HMS Leander (from the New Zealand Division) (Capt. R.H. Bevan, RN) was ordered to proceed southwards from Bombay. (39)

25 Feb 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) made a short stop at Port Victoria, Seychelles. She then departed again to make rendezvous with convoy WS 5X.

[For more info on this convoy see the event ' Convoy WS 5B ' for 7 January 1941.] (41)

3 Mar 1941
HMS Enterprise (Capt. J.C. Annesley, DSO, RN) and HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Bombay with convoy WS 5X. (43)

12 Mar 1941

Convoy US 9B (or 9/2).

This convoy departed Bombay on 12 March 1941 for Suez where it arrived on 23 March 1941.

The convoy was made up of the following troopships; Empress of Australia (British, 21833 GRT, built 1914), Indrapoera (Dutch, 10825 GRT, built 1925), Johan de Witt (Dutch, 10474 GRT, built 1920) and Nieuw Zeeland (Dutch, 11069 GRT, built 1928).

On departure from Bombay the convoy was escorted by HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN).

Around noon on 18 March 1941, while near Aden, the sloop HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN) joined the convoy with two merchant vessels; Amerika (British, 10218 GRT, built 1930) and Wairangi (British, 12436 GRT, built 1935). The newbuilt Turkish minelayer Yuzbasi Hakki was also in company. [It appears HMS Flamingo remained with the convoy until 20 March 1941.]

Shortly after 1400C/18, the light cruiser HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) took over from HMS Capetown which then parted company with the convoy and proceeded to Aden. The destroyer HMS Kandahar (Cdr. W.G.A. Robson, DSO, RN) also joined the convoy on this day.

HMS Kandahar and HMS Flamingo parted company with the convoy around dawn on 20 March 1941 and proceeded to Port Sudan. HMS Flamingo took the Port Sudan Section of the convoy with her. The Port Sudan Section was made up of the Amerika and Wairangi.

The convoy arrived off Suez on 22 March and entered port on 23 March 1941. (39)

18 Mar 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Aden after convoy escort duty. (44)

18 Mar 1941

Convoy BS 20.

This convoy departed Suez on 18 March 1941.

It was made up of the following transports; Adelfotis (Greek, 5838 GRT, built 1917), Balzac (British, 5372 GRT, built 1920), Diamantis (British, 5253 GRT, built 1919), Drupa (British (tanker), 8102 GRT, built 1939), Goldmouth (British (tanker), 7402 GRT, built 1927), Hopecrown (British, 5180 GRT, built 1937), Hydraios (Greek, 4476 GRT, built 190) and Petros J. Goulandris (Greek, 4693 GRT, built 1923).

The convoy was escorted by the sloop HMIS Clive (Cdr. H.R. Inigo-Jones, RIN).

On 19 March 1941, HMIS Clive parted company to return to Port Said. The convoy then proceeded unescorted until it was joined on 21 March 1941 when the sloop HMS Auckland (Cdr. E.G. Hewitt, DSO, RN) joined having just parted company with convoy BN 20.

On 22 March they were joined by the transports (Dutch, 7886 GRT, built 1920) and Anna Odland (Norwegian, 4980 GRT, built 1939) coming from Port Sudan escorted by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) which also joined the convoy.

Also on 22 March 1941, the transport Rahmani (British, 5463 GRT, built 1928) joined coming from Jeddah.

At dawn on 25 March 1941, HMS Capetown parted company with the convoy to join convoy BN 21.

The convoy was dissolved in the Gulf of Aden on 26 March 1941.

19 Mar 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Aden for Bombay. (45)

20 Mar 1941
In the morning, HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN), which was on passage from Aden to Bombay, is ordered to proceed to Port Sudan. Course was therefore reversed to proceed to the Red Sea. (45)

21 Mar 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Port Sudan. (45)

22 Mar 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Port Sudan for escort duty with convoy BS 20 and BN 21.

[For more info on these convoys see the events ' Convoy BS 20 ' for 18 March 1941 and ' Convoy BN 21 ' for 24 March 1941.] (46)

24 Mar 1941

Convoy BN 21.

This convoy departed Aden on 24 March 1941.

It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Arena (Norwegian (tanker), 6362 GRT, built 1927), Baron Jedburgh (British, 3656 GRT, built 1936), Beaconsfield (British, 4635 GRT, built 1938), Bintang (British, 2825 GRT, built 1922), Bucegi (British, 4501 GRT, built 1913), Cabarita (British, 4364 GRT, built 1915), Captain A.F. Lucas (Panamanian (tanker), 4188 GRT, built 1904), Clan Fraser (British, 7529 GRT, built 1938), Clan MacTavish (British, 7631 GRT, built 1921), Eidanger (Norwegian (tanker), 9432 GRT, built 1938), Fingal (Norwegian, 2137 GRT, built 1923), Garmula (British, 5254 GRT, built 1920), G.S. Livanos (Greek, 4835 GRT, built 1937), Hatarana (British, 7522 GRT, built 1917), Hermion (Norwegian, 5202 GRT, built 1937), Jalamani (British, 3944 GRT, built 1929), Katha (British, 4357 GRT, built 1938), Manoula (Greek, 1966 GRT, built 1920), Maria Stathatos (Greek, 6303 GRT, built 1922), Modasa (British, 9070 GRT, built 1921), Narbada (British, 8988 GRT, built 1915), Northern Prince (British, 10917 GRT, built 1929), Ovula (Dutch (tanker), 6256 GRT, built 1938), Rizwani (British, 5448 GRT, built 1930), San Rafael (Panamanian, 5379 GRT, built 1919) and Warialda (British, 3135 GRT, built 1918).

The convoy was escorted by the sloop HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN).

Of the above ships the Bintang, Bucegi, Fingal and Manoula had already departed Aden on 23 March due to their slow speed. They were to be overtaken and joined later by the main convoy.

On 25 March 1941 the convoy was joined by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN).

On 27 March 1941, the transports Bucegi, Cabarita, Eidanger, Narbada and Rizwani parted company with the convoy to proceed to Port Sudan where they arrived later the same day.

Both escorts also parted company to proceed to Port Sudan.

The convoy continued on unescorted and arrived at Suez on 31 March 1941.

24 Mar 1941

Convoy BS 21.

This convoy departed Suez on 24 March 1941.

It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Afghanistan (British, 6992 GRT, built 1940), Andreas (Greek, 6566 GRT, built 1919), Arundo (Dutch, 5163 GRT, built 1930), Benalder (British, 5161 GRT, built 1919), Bosanka (Yuguslavian, 3456 GRT, built 1905), Christos Markettos (Greek, 5209 GRT, built 1919), City of Dundee (British, 5273 GRT, built 1921), City of Leicester (British, 3351 GRT, built 1926), Condylis (Greek, 4439 GRT, built 1914), Corona (Norwegian, 3264 GRT, built 1920), Doris (Greek,4604 GRT, built 1917), Efthalia Mari (Greek, 4195 GRT, built 1919), El Segundo (Panamanian (tanker), 3664 GRT, built 1912), Empire Ability (British, 7603 GRT, built 1931), Hatasu (British, 3198 GRT, built 1921), Intrepido (Panamanian, 2130 GRT, built 1920), Irene S. Embiricos (Greek, 4164 GRT, built 1927), Leana (British, 4742 GRT, built 1914), Maliakos (Greek, 3903 GRT, built 1912), Nevasa (British, 9213 GRT, built 1913), Odysseus (British, 4577 GRT, built 1913), Rosalie Moller (British, 3963 GRT, built 1910), Spyros (Greek, 6629 GRT, built 1918), Tassia (Greek, 3034 GRT, built 1904), Vacport (British (tanker), 6774 GRT, built 1930), Wilford (Norwegian, 2158 GRT, built 1921) and Woolgar (Norwegian, 3060 GRT, built 1914).

On departure from Suez the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN).

In the morning of the 28th, off Port Sudan, the convoy was joined by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and the sloop HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN).

Also at that time the convoy merged with convoy SU 3.

HMS Caledon parted company with the combined convoy on 29 March 1941 and proceeded to Port Sudan arriving there on the 30th.

On the 30th the combined convoy escort was joined by the sloop HMS Shoreham (Cdr. G.P. Claridge, RN) which then took over from HMS Capetown which then proceeded to Port Sudan arriving there on 31 March.

On 31 March the combined convoy was joined by the sloop HMIS Hindustan (Cdr. G.V.G. Beamish, RIN).

The combined convoy was dispersed on 1 April 1941.

25 Mar 1941

Convoy SU 3.

This convoy departed Suez on 25 March 1941.

it was made up of the following (troop) transports; Adviser (British, 6348 GRT, built 1939), Barrister (British, 6348 GRT, built 1939), Bhutan (British, 6104 GRT, built 1929), Clan MacAulay (British, 10492 GRT, built 1936), Durban Castle (British, 17388 GRT, built 1938), Nea Hellas (British, 16991 GRT, built 1922), Nurmahal (British, 5419 GRT, built 1923), Orbita (British, 15495 GRT, built 1915) and Westernland (Dutch, 16479 GRT, built 1918).

On departure from Aden the convoy was not escorted.

On 28 March 1941, off Port Sudan, the convoy merged with convoy BS 21. From then on the combined convoy was being escorted by the light cruisers HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN), HMS Caledon (A/Cdr. C.S. Britton, RN) and the sloop HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN).

HMS Caledon parted company with the combined convoy on 29 March 1941 and proceeded to Port Sudan arriving there on the 30th.

On the 30th the combined convoy escort was joined by the sloop HMS Shoreham (Cdr. G.P. Claridge, RN) which then took over from HMS Capetown which then proceeded to Port Sudan arriving there on 31 March.

On 31 March the combined convoy was joined by the sloop HMIS Hindustan (Cdr. G.V.G. Beamish, RIN).

The combined convoy was dispersed on 1 April 1941. (39)

27 Mar 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN) arrived at Port Sudan after convoy escort duty. (47)

28 Mar 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) and HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN) departed Port Sudan for escort duty with the combined convoy BS 21 / SU 3.

[For more info on this combined convoy see the events ' Convoy BS 21 ' for 24 March 1941 and ' Convoy SU 3 ' for 25 March 1941.] (47)

31 Mar 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Port Sudan after convoy escort duty. (44)

1 Apr 1941

Operation Atmosphere and the torpedoing of HMS Capetown.

Operations in the Red Sea against the port of Massawa in Eritrea.

The operation was desinged to furnish a swept channel from the sea approach to Mersa Kuba, in approximate position 16°10'N, 39°14'E, through the North Massawa Channel. A convoy of supply ships and lighters were then to proceed to that place to establish there a advanced base for supplies to the coastal military forces advancing to the assault on Massawa. For this operation the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) was to provide cover, destroyer HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, DSC, RN) was to buoy the swept channel with dans. The Channel itself was to be swept by the minesweeping sloop HMAS Parramatta (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Walker, MVO, RAN). The patrol vessel Ratnagiri (Lt. H.M. Clark, RIN) and patrol yacht HMS Sagitta (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.H. Straight, RNR) were to convey personnel and escort the convoy. They were also to evacuate possible casualties. The convoy itself consisted of 3 pontoons and a mooring barge towed by HMS Sagitta and the small tugs El Affia (129 GRT, built 1923) and El Kebir (129 GRT, built 1925). The El Affia also had minesweeping gear installed so that she could be used in that role if required. The supply ships were the El Fath (318 GRT, built 1918), Taif (1590 GRT, built 1928) and Velho (1100 GRT, built 1905).

1 April 1941.

Around 1030B/1, HMS Kingston and HMAS Parramatta departed Port Sudan. Around 1200B/1, HMS Capetown also departed Port Sudan.

HMS Kingston and HMAS Parramatta intended to be off Kavet Lighthouse in approximate position 16°58'N, 39°03'E at dawn on 2 April with HMS Capetown in a covering position to seaward.

2 April 1941.

At dawn on 2 April HMS Kingston and HMAS Parramatta were in position 16°40'N, 39°11'E. HMAS Parramatta then started to sweep with double Oropese sweeps through position 16°25'N, 39°15'5"E, to position 16°10'N, 39°14'5"E which was to the south of Mersa Kuba. HMS Kingston followed her through the swept channel and was danning the eastern side of the channel every two miles. After arrival off Mersa Kuba in the early afternoon, HMS Kingston set up a flag mark onshore while HMAS Parramatta commenced to return up the swept channel with starboard sweep to widen the channel. No mines were encountered.

The situation was however changing rapidly. The Army had invested Massawa and now called upon the Italian Forces to surrender. Air reconnaissance showed activity in the harbour, ships being scuttled and others leaving. An Italian destroyer had been sighted in the Dahlak Islands and others manoeuvering of the port. Changes were therefore made in the dispositions of all Red Sea Forces, and convoys at sea were turned back on the routes. Late on 2 April, HMS Capetown and HMS Kingston moved to seaward of the convoy routes to afford cover to an important convoy while HMAS Parramatta patrolled off shore near Kavet for the night. Apparently Italian destroyers must have passed close by during the night during their escape from Massawa to the north.

3 April 1941.

At dawn on 3 April, HMAS Parramatta moved to the south to continue widening the swept channel. Air reconnaissance sighted four Italian destroyers to the east of Port Sudan. These were then attacked by FAA and RAF aircraft. Two were sunk (Daniele Manin and Nazario Sauro) and two made off to the north-east (Pantera and Tigre).

After several miles of channel had been swept, HMAS Parramatta was ordered to withdraw to Mersa Teklay. She arrived there around 1600B/3 and anchored there.

HMS Kingston meanwhile prevented the two remaining Italian destroyers from proceeding towards Jeddah and these ships were eventually scuttled off the Arabian coast by their crews with nowhere else to go to.

At Massawa the Italians however refused to surrender and the Army renewed the attack.

4 April 1941.

At 0645B/4, the pontoon convoy escorted by HMS Sagitta and HMIS Ratnagiri arrived of Mersa Teklay. Preparations were then made to go ahead with the operation as planned, although HMS Capetown and HMS Kingston were still absent, hunting and later fuelling at Port Sudan.

At 1415B/4, HMAS Parramatta proceeded to Kavet and anchored there close to the shore ay 1715B/4 to assist the progress of the convoy to the south during the night. 5 April 1941.

At 0255B/5, the convoy was sighted and HMAS Parramatta thein weighted anchor and left the convoy to the commencement of the swept channel. She and the convoy arrived off Mersa Kuba around 1300B/5. HMS Capetown and the sloop HMS Indus (Cdr. Cdr. E.G.G. Hunt, RIN) already having arrived there.

The convoy then anchored while HMAS Parramatta began to sweep in the area for mines. Again no mines were encountered and sweeping was stopped around dusk when HMAS Parramatta anchored near the convoy for the night and to effect some repairs to her machinery.

HMS Capetown and HMIS Indus kept underway during the night patrolling in swept waters.

Meanwhile a start had been made to create a pontoon jetty and to unload the stores.

6 April 1941.

Massawa and the surrounding mainland fell to our Military Forces. HMAS Parramatta got underway and swept the remaining of the anchorage and then joined HMS Capetown and HMIS Indus on patrol at 1640B/5.

HMAS Parramatta and HMIS Indus were despatched during the night to recover the dan buoys as these would be required to mark a swept channel which was to be swept into Massawa harbour in the near future. Recovering the dan buoys proved very difficult during the night though.

7 April 1941.

Recovering the dan buoys was completed soon after dawn and both sloops rejoined HMS Capetown on patrol. HMS Parramatta was ordered at 0815B/7 to proceed to the northern end of the swept channel and escort the small transport Taif to Kaba where they both arrived shortly after 1330B/7. HMAS Parramatta then anchored near the convoy to conserve fuel. HMIS Indus did the same later in the day while HMS Capetown remained out on patrol during the night.

8 April 1941.

Then at 0115B/8, HMS Capetown was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side. This torpedo had been fired by the sole operational Italian MAS boat MAS 213. HMAS Parramatta and HMIS Indus then immediately weighted anchor and come to her aid. On their arrival near the stricken cruiser HMIS Indus commenced to patrol the area while HMAS Parramatta began to make preparations to take the damaged cruiser in tow.

By dawn (at 0445B/8) they were some miles from the anchorage bound for Port Sudan. An average speed of 5.5 knots could be maintained.

HMIS Indus meanwhile remained at Kaba, her Commanding Officer now having assumed the role of Senior Officer present.

Damage to HMS Capetown was serious, she had been hit in a boiler room and she was unable to proceed under her own power. Bulkheads just hold due to the fact that they had been shored up. She also had re revert to hand steering which made her a difficult tow. The tow arrived at Port Sudan in the forenoon of April, 10th. Four ratings had been killed in the attack.

The naval force finally entered Massawa on 15 April. [Further details to be researched in the future.] (48)

8 Apr 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) is torpedoed and damaged near Massawa, Eritrea by the Italian motor torpedo boat MAS 213.

[For more information see the event ' Operation Atmosphere and the torpedoing of HMS Capetown ' for 1 April 1941.]

10 Apr 1941
The damaged HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Port Sudan for temporary repairs. (46)

5 May 1941
With her temporary repairs completed, HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Port Sudan under tow of the tug Taikoo for Aden and ultimately Bombay. (49)

10 May 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Aden under tow. (50)

11 May 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Aden for Bombay. She was still being towed by the tug Taikoo. They were being escorted by the special service vessel HMS Botlea (Cdr.(Retd. T.I. Scott-Bell, DSO, RN). (49)

20 May 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN), in tow of the tug Taikoo and escorted by the special service vessel HMS Botlea (Cdr.(Retd. T.I. Scott-Bell, DSO, RN), arrived at Bombay where she was to be taken in hand at the Royal Dockyard for repairs. (49)

22 May 1941
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) is docked in the Duncan Dry Dock at the Bombay Dockyard for battle-damage repairs. (50)

14 Nov 1941
HMS Capetown (A/Cdr.(Retd.) H.H. Robson, RN) is undocked. (51)

13 Mar 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) is docked in the Merewether Dry Dock at Bombay. (52)

14 Mar 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) is undocked.

[Note no logs are available for the period of May / July 1942, so details of these months will be missing.] (52)

14 Jul 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Bombay for the Persian Gulf. (53)

17 Jul 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Khor Kuwai to join the Persian Gulf Flotilla. (53)

1 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

2 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

4 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

6 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

8 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from Khor Kuwai to Sharjah. (54)

9 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from Sharjah to Khor Kuwai. (54)

10 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

11 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

12 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

13 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from Khor Kuwai to Khasab Bay. (54)

14 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded Khasab Bay to Khor Kuwai. (54)

15 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from Khor Kuwai to Khasab Bay. (54)

16 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Khasab Bay to patrol in the Strait of Hormuz. She returned from patrol late the following day. (54)

18 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Khasab Bay for Bahrain. (54)

19 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Bahrain from Khasab Bay. (54)

27 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Bahrain for Khor Kuwai. (54)

28 Aug 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Khor Kuwai from Bahrein. (54)

31 Aug 1942
During 31 August / 1 September 1942, HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN), patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (54)

2 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in Clarence Strait. (54)

3 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from the Clarence Strait to Khor Kuwai. (54)

4 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Khor Kuwai to patrol in Clarence Strait. (54)

5 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from the Clarence Strait to Khor Kuwai. (54)

6 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) patrolled in the Strait of Hormuz. (55)

7 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Khor Kuwai to patrol in Clarence Strait. (55)

10 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from the Clarence Strait to Khor Kuwai. (55)

12 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Khor Kuwai to patrol in Clarence Strait. (55)

14 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from the Clarence Strait to Khor Kuwai. (55)

16 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded Khor Kuwai to Khasab Bay. (55)

17 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Khasab Bay to patrol in Clarence Strait and then onwards to Kuwait. (55)

19 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Kuwait. (55)

27 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from Kuwait to Kharg Island. (55)

29 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Kharg Island for Bahrein. (55)

30 Sep 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Bahrein. She departed for Clarence Strait later the same day. (55)

2 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Sharjah from patrol in the Clarence Strait. (56)

5 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Sharjah for Bahrein. (56)

6 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Sharjah. (56)

10 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Bahrein for Rooka. (56)

11 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Rooka from Bahrein. She departed for Clarence Strait later the same day. (56)

14 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from Clarence Strait to Khor Kuwai. (56)

15 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) proceeded from Khor Kuwai to Sharjah.

She departed Sharjah later the same day for Bahrein. (56)

16 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Sharjah. (56)

17 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Bahrein for Khasab Bay. (56)

21 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Khasab Bay for Bombay. She had been delayed for a few days due to evaporator trouble. (57)

24 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Bombay from the Persian Gulf. (56)

29 Oct 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) departed Bombay for Kilindini / Mombasa. (56)

5 Nov 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. P.H.G. James, RN) arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa from Bombay. (56)

9 Nov 1942
HMS Capetown (A/Cdr.(Retd.) H.H. Robson, RN) departed Kilindini / Mombasa for Durban. (58)

14 Nov 1942
HMS Capetown (A/Cdr.(Retd.) H.H. Robson, RN) arrived at Durban from Kilindini / Mombasa. (58)

30 Nov 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Durban for East London. (58)

1 Dec 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at East London from Durban. (59)

8 Dec 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed East London for Durban. (59)

9 Dec 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Durban from East London. (59)

13 Dec 1942

Combined convoy WS 24A and CM 36.

This combined convoy departed Durban on 13 December 1942 for Kilindini / Aden.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Arawa (British, 14462 GRT, built 1922), Aronda (British, 9031 GRT, built 1941), Ascanius (British, 10048 GRT, built 1910), Ekma (British, 5128 GRT, built 1911) and Felix Roussel (French, 17083 GRT, built 1930).

Escort was provided by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), armed merchant cruiser HMS Chitral (A/Capt.(Retd.) G.W. Hoare-Smith, RN) and the destroyers HMS Rotherham (Capt. F.S.W. de Winton, RN), HMAS Norman (Cdr. H.M. Burrell, RAN), HMAS Nepal (Cdr. F.B. Morris, RAN) and HMS Inconstant (Lt.Cdr. W.S. Clouston, RN).

At 0904C/14, HMS Inconstant parted company with the convoy.

At 0950C/19, HMS Rotherham and HMAS Nepal parted company with the convoy to proceed to Kilindini.

At 1200C/19, HMAS Norman parted company with the convoy to proceed to Diego Suarez.

Around 11020C/20, the convoy was joined by the light cruiser HMS Ceres (Capt. C.C.A. Allen, RN) and the minesweeper HMAS Cessnock (A/Lt.Cdr. T.S. Marchington, RANR(S)) coming from Kilindini. They had brought out the transport Salween (British, 7063 GRT, built 1937).

HMS Capetown then parted company for Kilindini with the convoy taking HMAS Cessnock and the transport Ekma with her.

At 2000C/25, HMS Ceres parted company with the convoy.

The remainder of the convoy continued on to Aden where it arrived on 27 December 1941.

21 Dec 1942
The light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), minesweeper HMAS Cessnock (A/Lt.Cdr. T.S. Marchington, RANR(S)) and the transport Ekma (British, 5128 GRT, built 1911) arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa. (59)

26 Dec 1942
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Kilindini / Mombasa to Manza Bay. (59)

30 Dec 1942
During 30/31 December 1942, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. J.W. Durnford, RN, flying the flag of A/Vice-Admiral A.U. Willis, DSO, RN, Second in Command, Eastern Fleet), heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins (Capt. G.A. French, RN), light cruisers HMS Birmingham (Capt. H.B. Crane, RN, flying the flag of Rear Admiral W.G. Tennant, CB, MVO, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), destroyer HMS Rotherham (Capt. F.S.W. de Winton, RN) and escort destroyer HMS Blackmore (Lt. H.T. Harrel, RN) carried out exercises off Kilindini / Mombasa. These included night exercises.

HMS Capetown came from Manza Bay. (60)

1 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Kilindini / Mombasa for Bombay via the Seychelles. (61)

3 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) made a call at Port Victoria to fuel. She departed to continue her passage to Bombay later the same day. (61)

7 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bombay from Kilindini / Mombasa via the Seychelles. (61)

9 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bombay for the Persian Gulf. (61)

12 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Bombay. (61)

13 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bahrein for Shatt Al-Arab. (61)

14 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Shatt Al-Arab from Bahrein. (61)

17 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Shatt Al-Arab for Bahrein. (62)

18 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Shatt Al-Arab. (61)

20 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bahrein for Clarence Strait. (61)

24 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Clarence Strait for Masirah Island as disturbances had occured between British forces and local tribesmen. (62)

25 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived off Masirah Island. She reported that the situation was under control. She departed for Bandar Abbas later the same day. (62)

26 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bandar Abbas. (61)

27 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bandar Abbas for Bahrein. (61)

28 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Bandar Abbas. (61)

29 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bahrein for patrol in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. (61)

31 Jan 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) anchored off Kharg Island. (61)

1 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceed from Kharg Island to Bushehr. She departed for patrol which was to end at Khor Kuwai later the same day. (63)

3 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Khor Kuwai. She departed for Bahrein later the same day. (63)

4 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Khor Kuwai. (63)

11 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bahrein for Bushehr. (63)

12 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) made a short call at Bushehr before departing for Khor Kuwai. (63)

13 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Khor Kuwai. She proceeded to Bandar Abbas later the same day. (63)

15 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Bandar Abbas to Khor Kuwai. While en-route exercises were carried out. (63)

16 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Khor Kuwai. (63)

20 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Khor Kuwai to Sharjah. (63)

22 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded Sharjah to Bandar Abbas. (63)

23 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Bandar Abbas to Khor Kuwai. (63)

24 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Khor Kuwai for Bahrein. (63)

25 Feb 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Khor Kuwai. (63)

1 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bahrein for Khor Kuwai via Henjam Island. (64)

2 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Khor Kuwai. (64)

3 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Khor Kuwai to Bandar Abbas. (64)

4 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Bandar Abbas to Khor Kuwai. (64)

5 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Khor Kuwai to Sharjah. En-route exercises were carried out. (64)

6 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) proceeded from Sharjah to Bandar Abbas. (64)

8 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bandar Abbas for patrol which was to end at Bahrein. (64)

10 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bahrein. (64)

17 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) departed Bahrein for Bombay. (64)

20 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) arrived at Bombay from the Persian Gulf. (64)

21 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) is docked in the Merewether Dry Dock at Bombay. (64)

24 Mar 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN) is undocked. (64)

26 Mar 1943

Convoy BA 40.

This 'convoy' departed Bombay on 26 March 1943.

It was made up of only one transport, the Rohna (British, 8602 GRT, built 1926).

Escort was provided by the light cruiser HMS Capetown ((Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN).

The convoy arrived at Aden on 1 April 1943. (65)

4 Apr 1943

Convoy AB 6.

This convoy departed Aden on 4 April 1943.

It was made up of the transports; Kosciuszko (Polish, 6852 GRT, built 1915), Lancashire (British, 9557 GRT, built 1917), Nevasa (British, 9213 GRT, built 1913) and Talma (British, 10000 GRT, built 1923).

The convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) and the corvette HMS Marguerite (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Blundell, RNR).

The convoy arrived at Bombay on 11 April 1943. (66)

11 Apr 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) is docked in the Hughes Dry Dock at Bombay. (67)

19 Apr 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) is undocked. (67)

21 Apr 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Bombay for Colombo. (67)

23 Apr 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Colombo from Bombay. (67)

25 Apr 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Colombo for Diego Suarez via the Seychelles. (67)

29 Apr 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) fuelled at Port Victoria, Seychelles and then departed for Kilindini / Mombasa, her destination being changed. (67)

2 May 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa. (68)

4 May 1943
From 4 May to 7 May 1943 ships from the Eastern Fleet conducted exercises off Kilindini / Mombasa.

In the morning of the 4th the heavy cruiser HMS Sussex (Capt. W.Y.La R. Beverley, RN) and light cruiser HMS Mauritius (Capt. W.W. Davis, RN) departed Kilindini / Mombasa.

They were followed in the afternoon by the battleship HMS Revenge (Capt. G.B. Middleton, CBE, RN), light cruisers HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN), HMS Gambia (Capt. M.J. Mansergh, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral W.G. Tennant, CB, MVO, RN), HMS Kenya (Capt. D.P. Evans, RN) and the destroyers HMAS Napier (Lt.Cdr. A.H. Green, DSC, RAN) and HMS Raider (Lt.Cdr. K.W. Michell, RN).

All ships returned to the harbour in the morning of May 7th minus HMS Mauritius which returned in the afternoon. On HMS Gambia returning to harbour Rear-Admiral W.G. Tennant, CB, MVO, RN, struck his flag and left the ship. (69)

11 May 1943

Convoy KA 6.

This convoy departed Kilindini / Mombasa for Aden on 11 May 1943.

It was made up of the transports; Salween (British, 7063 GRT, built 1937) and Takliwa (British, 7936 GRT, built 1924).

Escort was provided by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN).

The convoy arrived at Aden on 17 May 1943.

20 May 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Aden for Kilindini. (68)

25 May 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa.

[No more logs are available for HMS Capetown after May 1943 so some details will be lacking for the remainder of her career.] (68)

25 May 1943
From 25 to 28 May exercises were carried out by ships from the Eastern Fleet off Kilindini. The following ships participated in these exercises; battleship HMS Revenge (Capt. G.B. Middleton, CBE, RN), heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins (Capt. G.A. French, RN), light cruisers HMS Mauritius (Capt. W.W. Davis, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral W.G. Tennant, CB, MVO, RN), HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN), HMS Caradoc (Capt. J.W. Josselyn, DSC, RN), armed merchant cruiser HMS Chitral (A/Capt.(Retd.) G.W. Hoare-Smith, RN) and the destroyers HMAS Napier (Lt.Cdr. A.H. Green, DSC, RAN) and HMS Raider (Lt.Cdr. K.W. Michell, RN).

HMS Chitral returned to Kilindini early, on May 27th. (70)

8 Jun 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN), having just completed boiler cleaning, departed Kilindini / Mombasa to make rendezvous with the (troop) transport Aorangi (British, 17491 GRT, built 1924) coming from Durban. (71)

15 Jun 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) and the (troop) transport Aorangi (British, 17491 GRT, built 1924) arrived at Kilindini / Mombasa. (71)

15 Jun 1943

Convoy KR 5.

This convoy departed Kilindini / Mombasa on 15 June 1943.

it was made up of the following (troop) transports; Aorangi (British, 17491 GRT, built 1924), Ascanius (British, 10048 GRT, built 1910), Cap Tourane (British, 8009 GRT, built 1923), City of Paris (British, 10902 GRT, built 1922), Ekma (British, 5108 GRT, built 1911), Empire Woodlark (British, 7793 GRT, built 1913), Lancashire (British, 9557 GRT, built 1917), Llanstephan Castle (British, 11348 GRT, built 1914) and Salween (British, 7063 GRT, built 1937).

The convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Carthage (A/Capt.(Retd.) W.V.H. Harris, DSC, MVO, RN).

On 20 June 1943, the destroyer HMAS Nepal (Cdr. F.B. Morris, RAN) joined. She had departed Port Victoria earlier that day.

On 24June 1943, the sloop HMIS Hindustan (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.J. Wilson, DSO, RINR) and the RFA tanker Appleleaf (5891 GRT, built 1917) joined. HMIS Hindustan had departed Colombo on 22 June 1943 for Addu Attol to collect the Appleleaf and then join the convoy.

On 27 June 1943 the convoy arrived at Colombo.

8 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Colombo for Bombay.

Later that day she reported to have sighted a periscope north-west of Colombo in position 07°04'N, 78°59'E. (72)

11 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Bombay from Colombo. (73)

15 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Bombay for Bandar Abbas. (73)

18 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Bandar Abbas from Bombay for service with the Persian Gulf Division. (74)

20 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Bandar Abbas for Shatt Al-Arab. (75)

22 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Abadan from Bandar Abbas. (75)

23 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) proceeded from Abadan to Basra. Her gold bullion from India was offloaded. (75)

26 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Basra from Bandar Abbas. (75)

27 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Bandar Abbas from Basra. (75)

28 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) departed Bandar Abbas for Muscat. (75)

29 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Muscat from Bandar Abbas. She departed again to return to Bandar Abbas later the same day. (75)

30 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Bandar Abbas from Muscat. She departed for Bahrein later the same day. (75)

31 Jul 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN) arrived at Bahrein from Bandar Abbas.

[No details are available on her movements for the first half of August 1943.] (75)

15 Aug 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN or A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) departed Bandar Abbas for Aden. She is to return to the U.K. to be paid off. (75)

19 Aug 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN or A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) arrived at Aden from Bandar Abbas. (72)

21 Aug 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN or A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) departed Aden for Alexandria. (74)

26 Aug 1943
HMS Capetown (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN or A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) arrived at Alexandria from Aden. (73)

28 Aug 1943
Around 1300C/28, the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable (Rear-Admiral A.G. Talbot, DSO, RN) and the light cruiser HMS Capetown (A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) departed Alexandria for Malta. They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Pathfinder (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO and 3 Bars, RN), HMS Inglefield (A/Cdr. C.F.H. Churchill, RN), HMS Echo (Lt. R.H.C. Wyld, RN) and RHS Vasilissa Olga (Lt.Cdr. G. Blessas). (76)

30 Aug 1943
Around 1115B/30, HMS Formidable (Rear-Admiral A.G. Talbot, DSO, RN), HMS Capetown (A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN), HMS Pathfinder (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO and 3 Bars, RN), HMS Inglefield (A/Cdr. C.F.H. Churchill, RN), HMS Echo (Lt. R.H.C. Wyld, RN) and RHS Vasilissa Olga (Lt.Cdr. G. Blessas) arrived at Malta from Alexandria.

After having fuelled, HMS Capetown departed Malta for Alexandria later the same day. (77)

1 Sep 1943
HMS Capetown (A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. (73)

4 Sep 1943
HMS Capetown (A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) departed Gibraltar for Plymouth. (73)

6 Sep 1943
HMS Capetown (A/Cdr. C.J. Grenfell, RN) arrived at Plymouth from Gibraltar.

At Plymouth she was reduced to Care and Maintenance and later she was used as accommodation ship.

For the upcoming landings at Normandy she was outfitted to serve as 'convoy control ship' and durning the Normandy landings she served in that role at Mulberry A. [Further details are currently not known to us.]

In September 1944 she returned to the U.K. and ended up at Falmouth as accommodation ship. (73)