British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day by Don Kindell NAVAL EVENTS, OCTOBER 1939, Part 1 of 2 Sunday 1st - Saturday 14th Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Resolution, battleship (Maritime Quest, click photographs for enlargements)

on to OCTOBER 1939, Part 2 or back to Naval-History.Net

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

Sunday, 1 October

Battleships RESOLUTION and REVENGE of the Channel Force at Portland were ordered to join the South Atlantic Command at Freetown. The orders were cancelled on the 5th before sailing. On the 7th, both battleships sailed for Halifax and duty in the North Atlantic Escort Force.

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Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK departed Portsmouth on 29 September escorted by destroyer EXPRESS. The cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow on the 1st to relieve light cruiser EDINBURGH in Cruiser Squadron 18. EDINBURGH was then attached to Cruiser Squadron 2 of the Humber Force. Heavy cruiser NORFOLK arrived at Rosyth on the 3rd. After completing the replacement of a gun at Rosyth, both heavy cruisers proceeded to the Mediterranean. NORFOLK departed Rosyth on the 7th and SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow on the 8th. En route in heavy weather on the 11th, NORFOLK's Walrus was washed off the catapult and lost and her catapult trolley badly damaged. Both cruisers arrived at Gibraltar on the 12th and departed on the 14th. They arrived at Alexandria on the 18th.

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Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, battlecruisers HOOD, REPULSE, aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, light cruiser NEWCASTLE (right, probably postwar - NavyPhotos) and destroyers ASHANTI, MASHONA, MATABELE, SOMALI, FAME, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and FIREDRAKE departed Scapa Flow for Loch Ewe where they arrived at 0700/2nd.

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Light cruisers DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN, which departed Scapa Flow on 30 September, were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes. Light cruisers CARDIFF and DRAGON, which departed Scapa Flow on 28 September, were also on Northern Patrol.

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Convoy OA.13 departed Southend escorted by destroyers JACKAL and JANUS, and dispersed in 48-50N, 13-40W on the 4th.

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Convoy OB.13 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers VERSATILE and WARWICK to 4 October.

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Convoy DB.10 departed Southampton with two personnel ships, escorted by destroyers ARROW and INTREPID, and arrived at Brest on the 2nd.

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Convoy MB.10 departed Southampton with six cargo ships, escorted by destroyers ACHERON and ACHATES, and also arrived at Brest on the 2nd.

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Light cruiser CURLEW departed Portland for a work up at Scapa Flow, which was completed on the 21st.

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Destroyer ECLIPSE attacked a submarine contact in 51‑12N, 4‑22W.

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Convoy BC.6F of steamers FENELLA, ST JULIEN, TYNWALD and ULSTER PRINCE departed the Loire without escort, and safely arrived in the Bristol Channel.

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U.35 stopped Belgian steamer SUZON (2239grt, Lejeune, Master) 42 miles 330° from Ushant Island. She was abandoned, sunk by U.35, and the entire crew picked up by destroyer ACHERON. Early on the 2nd, 15 miles 296° from Ushant, ACHERON was attacked unsuccessfully by U.35. (Note: Hans Mair, www.u-35.com, who has the log of U.35, reports that she did not make an attack on ACHERON. If an attack was made, it would have been another U-boat)

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Heavy cruiser KENT departed Hong Kong, and arrived back on the 21st. She was docked on the 24th and was in dock until the end of the month.

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Light cruiser ORION departed Kingston for patrol in the Curacao area.

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Light cruiser GALATEA and destroyers AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK and SIKH departed Alexandria on patrol duties. AFRIDI refuelled at Malta arriving on the 4th and departing on the 5th to return to patrol. SIKH arrived at Malta on the 5th, was found to have stripped a turbine and began long repairs there. MOHAWK refuelled at Malta, arriving on the 6th and departing on the 7th for Gibraltar. GALATEA refuelled at Malta arriving on the 7th and departing the same day to return to patrol. AFRIDI and GURKHA refuelled at Malta arriving on the 7th and departing on the 10th for Gibraltar.

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Destroyers NUBIAN and ZULU attacked a submarine contact in 32-00N, 30-08E.

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Orders to return to the Home Fleet were suspended for destroyers HAVOCK and HOTSPUR of the South America Station and HYPERION and HUNTER of the Freetown Force. Due to the threat of raiders operating in the South Atlantic, they were ordered to remain on station and the remaining units of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean were ordered to join them in the South Atlantic.

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At the beginning of October, Mediterranean destroyer escort groups were as follows:

1st Large Destroyer Division - VAUBAN, LION, AIGLE

7th Large Destroyer Division - VAUTOUR, GERFAUT, ALBATROS

9th Large Destroyer Division - MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, KERSAINT, CASSARD

11th Large Destroyer Division – ÉPERVIER, MILAN

Group G.1 - LA PALME, LE MARS, British GREYHOUND

Group G.2 – TRAMONTANE, TORNADE, British GLOWWORM

Group G.3 - TIGRE, TEMPÊTE, TYPHON

In mid-October, the destroyers departed the escort group, but were relieved by destroyers LE FORTUNE, SIMOUN, LA RAILLEUSE of the 3rd Destroyer Division. At the beginning of November, the forces were redistributed.

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The German Navy sustained its only loss of the Polish campaign when minesweeper M.85 of the 7th Minesweeping Flotilla struck a mine at 1440 northeast of Heisternest in 54-45N, 18-45E and sank. This mine was laid by Polish submarine ZBIK on 9 September. Twenty four men on M.85 were lost. German minesweeper M 122 and some R boats rescued 47 survivors.

Monday, 2 October

The Admiralty received their first notice that a German raider was operating off Pernambuco when news of the sinking of the CLEMENT by pocket battleship ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE reached England. They responded with the immediate dispatch of aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL and battlecruiser RENOWN to Freetown. ARK ROYAL and destroyers ASHANTI and FORESIGHT departed Loch Ewe on the evening of the 2nd, while RENOWN and destroyers TARTAR and BEDOUIN left Scapa Flow the same day, and joined at sea. Following their escort duties, the destroyers returned to Scapa Flow on the 4th. To relieve ARK ROYAL, FURIOUS, which was being used as a training aircraft carrier at Rosyth, was ordered to join the Home Fleet for operations at Loch Ewe. FURIOUS departed Rosyth on the 1st escorted by destroyers JERVIS, JUPITER, JAGUAR and STURDY. On the 2nd, JERVIS and JAGUAR attacked a submarine contact off Bell Rock, River Tay.

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Light cruisers EFFINGHAM, EMERALD, ENTERPRISE departed Scapa Flow for Plymouth, where they arrived late on the 3rd. At Plymouth, EMERALD and ENTERPRISE embarked gold for transfer to Canada, while EFFINGHAM underwent repairs completed on the 9th.

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The first of the UK to Gibraltar convoys, OG.1, of 37 ships was formed from two convoys. Light cruiser CERES departed Plymouth on the 1st to escort OG.1 to Gibraltar and act as convoy commodore. (1) OA.12G was escorted by CERES and destroyers IMPERIAL and ISIS, (2) OB.12G was escorted by destroyers ILEX and IMOGEN. The four destroyers were detached on the 3rd and joined convoy HG.1. On the 8th, the convoy was joined by destroyer VELOX from Gibraltar, when, still escorted by CERES, it arrived at Gibraltar.

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Convoy FN.15 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 4th. There was no convoy FN.16.

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Convoy FS.16 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 4th.

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Destroyers KEITH and MONTROSE attacked a submarine contact in 50‑17N, 1‑30W.

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Submarine SEAHORSE reported a submarine contact off the Firth of Tay in 50-31N, 2-22W.

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Submarine H.34 and minesweeping trawler EURYALUS (renamed HOVERFLY, 242grt) departed Scapa Flow in an exercise together to see if trawlers could effectively patrol with submarines. The exercise proved ineffective.

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French sloop AMIRAL MOUCHEZ, escorting French tanker LOT under tow, was missed by torpedoes 20 miles WNW of Cape d'Antifer, and counter-attacked at 2337.

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Convoy BC.6S of steamers ADJUTANT, BAHARISTAN, BARON KINNAIRD, BARON MINTO, BELLEROPHON (Commodore), BIELA, CARINGORM, CUSTODIAN, DALEMOOR, DIPLOMAT, GOLDFINCH, HARMATTAN, JACINTH, MERKLAND, SANDHILL and TELAWNY departed the Loire escorted by destroyers VIVACIOUS, VISCOUNT, VANESSA, ELECTRA andESCORT. The convoy safely arrived in Bristol Channel on the 3rd.

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Convoy BC.7F of steamers BEN MY CHREE and LADY OF MANN departed the Loire without escort, and safely arrived in Barry Roads on the 3rd.

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The U-boat service continued its survey of the approaches to Scapa Flow. On this date, U.10 was west of the Orkneys, U.20 and U.23 were approaching the area for patrol, and U.18 was departing Kiel for patrol in the area.

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German Admiral Raeder removed prize restrictions for U-boats off French and British ports. On the 4th, this order was extended to include shipping as far west as 15°.

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Steamer LINDISFARNE (1004grt) was challenged off Hook of Holland by Dutch seagoing torpedo boat Z.7. In the ensuing confusion, the ships collided. Light damaged was sustained by LINDISFARNE and Z.7 was undamaged.

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The Polish base at Hel surrendered to German forces. Polish sloop KOMMENDANT PILSUDSKI, minesweepers RYBITWA, CZAJKA, ZURAW and three mine barges were scuttled by Polish forces. German forces were able to raise CZAJKA and ZURAW on the 3rd, renamed them WESTERNPLATTE and OXHOFT respectively, and assigned them to the 7th Mine Flotilla. Later KOMMENDANT PILSUDSKI, RYBITWA and MEWA were also raised and repaired as German HEISTERNEST, RIXHOFT and PUTZIG, respectively.

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Finnish sailing vessel BALTIC (451grt) was sunk by a mine in the Sound.

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Battleship RAMILLIES, light cruiser CAPETOWN, and destroyers KEPPEL and WATCHMAN departed Gibraltar to join liner ATHLONE CASTLE and escort her to Freetown. After leaving harbour, RAMILLIES suffered condenser problems and returned to Gibraltar with the destroyers. CAPETOWN continued on for seven hours, then suffered rudder defects, but was able to meet the liner and take her back to Gibraltar, both arriving on the 3rd.

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Heavy cruiser CORNWALL departed Calcutta on escort duties to Singapore, and returned to Colombo, arriving on the 6th for docking.

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Heavy cruiser YORK departed Halifax on escort duties, and arrived back on the 4th.

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At this time, the South America Station was composed of heavy cruisers EXETER and CUMBERLAND operating as a Hunter Force ,and light cruiser AJAX with destroyers HOTSPUR and HAVOCK covering outbound shipping from Rio de Janiero. After a sweep in the area of Ascension Island, CUMBERLAND, light cruiser NEPTUNE, and destroyers HYPERION and HUNTER arrived at Freetown.

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Gunboats DRAGONFLY, GRASSHOPPER, APHIS, COCKCHAFER and LADYBIRD on the Yangtse were ordered to Singapore for duty as patrol boats and minesweepers in a move to free manpower and ships for Europe. This freed the 2nd Minesweeping Flotilla for transfer to the Mediterranean where they relieved the 3rd Flotilla, which in turn, transferred to Home Waters. The transfer also satisfied a Japanese government request of 5 September 1939 to remove these gunboats from Chinese territorial waters, a possible war-zone, to prevent any more incidents such as those involving CRICKET, SCARAB and the bombing of the USS PANAY in December 1937. A full list of gunboat movements follows:

In late October, APHIS and LADYBIRD departed Shanghai for Hong Kong, arrived at Saigon on the 29th, but returned to Shanghai as guardships in November where they stayed until the end of 1939.

In December, TERN, PETEREL, GNAT were also withdrawn from the Yangtse to Shanghai.

At the end of 1939, COCKCHAFER was at Nanking, GNAT at the Kiangyin Barrier, SCARAB at Shanghai, APHIS and LADYBIRD at Singapore to convert, and DRAGONFLY and GRASSHOPPER at Singapore.

On 2 January 1940, SCARAB and CRICKET were also withdrawn.

With the completion of this movement, only FALCON remained at Chungking, CRICKET and PETEREL at Shanghai, and GANNET and SANDPIPER laid up in January 1940 at Chungking and Changsha, respectively.

COCKCHAFER and GNAT had gone to Singapore then to the East Indies, APHIS and LADYBIRD departed Singapore on 1 March for the Mediterranean, and DRAGONFLY, SCORPION, GRASSHOPPER, SCARAB, TERN were employed around Singapore.

ROBIN was used as a boom defence vessel at Hong Kong and MANTIS was laid up prior to disposal.

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Convoy SLF.3 departed Freetown unescorted and arrived at Liverpool on the 13th.

Tuesday, 3 October

Anti-aircraft cruisers CALCUTTA departed Grimsby on patrol and arrived back on the 4th, while CAIRO departed and arrived back later the same day.

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Convoy OA.14 of seven ships departed Southend escorted by destroyers KELLY, KINGSTON, MONTROSE from the 3rd to 6th.

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Convoy OB.14 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers VANOC and WHIRLWIND until the 5th.

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Convoy BC.8S departed Bristol Channel, escorted by destroyers EXMOUTH (S.O.) and EXPRESS. The convoy was also escorted by French large destroyers INDOMPTABLE, TRIOMPHANT and MILAN on the 4th and 5th, and arrived in the Loire on the 5th.

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Convoy SA.10 of one cargo ship departed Southampton, escorted by destroyer ANTHONY, and reached Brest on the 4th.

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Convoy FS.16 departed Methil, arriving at Southend on the 5th. There was no FN.16 convoy.

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German destroyers HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK and torpedo boats GREIF, FALKE and ALBATROS conducted anti-shipping patrols in the Kattegat and Skagerrak from the 3rd to 5th.

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U.35 sank Greek steamer DIAMANTIS (4990grt) southwest of Ireland, 40 miles west of Skellig Rocks in 49‑22N, 6‑46W, and then landed the crew at Ballymore, Dingle Bay, Ireland.

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Heavy cruisers SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE, which departed Alexandria on the 2nd, left Suez on the 3rd for the Red Sea. They reached Aden on the 6th and departed the same day for duty in the Indian Ocean, arriving at Simonstown on the 13th.

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Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND and light cruiser DESPATCH departed Freetown for South America, with DESPATCH arriving at Bermuda on the 15th for docking.

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Heavy cruiser BERWICK arrived at Halifax.

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Destroyers GRENVILLE, GIPSY, GRENADE, GRIFFIN from Convoy Green 3 and DELIGHT and DECOY from other escort duties arrived at Malta. DELIGHT and DECOY departed the next day, while GRENADE and GRIFFIN left on the 5th to relieve destroyers DUCHESS and DEFENDER escorting convoy Blue 3. DUCHESS and DEFENDER reached Malta on the 5th.

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Convoy SO.19 of armed merchant cruiser ALCANTARA (22,209grt) and steamers ATHLONE CASTLE (25,564grt), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (21,833grt) and FRANCONIA (20,175grt) arrived at Gibraltar. Destroyers INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE arrived separately that day after being separated in heavy weather. From there, the convoy proceeded as Convoy Red 2 escorted by destroyers GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM, later joined by sister ships GRENVILLE and GIPSY.

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Norwegian steamer HOEGH TRANSPORTER (4914grt) was sunk on a British defensive minefield off St John Island at the entrance to Singapore with the loss of one member of crew. The wreck and cargo were salved.

Wednesday, 4 October

Destroyers FEARLESS and FOXHOUND arrived at Scapa Flow.

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Submarine SWORDFISH began a refit at Dundee completed on 12 February 1940, and arrived at Blyth on the 13th. The same day, she proceeded to Scapa Flow, via Rosyth, to work up.

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French heavy cruisers ALGÉRIE, DUPLEIX and destroyers MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ and VAUQUELIN departed Oran for Dakar, arriving on the 14th.

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French submarine BÉVÉZIERS departed Cherbourg for Brest, escorted by large destroyer JAGUAR.

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U.23 sank steamer GLEN FARG (876grt) 60 miles SSW of Sumburgh Head in 58‑52N, 01‑31W with the loss of one man. Destroyers FAULKNOR and FIREDRAKE, submarine hunting in the area, were dispatched to her location with FIREDRAKE picking up six survivors who were taken to Kirkwall.

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German destroyers HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK and torpedo boats GREIF, FALKE, ALBATROS operated in the Skagerrak and Kattegat on contraband control duties. Swedish steamers BRITT (1544grt) and MERCIA (1184grt) were taken in prize by German warships 12 miles south of Hano in the Baltic and taken to Rendsburg. They were renamed LEBA and TRAUTE FAULBAUM, respectively, for German service.

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Convoy KJ.3 departed Kingston escorted by light cruiser ORION, which was relieved by heavy cruiser BERWICK on the 8th, and later Australian light cruiser PERTH, both of which were relieved on the 15th in 39‑58N, 43W by cruiser EFFINGHAM. PERTH then proceeded towards Bermuda, suffering weather damage in a hurricane en route , but arriving safely. Light cruisers NEWCASTLE and GLASGOW joined the escort on the 22nd and remained until the 24th.

On the 22nd, French battlecruiser DUNKERQUE, light cruisers GEORGES LEYGUES, MONTCALM, and destroyers L’INDOMPTABLE, LE MALIN and LE TRIOMPHANT departed Brest, with local escort by destroyers CYCLONE and MISTRAL. The battleship group joined the convoy on the 24th, but later that day, the cruisers were detached to escort convoy HX.5. On the 25th, the battleship and destroyers arrived back at Brest, again with local escort by CYCLONE and MISTRAL. The cruisers arrived back on the 28th, this time local escort was by destroyers MOGADOR and VOLTA.

British destroyers WOLVERINE and VERITY joined the escort on the 24th, GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM from the 25th to 26th, and VOLUNTEER and VERSATILE from convoy OB.23 on the 25th. KJ.3 arrived off southern Ireland on the 25th, with EFFINGHAM reaching Devonport on the 26th for boiler cleaning, and the convoy arriving on the 28th with WOLVERINE, VERITY, VOLUNTEER and VERSATILE.

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Destroyers INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE departed Gibraltar to return to Plymouth after escort duty with convoy SO.19.

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Submarine SEAL arrived at Alexandria from the Red Sea.

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Light cruiser BIRMINGHAM departed Singapore on patrol and arrived back on the 22nd.

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Light cruiser DURBAN departed Capetown for Simonstown, arriving on the 6th.

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New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER departed Wellington for Auckland.

Thursday, 5 October

Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, battlecruisers HOOD, REPULSE, and aircraft carrier FURIOUS and escorting destroyers departed Loch Ewe and arrived at Scapa Flow.

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Light cruiser SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for Invergordon, arriving on the 6th. She was back at Scapa the same day.

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Light cruisers CALYPSO and CALEDON depart