14 October
Left anchorage with HMS Infidel and HMS Intruder at 07:40 to head southwest and rendezvous with carrier HMS Triumph and cruiser HMS Norfolk currently on patrol. HMS Kelly and HMS Imperial will form an opposing attacking force with destroyers HMS Hasty, Hereward and Hostile. The object is to get carrier safely into Gib without damage by evading the enemy force. High speed unit manoeuvres practised en-route beyond the shipping lanes. HMS Norfolk spotted at 12:09. Joined formation to port of HMS Triumph along with HMS Intruder. Force altered course to northwest at 13:14 and then headed south at 14:20. Anti-submarine zig-zag practised for three hours. At 17:12 enemy force spotted by HMS Triumphs Barracuda scouts, force alters course northeast then at 18:56 due north. Frequent changes during the night. Sea a little rougher but conditions below decks very warm.
[SIZE=1]HMS Kelly[/SIZE]
[SIZE=1]HMS Norfolk[/SIZE]
15 October
At 04:30 HMS Infidel detached to form a scouting screen to the east. Air patrols up at first light. HMS Infidel radios contact report some thirty miles south at 05:14. Four bombers get off Triumph and force commander then decides to make a high speed dash for the Rock. HMS Intruder sent to reinforce Infidel which has now opened fire on enemy force at 05:34. Once bombers airborne from Triumph, captain manoeuvres us behind her to take up covering position on her starboard quarter. Force increases speed to 30 knots. Bombers claim two bomb hits against HMS Kelly and they return to land at Gibraltar. At 06:20 HMS Norfolk detaches to give support to Intruder and Infidel. At 07:05 the Rock is sighted and we safely bring carrier to within coverage of shore guns to claim the win! HMS Infidel is claimed sunk but HMS Herward is also claimed badly damaged and dead in the water. Ship anchors in anchorage at 08:40. HMS Kelly alongside to port and HMS Intruder to starboard. Captain and officers go for debriefing aboard HMS Triumph at 10:00. Starboard watch given two hours ashore this evening.
16 October
Day at anchor. Chief Engineer complied defect list 34 faults. Captain and most of officers at briefings and table top exercise ashore all day. Crew getting the chance to get some sunbathing in. Most of the other cruisers and destroyers depart before nightfall.
17 October
Men awoken before dawn, left harbour at 05:24 and headed due west into the Atlantic. Admiral Sir Harold Burrough (Flag Officer Gibraltar) is aboard with the judging panel to see how we perform. Our task is to simulate a raider and attempt to pass a patrol line approximately 190 miles west of Gib and some 80 miles deep. After sailing northwest for six hours at 20 knots we turned south to begin our escape run. The Captain has decided to rig a canvas dummy third funnel to perhaps fool an opposing ship long enough to slip away, we might get mistaken for a County class cruiser with any luck. The rigger and his men get to work right away. The ship is under battle conditions nearly all day with the crew on standby for action stations. During the night we passed a couple of cargo steamers but no enemy vessels spotted. Still sailing due south.
18 October
At 03:24 turned northeast and began heading towards North African coast. At 05:40 crew brought to action stations. Dummy funnel raised using aircraft crane at 06:15. At 09:43 shoreline spotted. Then turned west for forty minutes and then north before resuming northwest. A weak weather front is moving in from the south and at 11:50 we turn south to head into it before using it to screen our movements further west. Squally weather all afternoon but weather front is moving slowly and we are wasting time. Captain decides to make a daring dash for safety at nightfall. A destroyer is briefly spotted at 15:04 heading southeast around nine miles away but fails to see us. Crew come to action stations. We disappear into a squall in time. By 18:00 seas a bit rougher. Canvas funnel lowered. 18:30 speed increased to 30 knots, by 19:40 we are roughly half way through the exercise patrol area in the bottom third segment. The dummy funnel is raised at 19:51. Weather has improved as we outrun the weather front. 20:19 starshell spotted to the north off the port bow, about 12 miles. Course altered to starboard. 20:57 starshell burst nearby off the starboard beam. Hurriedly a Vice Admirals pennant is raised to bluff us as HMS Norfolk. Cruiser spotted around six miles off the starboard beam. Signal is flashed from enemy to identify ourselves. Return We are Norfolk. Pursuing contact heading northwest. After a short pause another starshell is fired and Captain then orders hard port turn and smoke, X and Y turrets fire a salvo at enemy, believed to be an I class cruiser [these vessels have RDF]. Enemy opens fire at 21:09 and turns to follow. Full speed and course change to northwest, X and Y turrets continue firing. Enemy firing with forward turret (B), we maintain a slight lead and begin moderate zig-zag to spoil aim. At 21:29 a destroyer appears off the port quarter and opens fire. In the wind our flimsy canvas funnel breaks free and flies off into the Atlantic! Secondary guns engage destroyer which breaks off. Enemy cruiser continues firing and has brought three turrets to bear. Judged to have received three hits. Captain orders torpedoes to be fired. A turn is made and the torpedoes are let loose at 21:43 but at 21:45 destroyer appears at high speed off the port bow at three miles distance. Torpedo evasive action taken and B turret engages destroyer. These turns though allow enemy cruiser to close and now under heavy bombardment from all her guns. Half of our armament judged knocked out and speed cut by six knots. We fight it out but another cruiser, ironically HMS Norfolk appears off the bow at 22:01 with another destroyer and the game is up. We surrender. Anchor at Gib at 00:05
19 October
Exercise debriefing held aboard ship between 10:00 and 12:30. Captain pressed the need for RDF sets aboard the L class cruisers. Gunnery crews given two hours ashore this afternoon and engineering crews this evening.