HMS Paladin (G69) - The Far East Revisited

The Far East Revisited

In January 1945, she joined Force 65 for the landing of Royal Marines on Cheduba island on the 26th, a useful contribution to the campaign in Burma. During February, she took part in the Burma coast operations which included the taking of Ramree Island. Paladin and Pathfinder anchored in a chaung between Ramree Island and the mainland; Paladin destroyed 450 Japanese troops attempting to escape by raft. Two Japanese aircraft attacked both ships on 11 February 1945. Paladin suffered damage to her bridge, foremast and crew's quarters; a near miss from a bomb damaged Pathfinder beyond repair.

In April and May 1945, she was present in the operation that took Rangoon, where a landing was made on 2 May. On 10 May, when a Japanese cruiser was sighted in the Malacca Strait, Paladin was among the ships which left Trincomalee to round her up. This cruiser, the Haguro, was eventually sunk by other destroyers on 16 May. During June Paladin took part in sweeps in the Nicobar Channel.

In the last week of July, Paladin took part in Operation 'Livery', the object of which was removing mines near Phuket Island and the Malay Peninsula and bombarding appropriate targets. A platoon of crew members was sent ashore to help maintain order and prevent looting in George Town after the Japanese withdrawal.

At the end of August, after the Japanese surrender, Paladin was included in the force that proceeded to Penang, which was occupied on 3 September 1945, by Royal Marines.