HMS MALAYA 16-Aug-41
to 19-Apr-42
I wonder if Dad would have been disappointed with his first
ship as Malaya wasn’t in the first flush of youth. She had been completed on 1st
Feb- 1916 by Armstrong’s on the Tyne. She took part in the Battle of Jutland
31-May-16 where she fired 215 15” rounds and received 7 12” shell hits with 63
killed and 68 injured.
Length 645’
Beam 104’
Draft 30’
Speed 25kts
Displ. 31100 tons
Crew 1184 to 1300
Armaments; 8 x 15”, 12 x 6”, 4 x 4”AA, 2 x pom poms and 4
aircraft.
She was a Queen Elizabeth Class Battleship but was named
Malaya as the Federated Malaya States paid the almost £3 Million costs. The
other vessels were HMS Queen Elizabeth, Barham, Valiant and Warspite.
In March 1941 Malaya had been hit by a torpedo when near the
Cape Verde Islands but suffered no causalities. She initially went to Port of
Spain in Trinidad for temporary repairs and then went to Brooklyn in New York
for full repairs. She was the first RN vessel to be repaired in the USA during
WWII so assume Lend/Lease was in place at this time.
HMS Malaya in New York
Repairs in America were completed and she left USA 9-Jul-41
where she joined a convoy as escort from Halifax Nova Scotia to Rosyth where
she arrived 28-Jul-41 with no losses. Malaya then re-entered the dock yard to
have experimental anti aircraft and fire control radar and additional armaments
fitted.
As she did not leave Rosyth until September Dad must have
joined her there and started to get the ship ready after months in dock. From
Rosyth they went to Scapa Flow where they were worked up to war readiness. She
was nominated as part of Force H which was the naval task force in the western
Mediterranean that was to replace the French navy after their surrender.
Official Recognition Card for HMS Malaya.
20-Oct-41 Malaya
left Scapa Flow for the Clyde with destroyers Bedouin, Punjabi, Laforey and
Lightning.
21-Oct-41 Arrived
on the Clyde.
22-Oct-41 Left
Clyde for Gibraltar with destroyer Lightning and later joined by Havelock,
Harvester, Sikh and Zulu.
27-Oct-41 Arrived
at Gibraltar but on entering the harbour she collided with MV Hoegh Hood (a
Norwegian tanker that had suffered damage and was waiting for repair) and Clan
Macdonald (sunk later that year) but only suffered slight damage to the bow.
November 41 Malaya
became Flagship for Force H when Admiral Sir James Somerville raised his flag.
It is said he hated the ship and thought it most unsuitable.
10-Nov-41 Left
Gibraltar with cruiser Hermione to cover Operation Perpetual, (the delivery of
Hurricanes to Malta from the carriers Ark Royal and Argus). A screen was
provided by the destroyers Laforey, Lightning, Sikh, Zulu, Gurkha and Dutch
Navy vessel Isaac Sweers.
12-Nov-41 37
Hurricanes flown off and force turn west to return to Gibraltar.
13-Nov-41 At 1541
30’ from Gibraltar the Ark Royal was torpedoed by U18. The spread of 4
torpedoes had been fired at Malaya! Malaya dashed off to the safety of
Gibraltar but as the Ark Royal didn’t sink she was turned round at 1622 to
cover the rescue mission. At 1830 she was again ordered to return to Gibraltar.
Ark Royal sank the next day, 14-Nov-41, whilst under tow of the navy tug HMS
Thames.
16-Nov-41 Dad was
promoted to the rank of Coder!
HMS Legion taking crew off HMS Ark Royal
December 41 Malaya
stayed in Gibraltar to provide cover for Atlantic trade convoys as she was the
only battleship in the western Mediterranean at the time.
14-Jan-42 Rear
Admiral Edward Neville Syfret raised his flag in Malaya. It seems that Dad
would be associated with this Admirals staff for a while as he moved from ship
to ship with him. He had been born near Cape Town South Africa and had been
Dartmouth Chief Cadet Captain. He played cricket once for the Navy scoring a
duck and 30 runs. He appears to have had a reputation as being grumpy.
E.N.Syfret
8-Feb-42 Left
Gibraltar for the Clyde, with cruiser Hermione and destroyers Active, Anthony,
Blankney, Croome, Exmoor, Laforey and Lightning. Force H was being sent to the
UK to cover the possible breakout of the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau from Brest.
13-Feb-42 Arrived
on the Clyde.
17-Feb-42 Force
H sailed from the Clyde in company with carriers Eagle and Formidable (with
Admiral Sir James Somerville aboard), cruiser Hermione, destroyers Duncan
Laforey and Lightning to join the important Convoy WS16 which had 45000 troops
aboard. There were 14 merchant ships and after more destroyers joined (Active,
Anthony, Blankney, Croome, Firedrake, Panther, Verity, Walker and Witherington)
a huge escort.
21-Feb-42 MV
Strathdeen caught up with the convoy having been delayed. She had an escort of
cruisers Newcastle and Paladin.
23-Feb-42. Malaya
and Force H arrived back in Gibraltar having detached from Convoy WS16 whose
ultimate destination was Bombay.
Dad on Liberty from Malaya in Gibraltar 1942.
27-Feb-42 Left
with Force H and carrier Eagle and her 5 destroyer escort to sail east towards
Malta for ‘Operation Spotter’, (Delivery of Spitfires to Malta). They were
later joined by carrier Argus, crusier Hermione and their escort of four
destroyers.
28-Feb-42 The
operation was cancelled as there was some difficulty with the aircrafts long
range fuel tanks. All vessels returned to Gibraltar.
6-Mar-42 A
repeat of Operation Spotter and fifteen aircraft arrived in Malta.
21-Mar-42 Malaya
and Force H covered ‘Operation Picket 1’. This was again a plan to get aircraft
to Malta and was a partial success as nine Spitfires made Malta, but again
problems were found with the long range fuel tanks.
27-Mar-42 ‘Operation
Picket II’ and a further seven aircraft made Malta.
HMS Malaya from an escorting destroyer.
30-Mar-42 Malaya
returns to Gibraltar and learns that they are nominated to take part in
‘Operation Ironclad’, the invasion of Madagascar.
1-Apr-42 Sailed
from Gibraltar with cruiser Hermione and destroyers Active, Anthony, Laforey,
Lightning and Duncan.
6-Apr-42 Arrived
in Freetown.
9-Apr-42 Left
Freetown as ocean escort for Convoy WS17 with additional destroyers Inconstant,
Javelin, Lookout and Packenham. The convoy consisted of 32 merchant vessels 19
of which carried troops. Franconia had the Commodore aboard and the ultimate
destinations for some of the vessels were Suez/Aden and Bombay.
18-Apr-42 Malaya
was detached from the convoy and put it to Cape Town. Once alongside she was
ordered to return to Freetown and then back to Gibraltar.
19-Apr-42 Dad
signed off the Malaya and was posted to HMS Ramillies but she had just left Kilindini,
Mombasa for Durban. Dad had to hitch a ride to get there.
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