Note: all vessels and aircraft are British or Dominion unless otherwise identified or implied - all ships lost in bold - click for abbreviations.
Corrections with thanks to Donald Bertke

Background Events - September 1939-March 1940
Battle of Atlantic starts, 'Phoney War' on land, Battle of River Plate

 

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1939

 

 

Friday, 1 September

 

Germany invaded Poland

 

Baltic - the first shots of the war were fired by German battleship SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN at the Polish Gdansk (Danzig) fortifications of Westerplatte. She had arrived six days earlier when Hitler seized the Polish port of Gdansk for Germany, renaming it Danzig.

 

German naval forces - for the invasion of Poland were under the Command of Naval Group Command East (Adm Conrad Albrecht):

 

Commander Reconnaissance Force (Vize Adm Hermann Densch) had under his command light cruisers KÖLN, LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG.

 

Officer Commanding Torpedo Boats (Konter Adm Gunther Lutjens) commanded destroyers BERND VON ARNIM, BRUNO HEINEMANN, ERICH STEINBRINCK, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, FRIEDRICH IHN, GEORG THIELE, LEBERECHT MAAS, RICHARD BEITZEN, WOLFGANG ZENKER and the 1st MTB Flotilla with S.10, S.11, S.12, S.13, S.18, S.19 and depot ship TSINGTAU.

 

BRUNO HEINEMANN had a water feed pump break down and was forced to withdraw for repairs at Wilhelmshaven.

 

Officer Commanding Minesweepers (KptzS Friedrich Ruge in old torpedo boat T.196) commanded escort ships F.7, F.8, F.9, F.10, the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla with minesweepers M.1, M.3, M.4, M.5, M.7, M.111, M.132, the Experimental Barrage Command with old minesweepers ARKONA, NAUTILUS, OTTO BRAUN, PELIKAN, SUNDEWALL and the 3rd Motor Minesweeping Flotilla with motor minesweepers R.33, R.34, R.35, R.36, R.38, R.39, R.40.

 

German submarine forces - Officer Commanding U-boats East (FKpt Oskar Schomburg) commanded U.5, U.6, U.7, U.14, U.18, U.22, U.31, U.32, U.35, U.57.

 

U.5, U.6, and U.7 patrolled the Kattegat near Laeso.

 

U.22 patrolled inside the Irben Strait.

 

U.31, U.32, U.35 were off the Gulf of Danzig for minelaying and U.14 and U.18 on patrol off the Gulf of Danzig.

 

U.57 patrolled off Libau.

 

On the 2nd, U.22 and U.57 were withdrawn to provide relief for the other patrols. Both boats proceeded to Memel for refuelling, then departed on the 3rd. U.57 arrived at Kiel on the 5th and departed that day for patrol off Laeso.

 

On the 7th, the Gulf of Danzig U-boats were ordered to the North Sea.

 

On the 10th, the Baltic patrols were cancelled and the submarines returned to patrols and the U-boat Training School.

 

Polish naval operations - the Polish Fleet sortied from Gdynia, but not before Polish torpedo boat MAZUR was sunk in German air attacks. Destroyer WICHER, minelayer GRYF, and minesweepers CZAJKA, CZAPLA, JASKOLKA, MEWA, RYBITWA, ZURAW were able to leave port to conduct the mining of Gdansk Bay, code named Exercise RURKA.

 

In Puck Bay, near Gdynia, the Polish force was attacked by German dive bombers, and minelayer GRYF and minesweeper MEWA seriously damaged. GRYF was forced to jettison her mines to prevent the explosion of those still on deck and was unable to begin Exercise RURKA. MEWA was towed to Hela by RYBITWA.

 

Submarines ORZEL and WILK departed Gdynia for patrol in the Gulf of Gdansk and RYS, SEP, ZBIK also sailed from Gdynia for patrol in Puck Bay off Hela to attack German surface ships.

 

WILK attacked German destroyer ERICH STEINBRINCK unsuccessfully and was then damaged by depth charges dropped by her and FRIEDRICH IHN, but was able to continue on patrol.

 

British Home waters - battleship RAMILLIES (right - Maritime Quest) departed Scapa Flow for escort duties from Devonport.

 

Aircraft carrier COURAGEOUS with destroyer STURDY, after departing Portsmouth on 31 August, arrived at Portland at 1700. Destroyers ARROW arrived there at 1550, ACASTA, which had departed Portland at 0640 that morning, and ANTHONY arrived at 1615, and ACHATES at 1745.

 

Aircraft carrier HERMES, sailing from Plymouth, arrived at Portland at 2015, and destroyer ACHERON on the 2nd. Here they joined destroyer ANTELOPE which was already at Portland.

 

Central and South Atlantic – Destroyers DOUGLAS and WISHART departed Gibraltar for patrol. French destroyer BASQUE also left Gibraltar.

 

Heavy cruiser EXETER arrived at Freetown from Devonport and later the same day, departed for Cape Verde Island.

 

Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND, which had departed Plymouth on 31 August after EXETER, was also en route for Freetown.

 

Mediterranean - destroyer ICARUS was damaged in collision with Greek steamer MICHALIS (4680grt) off Alexandria, while they were alongside each other at sea. ICARUS's hull was stove in, and she and the Greek steamer were escorted to Alexandria by destroyer INTREPID. Following temporary repairs, ICARUS proceeded on the 10th for repairs at Malta completing on 8 October.

 

 

Saturday, 2 September

 

British Home waters - battlecruiser RENOWN escorted by destroyer SARDONYX departed Portsmouth for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 4th.

 

Aircraft carrier COURAGEOUS escorted by destroyer STURDY departed Portland before dawn, and arrived at Plymouth later that day.

 

Destroyer ENCOUNTER departed Portland at 0545 and arrived at Plymouth.

 

Baltic - Polish naval auxiliary ships GYDNIE (538grt) and GDANSK (538grt) were sunk by German bombing in the Gulf of Gdansk.

 

Polish submarine SEP unsuccessfully attacked German destroyer FRIEDRICH IHN at 1238 with one torpedo, north of Heisternest. SEP was damaged in the counterattack, but able to continue on patrol.

 

German waters - Commander Reconnaissance Forces with light cruisers KÖLN, LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG in the Baltic was ordered to the North Sea.

 

U-boat movements - U.31, U.32, and U.35 were in the Baltic near Hela to mine the approaches to the Gulf of Danzig. However, the escape of the Polish destroyers made these operations unnecessary and they were transferred from the Baltic to the Atlantic, first arriving at Wilhelmshaven. From there:

 

U.32 set out on patrol on the 5th,

 

U.31 and U.35 on the 9th,

 

U.31 and U.35 were ordered to patrol areas west and south of England, respectively, and U.32 to lay mines off the Bristol Channel on the 17th.

 

French Force de Raid, Atlantic - the Brest-based Force of battlecruisers DUNKERQUE, STRASBOURG, light cruisers GEORGES LEYGUES, GLOIRE, MONTCALM and large destroyers L'AUDACIEUX, LE FANTASQUE, LE MALIN, LE TERRIBLE, LE TRIOMPHANT, L'INDOMPTABLE, MOGADOR, VOLTA was ordered to Casablanca at high speed to protect the North African ports from attack from the sea, departing at 2000/2nd. The 2nd Destroyer Division of destroyers FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, L'ADROIT and 5th Division BRESTOIS, BOULONNNAIS, FOUDROYANT left Brest on the 2nd as local escort and to carry out an anti-submarine sweep in the local approaches. The local escort returned to Brest on the 3rd.

 

Minelaying cruiser LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE (former PLUTON), also at Brest, sailed with the Force de Raid to lay a defensive minefield off the Moroccan coast. She was detached on the 4th and arrived, unescorted, at Casablanca on the 5th, where she remained until her loss on the 13th.

 

When intelligence revealed the threat did not exist, the operations were cancelled and the forces arrived back at Brest at 0740 on the 6th. They received an additional escort from the 4th Destroyer Division with destroyers BOURRASQUE, ORAGE, OURAGAN, which departed Brest on the 5th.

 

French naval forces, Mediterranean - The French 2nd Second Squadron, battleships PROVENCE, BRETAGNE, LORRAINE with the nine destroyers of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, which had departed Toulon 31 August, arrived at Oran on the 2nd. The Squadron carried on and arrived at Gibraltar on the 3rd.

 

The French 3rd Squadron arrived back at Toulon on the 2nd after covering convoy R.3.

 

Later that day, heavy cruisers, ALGÉRIE, COLBERT, DUPLEIX, FOCH, TOURVILLE with destroyers CHEVALIER PAUL, TARTU, VAUQUELIN of the 5th Large Destroyer Division, GERFAUT and VAUTOUR of the 7th Large Division, and CASSARD, KERSAINT,MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ of the 9th Large Division departed Toulon and arrived at Oran on the 3rd.

 

Mediterranean - Light cruiser ARETHUSA and the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (less IMOGEN and ICARUS) departed Alexandria to patrol between Cape Matapan and Crete.

 

The destroyers arrived at Malta on the 4th, where they joined IMOGEN which earlier had been sent to Marseilles with dispatches, reaching Malta on the 3rd. All the destroyers then carried on to Gibraltar, arriving on the 5th to operate out of there on anti-submarine duties in the Atlantic.

 

Central and South Atlantic - Convoy AB.1 of British tankers BRITISH ARDOUR (7124grt, Cdre Mr H Fulcher), BRITISH LOYALTY (6993grt), BRITISH PRINCESS (7019grt), BRITISH MOTORIST (6891grt), BRITISH PROGRESS (4581grt) and steamers CITY OF HEREFORD (5105grt), CITY OF SHANGHAI (5828grt) ROWANBANK (5102grt) departed Gibraltar for Capetown. BRITISH FAITH (6955grt) had broken down just after weighing anchor and did not proceed with the convoy.

 

Light cruisers DAUNTLESS and DESPATCH (9th Cruiser Squadron) departed Gibraltar at 1930 and proceeded with the convoy.

 

Destroyers DOUGLAS, WATCHMAN, WISHART, WRESTLER of the 13th Destroyer Flotilla joined the convoy at 2200/2nd and carried out anti-submarine sweeps, before leaving at 0805/3rd.

 

Light cruiser DURBAN departed Gibraltar for Freetown where she arrived on the 8th with seaplane tender ALBATROSS.

 

DAUNTLESS was detached on the 11th and arrived at Freetown on the 13th.

 

On the 13th DESPATCH turned the convoy over to DURBAN which had departed Freetown on the 12th.

DESPATCH reached Freetown on the 14th. DURBAN reached Capetown on the 29th.

 

Indian Ocean - destroyers DECOY, DEFENDER, DELIGHT, DUCHESS which had departed Hong Kong on 28 August, left Singapore on the 2nd en route to join the Mediterranean Fleet.

 

Pacific - New Zealand light cruiser ACHILLES en route to the West Indies from New Zealand received orders to patrol off the west coast of South America.

 

 

Sunday, 3 September

 

Declarations of war - Great Britain and France declared war on Germany at 1115 and 1700 respectively. Australia, New Zealand, and British India also declared war.

 

Home Fleet, including German shipping - Adm Forbes was some 400 miles west of the Hebrides having just completed a sweep to the west to cover the trade routes with his battlefleet and destroyers were SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN (defects corrected), ESKIMO, PUNJABI, TARTAR of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND of the 8th Flotilla. ASHANTI and SOMALI had refuelled at Scapa Flow on the 2nd and the rest of the destroyers departed earlier on the 3rd, also after refuelling at Scapa.

 

Destroyers MASHONA and MATABELE of the 6th Flotilla and FAME, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY of the 8th departed Scapa Flow that evening to join Forbes at sea., FORESTER and FURY carried out anti-submarine attacks at 2140, WNW of Rockall in 58-53N, 18-42W.

 

Adm Forbes was also looking for German liner BREMEN (51,656grt) which was known to have departed New York on 30 August. However, BREMEN evaded British patrols and arrived at Murmansk on the 6th.

 

Destroyer SOMALI did capture German steamer HANNAH BOGE (2372grt) which had departed Shediac Bay in New Brunswick on 26 August. She was intercepted at 63‑20N, 16‑35W, taken to Kirkwall, arriving on the 5th, and later renamed CROWN ARUN in British service.

 

That evening at 1840, on report of German warships leaving Schillig Roads, the Home Fleet was deployed to the east of the Fair Isle Channel, arriving on station at 0600 on the 5th.

 

During the evening of 3 September, destroyer ESKIMO experienced a turbine problem and was returning to Scapa Flow alone when she encountered FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE and FOXHOUND. She was at first taken for German, but no shots were fired and the encounter ended uneventfully. ESKIMO safely arrived at Scapa Flow and the defects were corrected on the 11th.

 

Loss of British liner Athenia - U.30 torpedoed ATHENIA (13,581grt) south of Rockall Bank in 56‑44N, 14‑05W. Soon on the scene were destroyers ELECTRA, ESCORT, American steamer CITY OF FLINT (4963grt), Norwegian steamer KNUTE NELSON (5749grt), Swedish pleasure yacht SOUTHERN CROSS.

 

Lost with ATHENIA, which sank on the 4th, were 93 passengers and 19 crew members. The 376 survivors were picked up by SOUTHERN CROSS and of these, 220 were transferred to CITY OF FLINT and the other 156 to the destroyers.

 

Adm Forbes had also dispatched destroyer FAME from his screen at 2300 to assist. When she was not needed to lift survivors, FAME carried out anti-submarine sweeps in the area.

 

KNUTE NELSON took the survivors to Galway and the rest were taken to Greenock.

 

CITY OF FLINT later took 223 American survivors to Halifax, arriving on the 13th, and escorted into port by US Coast Guard cutters BIBB (WPG.31) and CAMPBELL (WPG.32).

 

British northern waters - battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived at Scapa Flow at 1030/3rd, escorted by destroyers FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, ESKIMO, TARTAR.

 

Destroyer VALOROUS and sloop ENCHANTRESS departed Rosyth on the 2nd for patrol in the Pentland Firth.

 

British east coast - coastal minelayer PLOVER laid mines off Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth in Operation BRM.

 

Destroyers BROKE, WANDERER, WHITEHALL of the 15th Destroyer Flotilla departed Rosyth for patrol on the 1st. WANDERER and WHITEHALL carried out an anti-submarine sweep off Blyth, both destroyers arriving at Scapa Flow on the 4th.

 

German trawler SOPHIE BUSSE (215grt) was seized by British forces at Grimsby and renamed ELSIE CAM in British service.

 

Destroyer WITCH, 17th Flotilla departed Rosyth for Harwich on 31 August. (30th Destroyer Division, 17th Flotilla was at Milford Haven for escort duties.)

 

Escort vessel/destroyer WHITLEY and sloop PELICAN departed Harwich on the 3rd

 

German steamer POMONA (3457grt) was seized by British forces at London. Although the crew set her on fire, the ship was saved and renamed EMPIRE MERCHANT in British service.

 

Humber Force - light cruisers GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and destroyers JERVIS, JACKAL, JAVELIN, JERSEY had departed the Humber on the 1st and were sweeping off the Norwegian coast for German shipping.

 

Destroyers JANUS and JUNO arrived in the Humber for operations on the 3rd after working up.

 

Destroyer JUPITER was at Grimsby repairing defects and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th.

 

The Humber Force arrived at Rosyth on the 7th after this patrol.

 

British North Sea submarine patrols - began off Horn Reef, in the approaches to the Kiel Canal and Wilhelmshaven, and on the extension of the Montrose-Obrestad air patrol line - the last sixty miles of which was beyond the range of the Anson aircraft then in service.

 

Operating off the Norwegian coast and stationed twelve miles apart were 2nd Flotilla submarines SEAHORSE, which had departed from Dundee on 24 August, SPEARFISH from Portland on 25 August, STURGEON from Portland on 27 August, SWORDFISH, also from Dundee.

 

SPEARFISH was attacked by a U-boat on the 3rd but dived when torpedo tracks were seen and escaped unharmed.

 

STURGEON was bombed by friendly aircraft in 56-34N, 01-04W at 1620 and 1642/4th.

 

SEAHORSE was also attacked by friendly aircraft, a RAF Coastal Command Anson of 233 Squadron, east of Dundee, at 2007/5th. She sustained minor damage, a claim made by the aircraft, but the Anson herself crashed into the River Eden because of fuel leaking from a damaged tank. The crew were rescued from their dinghy.

 

Submarines STERLET, OXLEY, and TRITON departed Dundee on patrol on 3, 4, and 5 September, respectively.

 

Submarines H.32, L.26, L.27, UNDINE, UNITY, URSULA of the 6th Flotilla departed Blyth on 31 August for patrols in the Heligoland Bight, being withdrawn for refuelling at dusk on the 11th and arriving back at Blyth after dawn on the 13th.

 

Danish waters - Danish fishing vessel NORDSTRAND (30grt) was sunk 70 miles west of Horn Reef Light by a mine.

 

German waters - after being arrested for a debt on 28 August, steamer NAPHTHA SHIPPER (5897grt) was seized by German forces at Hamburg and renamed ALTENGAMME in German service.

 

Baltic - U.14 attacked Polish submarine SEP south of Aland Island in the Baltic without success. U.18 also encountered a Polish boat on the 3rd, but was unable to attack.

 

Polish destroyer WICHER and minelayer GRYF, along with other smaller Polish units, were anchored at Hela, when they were attacked and damaged by German destroyers LEBERECHT MAAS and WOLFGANG ZENKER. MAAS sustained some damage and four dead from a shore based battery hit and the German ships were forced to withdraw without destroying the Polish ships. MAAS was repaired at Swinemünde, completing on the 10th and Norwegian steamer BJORNVIK (812grt) was damaged by the German ships gunfire at Gdynia. Failing to deal with the Polish ships, the German destroyers called in the Luftwaffe which sank WICHER, GRYF, minesweeper MEWA, and gunboat GENERAL HALLER two hours later. German forces later raided GRYF, which was sunk as a target ship ten miles north of Gydnia.

 

German MTB S.23 sank Polish pilot vessel LLOYD BYDGOSKI (80grt) at 54-35N, 19-08E near Hela.

 

Polish submarine WILK laid twenty mines east of Hela at 54-31N, 18-48E.

 

German minelaying operations - Beginning on the 3rd and continuing through to the 17th, German light cruisers EMDEN, KÖLN, KÖNIGSBERG, LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG and sloop GRILLE covered minelaying operations from Terschelling 150 miles northward into the Heligoland Bight.

 

Destroyer HANS LODY was damaged on the 4th by an explosion of her anti-sweep device while loading mines. Her stern was damaged.

 

The first operation departed late on the 4th with three groups: First group – KÖLN, KÖNIGSBERG and destroyers DIETHER VON ROEDER and HANS LÜDEMAN; second group - sloop GRILLE with destroyers HERMANN KÜNNE and KARL GALSTER; third group - minelayers COBRA and ROLAND with destroyers ERICH GIESE and THEODOR RIEDEL.

 

Minefield F (Martha Hans) was laid by COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL from Cuxhaven on the 4th, where they returned after the operation.

 

Minefield A (Martha Ida) was also laid COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL sailing from Cuxhaven on the 5th.

 

Two barrages of Martha Gustav were laid on the 8th by COBRA and ROLAND, this time with destroyer FRIEDRICH IHN. After the operation, the ships proceeded to Emden.

 

Minefield B (Martha Eins), was laid on the 13th by minelayers COBRA, KAISER, ROLAND from Wilhelmshaven and by HANSESTADT DANZIG with destroyers BERND VON ARNIM, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, THEODOR RIEDEL. Torpedo boats of the 6th Flotilla escorted the operation.

 

Minefield C (Martha Zwei), was laid on the 15th by COBRA, HANSESTADT DANZIG, KAISER, ROLAND, and destroyers ARNIM, STEINBRINCK, ECKHOLDT, RIEDEL with Torpedo and S-boats screening the operation.

 

Minefield G (Martha Drei), was laid on the 17th by COBRA and HANSESTADT DANZIG, escorted by torpedo boats of the 6th Flotilla.

 

U-boat operations - U.12, U.36, U.56, U.59, U.58 were on a patrol line off Great Fisher Bank and U.13, U.15, U.17, U.21, U.23 in the southern North Sea.

 

U.16, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd, laid mines in Tees Bay off Hartlepool on the 5th. Before returning to Wilhelmshaven on the 8th, she reconnoitred the approaches to Scapa Flow in the Pentland Firth.

 

U.20 was on passage for patrol in the northern North Sea off Utsire.

 

U.23, off Flamborough to lay mines, was recalled to Wilhelmshaven before the minefield was laid. They were laid by U.15 on the 6th.

 

U.24 had departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd to lay mines off Dunkirk, but the operation was cancelled, and she returned to Kiel on the 5th.

 

Minelaying off Dover and Calais had already been cancelled due to shortage of boats.

 

Dover Straits - destroyers CODRINGTON, BASILISK, BEAGLE, BLANCHE, BOADICEA, BOREAS, BRAZEN, BRILLIANT departed Dover on 31 August for patrol in the English Channel. The patrols were divided into two sectors - a north patrol area between Goodwin Sands and Sandetti Bank, and a south patrol area between the South Goodwins and Ruytingen Bank.

 

English Channel - in the Western Approaches Command, destroyers ESCORT and ELECTRA of the 12th Destroyer Flotilla departed Portland for patrol on the 2nd. ENCOUNTER departed Portland on the 2nd to join sister ship ECLIPSE at Plymouth, and EXMOUTH and ESCAPADE, also of the 12th Flotilla departed Portland on the 3rd.

 

Destroyer KEITH, 17th Destroyer Flotilla departed Plymouth on the 3rd.

 

French Channel coast - destroyers MALCOLM, VANSITTART, WIVERN, 16th Flotilla from Portsmouth arrived at Le Havre on the 3rd.

 

Central and South Atlantic - light cruisers CAPETOWN and COLOMBO