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Heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland (57)

28 Aug 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived at Plymouth from Scapa Flow. (1)

29 Aug 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) is docked at the Devonport Dockyard. (1)

31 Aug 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) is undocked. She then departed Plymouth for Freetown. She is to join the South America Division on the South Atlantic Station. (2)

7 Sep 1939
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived at Freetown from Plymouth. (3)

8 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed Freetown for Rio de Janeiro. (3)

11 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) was sighted by the aircraft of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee which was in the area with her supply ship Altmark. The British cruiser did not sight the German aircraft.

15 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived at Rio de Janeiro from Freetown. (3)

16 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed Rio de Janeiro to patrol in the Rio focal area together with HMS Havock (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Courage, RN) which had already departed Rio for patrol on the 15th. (4)

24 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) is ordered to proceed, at best possible speed, to position 09°09'S, 16°03'W (to the south-west of Ascension). (5)

3 Oct 1939
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed Freetown for the River Plate focal area to rejoin the South America Division. She made rendezvous with HMS Exeter (Capt. F.S. Bell, RN, flying the flag of Commodore H.H. Harwood, OBE, RN) and HMS Hotspur (Cdr. H.F.H. Layman, RN) on the 9th. (6)

14 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived in San Borombon Bay where she fuelled from the RFA tanker Olwen (6470 GRT, built 1917). (6)

15 Oct 1939
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed San Borombon Bay to patrol the River Plate focal area together with HMS Exeter (Capt. F.S. Bell, RN, flying the flag of Commodore H.H. Harwood, OBE, RN) and HMS Havock (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Courage, RN). (6)

26 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived at Montevideo from patrol. (6)

27 Oct 1939
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed Montevideo to resume patrol. In the Plate estuary she joined HMNZS Achilles (Capt. W.E. Parry, RN) and both cruiser proceeded in company to establish a patrol in the Rio de Janeiro focal area. (6)

9 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived at Buenos Aires from patrol. (7)

10 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed Buenos Aires to patrol in the Plate focal area together with HMS Exeter (Capt. F.S. Bell, RN). (7)

2 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) fuelled at San Borombon Bay from the RFA tanker Olynthus after completion of which she resumed her patrol. (8)

5 Dec 1939 (position -39.25, -57.15)
The German passenger/cargo ship Ussukuma (7834 GRT, built 1921) is intercepted in the South Atlantic off Bahia Blanca, Argentina in position 39°25'S, 57°15'W by the British light cruiser HMS Ajax (Capt. C.H.L. Woodhouse, RN, flying the flag of Commodore H.H. Harwood, OBE, RN). However, before the German ship can be captured she is scuttled by her own crew which was then picked up by the Ajax.

The German crew was trasnferred to the British heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) around noon the following day.

9 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands for some repairs and self refit. (9)

13 Dec 1939
On hearing the news of the remaining ships of the South America Division having made contact with the Admiral Graf Spee, HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) landed the 107 German prisoners that were on board and then departed Port Stanley to proceed to the River Plate estuary at 24 knots. This was done on Capt. Fallowfield's own initiative.

Later he received a signal from Commodore Harwood ordering him to proceed to the scene of the action at full speed. Speed was then increased to 30 knots.

She commenced patrol in the River Plate estuary around 2200O/14. (8)

24 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) returned to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands from the River Plate focal area. She now resumed her self refit. (8)

29 Dec 1939
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) departed Port Stanley, Falkland Islands for Simonstown, South Africa where she is to undergo a short refit.

Before departure she took on board 140 German prisoners. (8)

11 Jan 1940
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) arrived at Simonstown, South Africa. Immediately on departure the German prisoners were landed. (10)

12 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) is docked at the Simonstown Dockyard. (10)

8 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) is undocked. (11)

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