Editing HMS Devonshire (39) (section)

====1942–1943====
The ship was subsequently refitted in [[Norfolk, Virginia]] from 24 January to 7 March 1942, where she received a [[List of World War II British naval radar#Type 273|Type 273]] gunnery radar and six more Oerlikons.<ref name=rr9/> After the completion of her refit, ''Devonshire'' was sent to join the [[4th Cruiser Squadron]] of the Eastern Fleet and escorted a convoy from [[Charleston, South Carolina]], to [[Freetown]], [[Sierra Leone]] en route.<ref>Rohwer, p. 152</ref> On 25 April, the ship escorted a convoy from [[Durban]], South Africa to [[Madagascar]] as part of [[Operation Ironclad]], which was launched to preempt a possible Japanese occupation of the island. The Vichy French had allowed Japanese forces to use air bases in French Indochina to launch the airstrikes that [[Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse|sank the capital ships ''Repulse'' and ''Prince of Wales'']], so it was quite possible they would permit the Japanese access to military facilities on Madagascar had they requested them.<ref>Shores, pp. 276–278</ref> During late 1942, ''Devonshire''{{'}}s single four-inch AA guns were replaced with twin-gun mounts for [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XVI|Mark XVI guns of the same calibre]]. The ship remained in the Far East until May 1943, covering troop convoys from [[Suez]] to Australia.<ref name=w9/> By this time, her quadruple .50-calibre machineguns and six single-Oerlikon mounts had been replaced by another pair of octuple two-pounder mounts and a dozen twin-Oerlikon mounts. She returned home that month and began a lengthy refit that lasted until 20 March 1944. During this refit, 'X' turret and one twin Oerlikon mount were replaced by two additional octuple two-pounder mounts and eight single-Oerlikon mounts. Her radar suite was modernized with Type 281B replacing Type 281 and the full range of anti-aircraft gunnery radars were installed. To accommodate all the new equipment, her catapult was removed.<ref name=rr9/>