HMS Paladin (G69) - First Time in The Far East

First Time in The Far East

She was laid down on 22 July 1940, launched on 11 June 1941 and completed on 12 December of that year. She was allocated to the Eastern Fleet which was then under the command of Admiral Sir James Somerville, leaving Greenock on 17 February 1942, arriving in Colombo via the Cape on 24 March. She was at sea with the fleet when the Japanese made their Indian Ocean raid with air attacks on Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. Paladin took part in rescue operations following the sinking of the heavy cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire on 5 April and assisted in the recovery of approximately 1,120 men from both crews, many of whom were in the water for 30 hours in a shark-infested sea. In the first week of May 1942, she took part in Operation 'Ironclad', the capture of Diego Suarez, Madagascar, from Vichy French forces, forming part of the screen for the heavy ships.