HMS Neptune, British light cruiser, WW2 (2024)

1 9 3 9

September Stationedin south Atlantic and part of 6th Cruiser Squadron.

3rd Deployed on patrol in Freetown area.

8th Returned to Freetown from patrol to interceptcommerce raiders and German ships

attemptingreturn to Europe.

20th Passage to Dakar.

26th Sailed from Dakar to join HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND and the destroyers HYPERION

and HUNTER forcombined patrol In search for enemy shipping south of Ascension.

October

2nd Returned to Freetown.

5th Nominated to join Hunting GroupN which was never formed.

7th Deployed on trade defence in Freetown area because of activitiesof commerce raiders

inAtlantic.

16th Sailed from Freetown to join HM Aircraft CarrierARK ROYAL

18th Joined Hunting Group K (HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL and HM Battlecruiser

RENOWN)

Tookpassage to Indian Ocean for raider search off Mozambique.

22nd Rescued crew of German freighter ADOLPHWOERMANN which scuttled off Ascension.

Latertransferred prisoners to HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CARNARVON CASTLE.

November Tradedefence duty in Indian Ocean and Atlantic.

Returnedto Freetown.

25th Passage from Freetown to Join HMS ARK ROYAL andHMS RENOWN.

December

4th Deployed with Hunting Group fromCapetown to search for German raider GRAF SPEE

inSouthAtlantic.

12th Joined by HM Aircraft Carrier HERMES, HMDestroyers HOSTILE and HUNTER off St.

Paul’sRocks and took passage to Plate estuary.

(Note:After GRAF SPEE scuttled this re-inforcement was not required).

18th After refuelling at Riode Janeiro rejoined HMS ARK ROYAL.

20th Took passage to Freetownwith HMS ARK ROYAL.

26th Arrived at Freetown.

1 9 4 0

January

8th Deployed on interception patrol off Dakar.

InterceptedBritish Q Ship BOTLEA (ss LAMBRIDGE) and boarded without knowing

hertrue identity and function.

February Atlantictrade defence and interception patrol in continuation.

Nominatedfor transfer to 7th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet

Tobe relieved by HM Cruiser GLOUCESTER which never took place..

March Tookpassage to Malta to join Squadron.

April Deployedwith Squadron on patrol and for exercises to prepare for the entry of

to Italy into the war.

May (Note:Other ships in Squadron were HM Cruisers ORION, SYDNEY, GLOUCESTER and

LIVERPOOL.)

June Deployedwith Fleet at Alexandria.

12th Took part on offensive sweep off Benghazi with HMS ORION and HMSSYDNEY (RAN)

14th Returned to Alexandria.

20th Escorted French Battleship LORRAINE with HM Cruisers ORION and SYDNEY and HM

DestroyersSTUART (RAN), DECOY, HASTY and DAINTY for bombardment of Bardia

(OperationMA3- See Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001)

21st Took part in bombardment and returnedto Alexandria.

27th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS EAGLE, HMBattleships ROYAL SOVEREIGN,

RAMILLIES, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, ORION, H M AustralianCruiser

SYDNEY, HM DestroyersDAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER, DIAMOND, ILEX, JERVIS,

JUNO and VOYAGER (RAN) to coverpassage of two convoys (MS1 and MF1) from Malta to

Egypt.

(Note: These convoys were carrying personnel evacuated fromMalta).

28th Intercepted Three Italian destroyerswith cruisers of Squadron off Zante.

Engagedenemy destroyers and avoided torpedoes

(NoteDisabled Italian destroyer ESPERO was sunk later by HMAS SYDNEY but

OSTROand ZEFFIRO escaped.

Becauseof the expenditure of ammunition the mercantile passage was cancelled.)

30th During return passage to Alexandria with Fleet under air attackand ship’s

aircraftdamaged by near misses.

July Preparedto cover passage of same convoys (Operation MA5)

4th Took part in negotiation with Frenchcruiser to avoid bloodshed when Admiralty

attemptedto impose rigid implications of Operation CATAPULT on CinC

Mediterranean.)

(Note:For details of Operation CATAPULT at Oran and situation at Alexandria see

RELUCTANTENEMIES by W Tute and Naval Staff History(HMSO – 2001).

7th Sailed from Alexandria with HMS EAGLE, HMBattleships ROYAL SOVEREIGN,

WARSPITE,HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, ORION and SYDNEY (RAN)

screenedby HM Destroyers DAINTY, DEFENDER, HASTY, HOSTILE, HYPERION,

ILEX,IMPERIAL, JANUS, JUNO, VAMPIRE (RAN) and VOYAGER (RAN).

9th After Italian heavy units werereported by aircraft from HMS EAGLE came under fire

fromcruisers which disengaged when HMS WARSPITE retaliated and attack by

aircraftfrom HMS EAGLE.

(Battle of Punta Stilo - first clashwith Italian Fleet units).

(Note:Italian heavy squadron included the battleships CAVOUR and CESARE, 16

cruisersand screen of four destroyers.

SeeTHE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and above

reference).

12th Joined escort for Convoy MF1 with HMSGLOUCESTER, HMS ORION and H M Destroyer

STUART(RAN).

13th Arrived at Alexandria with MF1.

21st Deployed SW of Crete with HM Battleships MALAYA, ROYAL SOVEREIGN, WARSPITE,

HMSEAGLE and HM Cruisers SYDNEY (RAN) screened by ten Fleet destroyers to cover

passageof Convoy

23rd Covered diversionary operation atCastelloriso by HMS ORION, HM Australian Destroyers

VAMPIREand VENDETTA.

27th On completion of operation detached withHMAS SYDNEY to meet HMS MALAYA, HMS

RAMILLIESand HMS EAGLE south of Crete.

Underair attack.

28th Detached with HMAS SYDNEY to carry outsweep away from Fleet.

Interceptedand sank Greek petrol carrier ERMIONE.

August Transferredto IndianOceanfor trade defence duties.

(Note:CinC had requested that an 8in cruiser be provided but HMS AJAX was sent

insteadand was fitted with radar to give warning of the approach of aircraft.).

Tookpassage to Durban to carry out patrol and interception.

September

2nd Deployed at Durban for trade defence

30th Transferred to South Atlantic Commandand took passage to Freetown for Atlantic

convoydefence and interception patrol duty.

October

7th Sailed from Capetown to Freetown

Returnedduring passage for repair of defects.

November

8th On completion took passage to Freetown.

Nominatedto relieve HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE.

Flagtransferred from DEVONSHIRE at Duala, French Cameroons.

Coveredmilitary operation by Free French in Cameroons.

(Note:See RELUCTANT ENEMIES).

Resumedtrade defence duties on release from Free French operation.

December Atlantictrade defence in continuation.

2nd Sailed from Lagos, Nigeria for patrol

18th Deployed with HM Cruiser DORSETSHIRE insearch for German ADMIRAL SCHEER after

ssDUQUESA had made a raider report to divert attention from the break out ofGerman

cruiserHIPPER into the Atlantic.

28th Sailed from Freetown to UK and escorted convoy duringpassage.

1 9 4 1

January

29th Sailed from Gibraltar

February

4th At Scapa Flow

5th Took passage to Plymouth.

Deployedat Plymouth

Nominatedfor refit.

March Passageto Sheerness.

Takenin hand for refit by HM Dockyard

(Note:One source records damaged in an air raid. This is to be confirmed.)

April Carriedout post harbour trials.

Nominatedfor return to Mediterranean after work-up with Home Fleet,

May Oncompletion of post refit sea trials took passage to Scapa Flow.

3rd Joined 2nd Cruiser Squadron, HomeFleet and commenced work-up..

Deployedwith ships of Squadron to escort. HM Battleship KING GEORGE V and HM

23rd Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS duringsearch for German Battleship BISMARCK.

Tookpart in search operation after loss of HM Battlecruiser HOOD.

25th Detached with HMS VICTORIOUS and HMCruiser NORFOLK.

Coveredpassage of military convoy WS8X against possible attack by BISMARCK.

June

3rd Joined HM Cruiser NORFOLK with HM Aircraft CarrierVICTORIOUS to strengthen the

Ocean Escort for military convoy WS8X during Atlanticpassage.

5th Detached from WS8X to intercept Germanship GOZENHEIM, one of BISMARCK's supply

shipswhich had been reported by aircraft from HM Battlecruiser RENOWN.

Enemyship scuttled on approach and hulk was then torpedoed.

63survivors taken to Gibraltar.

Tookpassage to rejoin WS8X as Ocean Escort during passage from Freetown to Cape of

GoodHope.

24th Detached from WS8X on arrival atCapetown.

JoinedSouthAtlantic Command at Simonstown.

28th Rejoined WS8X for escort during passageto Aden

July Transferredto Mediterranean Fleet

(Note:This was due to heavy losses in defence of Crete).

11th Detached from WS8X on arrival at Aden and made independent pass toAlexandria.

20th Deployed in Eastern Mediterranean in 7th Cruiser Squadron asrelied for HM Cruiser

LEANDER.

(HMAustralian Cruiser HOBART relieved HMAS PERTH during this period.)

EmbarkedArmy and RAF personnel for passage to Cyprus to reinforce garrison

(Operation GUILLOTINE).

22rd Deployed with HM Battleships QUEENELIZABETH, VALIANT, HM Cruisers NAIAD,

AJAX, PHOEBE, LEANDER, CARLISLE, ABDIEL and HOBART (RAN)screened by HM

DestroyersHASTY, HAVOCK, JACKAL, JAGUAR, JERVIS, KANDAHAR and NUBIAN

fordiversionary sweep in eastern Mediterranean. (Operation MD5)

(Note:This deployment was made to distract enemy attention during passage of a reliefconvoy

toMalta from Gibraltar (Operation SUBSTANCE).

25th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.

August EasternMediterranean deployment in continuation.

September

25th Deployed with HM Battleships QUEENELIZABETH, BARHAM and VALIANT with

cruisersof Mediterranean Fleet screened by destroyers from Alexandriafor diversionary

operationin eastern Mediterranean (Operation MD5)

(Note:This was during passage of convoy from Gibraltar to Malta.

(OperationHALBERD.)

27th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.

October Fleetdeployment in continuation.

23rd Carried out bombardment of petrol tanksat Bardia with HM Cruisers AJAX and HOBART.

November

17th Carried out bombardment at Halfaya insupport of military advance in Western Desert

(OperationCRUSADER).

Nominatedfor transfer to Malta for interception of enemysupply convoys.

27th Took passage to Malta as Force B with HM Cruiser AJAX, HM Destroyers KIMBERLEY and

KINGSTON to reinforce Force K.

(Note:HM Cruisers NAIAD, EURYALUS, HM Destroyers HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN

deployedas Force C also sailed in company.

HMSAJAX came under attack by torpedo aircraft but was able to avoid the weapon.

29th Arrived in Malta to join Force K.

30th Deployed as Force B inunsuccessful search operation with Force K.

(Note:Concurrent Force K deployment was successful.)

December

5th Escorted HM Supply ShipBRECONSHIRE on passage to Alexandria with HM Cruiser

AJAX, HM Destroyers KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON and LIVELY (Operation MD8)

6th Detached with HMS AJAX and HMS LIVELYfrom escort of HMS BRECONSHIRE.

7th Detached from HMS BRECONSHIRE onrelief as escort for passage to Alexandria by

HMCruisers HOBART (RAN), GALATEA and CARLISLE.

8th Arrived in Malta.

9th Deployed with HM Cruisers AURORA andPENELOPE, HM Destroyers JAGUAR and

KANDAHAR in unsuccessful search foran enemy convoy.

10th Returned to Malta.

17th Sailed from Malta with HM Destroyers JAGUARand KANDAHAR as Force B to support

MediterraneanFleet ships from Alexandria which were engaging Italian warships attempting

toprevent return of HMS BRECONSHIRE bringing fuel supplies to Malta

(OperationMF1 - First Battle of Sirte. See Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THEENEMY

MORE CLOSELY by CBarrett and THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN).

18th After Italian, warships withdrewdeployed in search for Italian convoy M42.

Returnedto Malta after failing to find M42.

Onreturn despatched with HM Cruisers AURORA, PENELOPE, HM Destroyers

KANDAHAR, LANCE, LIVELY and HAVOCK tointercept the supply convoy reported

outsideentrance to Tripoli harbour.

Duringpassage, in position 20 miles from Tripoli, ran into enemy minefield.

Hitone mine and disabled.

Whilstadrift hit second mine which wrecked propellers and rudder.

Subsequentlydetonated a third mine which caused further damage aft.

Nearlythree hours later a 4th mine was struck amidships and the ship then sank veryquickly.

Onlyone seaman survived and taken prisoner.

Hewas the only survivor out of a complement of 764. (CasualtyList - noteon casualties)

(Note: HMS AURORA and HMS PENELOPEwere also damaged but managed to return

to Malta.

Casualty List was published on 17th July 1942.)