British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day by Don Kindell NAVAL EVENTS, NOVEMBER 1939, Part 1 of 2 Wednesday 1st - Tuesday 14th

HMS Tartar, destroyer  (CyberHeritage, click photographs for enlargements)

on to NOVEMBER 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

Wednesday, 1 November

Destroyers KELLY, ESKIMO, MATABELE, BEDOUIN, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND refuelled at Sullom Voe and departed on 29 October to search for American steamer CITY OF FLINT coming down the Norwegian coast. The destroyers fuelled again at Sullom Voe on the 1st to continue the search.

Light cruisers GLASGOW and NEWCASTLE, after convoy escort in the Atlantic, departed Portsmouth on 31 October, escorted by destroyers ANTHONY, BASILISK, BRAZEN, and arrived at Rosyth on the 1st. The light cruisers departed Rosyth that day to provide cover for these destroyers.

Battleships NELSON (right - NavyPhotos) (Forbes), RODNEY, battlecruiser HOOD, destroyers ICARUS, INTREPID, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE, FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, PUNJABI departed Loch Ewe at 0930/2nd to provide heavy cover for the GLASGOW force and for convoy ON.1 which departed Methil on the 5th. Destroyers FEARLESS and FOXHOUND of the CITY OF FLINT operation joined NELSON at sea.

Destroyers FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, IMPERIAL, KANDAHAR, after refuelling at Scapa Flow on the 4th, departed to rejoin Forbes on the 5th. Destroyer FAME also departed Scapa Flow on the 5th to join Forbes. ICARUS and IMPULSIVE were detached for refuelling at Kirkwall at 7 November.

Very early on the 9th, HOOD was detached with FEARLESS. They passed Dunnet Head westbound as the rest of the fleet turned south for Rosyth. HOOD arrived for a refit at Devonport on the 11th escorted by destroyers ISIS and ILEX. Her refitting was completed on the 24th.

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Anti-aircraft cruiser CAIRO departed Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back the same day.

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Convoy BC.12S of fourteen ships, including BALTRADER, BARON KINNAIRD, BARON NAIRN, CITY OF KEELUNG (Commodore), CLAN MONROE, TREVERBYN departed the Loire escorted by destroyer EXPRESS. The convoy safely arrived in Bristol Channel on the 3rd.

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Convoy FN.30 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 3rd. There was no convoy FN.31.

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Convoy FS.30 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers WALLACE and WHITLEY and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

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Destroyer JUPITER and sloop FLEETWOOD dropped depth charges on a submarine contact in 52‑28N, 1‑59E.

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Destroyers VERSATILE and VOLUNTEER were submarine hunting in 53‑00N, 5‑00W after a merchant ship in convoy reported a submarine 10 miles west of Holyhead.

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Destroyer BROKE searched for a submarine reported by D/F, 40 miles east of Buchan Ness in 57-20N, 0-30W.

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Sloop GRIMSBY attacked a submarine contact four miles east of Whitby.

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After a submarine was reported by British fishermen off Londonderry, patrol sloops WIDGEON and SHELDRAKE unsuccessfully searched for it.

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Four destroyers from Harwich were on patrol off Smith's Knoll, NE of Yarmouth, searching for vessels reportedly cooperating with U-boats.

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Norwegian steamer MIM (4996grt) sent to Kirkwall by light cruiser COLOMBO under guard ran aground on Reef Dyke Skerry. The steamer broke up the next day. Norwegian steamer HANSI (1028grt) which was going into Kirkwall voluntarily also ran aground at the same location. HANSI's crew was taken off by Swedish steamer CASTOR (8714grt).

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Admiral Cunningham transferred his flag ashore at Malta from battleship WARSPITE, which was preparing to leave his command en route for the Home Fleet.

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Rear Admiral N A Wodehouse was relieved by Vice Admiral Sir Dudley North on the 1st as Vice Admiral North Atlantic Station, based at Gibraltar. North departed England on liner NARKUNDA (16,632grt) on the 10th and arrived at Gibraltar on the 17th.

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Destroyer DELIGHT departed Gibraltar for Marseilles escorting liner LANCASHIRE which had arrived at Gibraltar in convoy OG.4. The two ships later departed Marseilles on the 6th and arrived at Malta on the 8th.

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French convoys 11.B of steamers ANDRE MOYRAND, SENNEVILLE, ONTARIOLITE, DJURJURA, DOUAISIEN, ANGE SCHAIFFINO, CAMBRADSIEN, which departed Brest on 26 October and convoy 6.X of steamers PRESCAGEL, PIERRE CLAUDE, PALLAS, OPHELIE, ENSEIGNE MAURICE PRECHAC, escorted by sloop GAZELLE, which had departed Le Verdon on 26 October, merged on the 27th. They were joined by steamer AIN EL TURK, escorted by sloop COMMANDANT BORY. On 1 November, six steamers from the 11.B convoy were taken into Gibraltar by the two sloops, which returned to the convoy as it continued on to Casablanca. Steamer AIN EL TURK and convoy 6.X arrived at Casablanca on the 2nd.

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Light cruiser DESPATCH departed Panama on patrol.

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Destroyers HYPERION, HUNTER, HOTSPUR, HAVOCK departed Pernambuco for Trinidad. HAVOCK stripped a turbine and was diverted at sea to Freetown, arriving on the 9th. Destroyer HEREWARD from Freetown was designated to replace HAVOCK in the 4th Destroyer Division on the South America Station. HAVOCK departed Freetown on the 16th with convoy SL.9 and arrived at Gibraltar on the 27th. She then departed Gibraltar on 12 December and arrived at Sheerness on the 16th. HAVOCK was under repair at Chatham until mid-March, and arrived at the Clyde for duty on 26 March.

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French submarine REDOUTABLE fired four warning shots at steamer EGBA (4989grt) at 0736 in 32-40N, 13-23W thinking she was a German blockade runner. EGBA replied with gunfire forcing the submarine to submerge. The attack was broken off when REDOUTABLE received the steamer's distress signal revealing her identity.

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Destroyer SCOUT departed Singapore for duty at Hong Kong.

Thursday, 2 November

Light cruiser GLASGOW located American steamer CITY OF FLINT at 2356/2nd in the escort of Norwegian minelayer OLAV TRYGGVASON, NW of Stavanger inside Norwegian waters. The minelayer illuminated GLASGOW with searchlights and ordered her out of the territorial waters. The steamer put into Haugesand almost immediately.

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A submarine was sighted east of Margate Buoy and destroyers KEITH, BLANCHE, GURKHA spent some time searching for her. Later, after the search was abandoned, KEITH and BLANCHE patrolled between North Goodwins and Edinburgh Channel.

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Destroyers GREYHOUND and GRENVILLE were searching for a U-boat 17 miles 213° from Start Point.

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Belgian steamer BRUGES (4984grt) reported at 1500 that she was stopped in 45-06N, 8-04W by a U-boat with a skull and crossbones painted on the conning tower. At 0230/3rd, Greek steamer KORTHION (2116grt) was stopped in 44-32N, 8-12W and reported she had been stopped by the same submarine.

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For East Coast Defence, available ships of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla were ordered to Rosyth for escort duties. MAORI proceeded direct and ZULU and GURKHA departed Grimsby escorting convoy FN.30 en route. Destroyers JERVIS, JERSEY, JAGUAR, JACKAL, JUPITER were in the Humber. Of the 19th, 22nd and 23rd Destroyer Flotillas, eight British and one Polish destroyer were at Harwich, two were on patrol off Lowestoft, two on east coast convoy duty, and BASILISK, BEAGLE, BLANCHE, BOADICEA, BRAZEN, VANSITTART were proceeding from Harwich to Dover to cover minelaying mission HW which took place at 1400/2nd. Operation HW was carried out by auxiliary minelayers HAMPTON, SHEPPERTON, PLOVER laying 502 mines between Tail of the Falls and Sandettie Bank. The 5th Minesweeping Squadron swept ahead, screened by the D.19 destroyers.

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Light cruisers CALEDON and CERES departed Sullom Voe on Northern Patrol duties, and both arrived back on the 9th.

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On Northern Patrol, light cruisers DELHI, DUNEDIN, CALYPSO were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, light cruisers COLOMBO, DRAGON, DIOMEDE and AMC SCOTSTOUN between the Faroes and Iceland, and light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON and AMCs CHITRAL, AURANIA, RAWALPINDI in the Denmark Strait.

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Anti-aircraft cruisers CALCUTTA and CAIRO departed Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back later the same day.

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Anti-aircraft cruiser CURLEW departed Rosyth after covering the Narvik iron ore convoy passage and arrived at Scapa Flow later the same day. She took over the duties of radar direction finding while the Netherbutton radar station was out of service for 24 hours for repair. The radar station resumed operation at 1505/8th.

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Convoy OA.29 of twelve ships departed Southend escorted by destroyers WOLVERINE and VERITY from the 2nd to the 7th. Destroyer ARDENT was with the convoy on the 2nd only.

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Convoy OB.29 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers WREN and ESK on the 2nd and destroyers WARWICK and WHIRLWIND to the 5th, when they were detached to convoy HX.6.

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Convoy HX.7 departed Halifax at 0700 escorted by Canadian destroyers FRASER and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 3rd. Ocean escort was the light cruiser ENTERPRISE which departed Halifax with the convoy. The convoy was joined on the 14th by destroyer GRAFTON and sloop ENCHANTRESS which remained until its arrival on the 17th. ENTERPRISE arrived at Portsmouth on the 15th and the convoy at Liverpool on the 16th.

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Light cruiser DAUNTLESS, now attached to the 5th Cruiser Squadron, departed Singapore on patrol duties.

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Light cruiser DURBAN departed Singapore for Hong Kong, arriving on the 6th for refit and docking, which was completed on the 24th.

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Light cruiser DANAE departed Simonstown for Mauritius.

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Destroyers GRENADE and GRIFFIN departed Gibraltar on 25 October to escort convoy SL.5 to England. However, GRIFFIN returned to Gibraltar on the 26th to await convoy SL.6. GRENADE arrived at Plymouth on the 2nd for duties with the 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich.

Friday, 3 November

American steamer CITY OF FLINT (4963grt) departed Murmansk during the night of 26/27 October. She called at Tromso on the 30th and was ordered to leave, escorted by Norwegian destroyer SLEIPNER. On the 3rd, she was interned at Haugesand by Norwegian minelayer OLAV TRYGGVASON after entering the port without permission. She arrived at Bergen on the 4th and was later set free after the German prize crew was removed. CITY OF FLINT departed Bergen on the 27th and arrived at Haugesand later that day to discharge her cargo, departed there on 20 December and Bergen on the 22nd, arriving at Narvik on the 28th.

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German steamer NEW YORK (22,337grt) also successfully ran the blockade while the Home Fleet was involved with the CITY OF FLINT. She departed Murmansk on 31 October and successfully used the Indreled arriving at Hamburg on the 12th escorted by three minesweepers and aircraft.

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Light cruiser GLASGOW and destroyers KELLY, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MATABELE had been involved in trying to intercept the American steamer CITY OF FLINT and German NEW YORK (22,337grt) as they came down the Norwegian coast. All four destroyers arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 5th after sustaining severe weather damage. GLASGOW arrived at Rosyth that day with her forecastle dropped by two inches from the effect of the weather.

Light cruiser NEWCASTLE arrived at Sullom Voe on the 3rd for refuelling then went off on Northern Patrol.

KELLY after emergency repairs at Kirkwall departed with destroyer ICARUS for temporary repairs from depot ship GREENWICH at Scapa Flow before going on to Hebburn for permanent repairs. KELLY was back in service on 14 December. ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow on the 6th and arrived at Newcastle on the 7th, repairing until 24 November. MATABELE and BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow on the 7th. MATABELE arrived at Rosyth on the 8th and was sent on to Newcastle arriving on the 10th, where she repaired until the 25th. BEDOUIN arrived at Rosyth on the 8th for boiler cleaning and repairs.

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Convoy OA.28G departed Southend on 31 October escorted by destroyers ACASTA and ARDENT, while OB.28G departed Liverpool on the 1st escorted by destroyers VERSATILE and VOLUNTEER. On the 3rd, the convoys with thirty three ships merged as OG.5, and were joined in the Western Approaches by French large destroyers VAUQUELIN and TARTU the same day. The British escorts were relieved and returned to England. The convoy and the French escorts arrived at Gibraltar on the 9th.

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Light cruisers DRAGON, COLOMBO, DIOMEDE arrived at Sullom Voe.

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On Northern Patrol were light cruisers CALEDON and CERES between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait. Light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON was returning to Scapa Flow from Denmark Strait patrol.

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Anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA departed Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back later the same day.

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Convoy FS.31 departed Methil escorted by destroyers VALOROUS and WOOLSTONE and sloop HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 5th. There was no convoy FN.31.

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German steamer SCHWABEN (7773grt) had departed Santos on 26 September and passed through the Denmark Strait on 21 October. She entered Haugesand shortly after the CITY OF FLINT and was allowed to continue, arriving safely in the Weser on the 8th.

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French torpedo boat BRANLEBAS reported the track of a torpedo in 49-38N, 2-50W.

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Heavy cruisers DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK departed Alexandria and NORFOLK departed Malta on the 5th. All three cruisers called at Gibraltar on the 7th and 8th, and left on the 8th, escorted by destroyers DOUGLAS and KEPPEL. The destroyers were relieved in 44N by destroyers ISIS and ILEX which had escorted battleship WARSPITE from Gibraltar on the 6th. DEVONSHIRE and NORFOLK arrived at Plymouth on the 11th and SUFFOLK at Portsmouth on the 12th. NORFOLK reached the Clyde on the 18th and departed the same day on Northern Patrol duties. SUFFOLK arrived in the Clyde on the 19th and also departed later the same day for Northern Patrol. DEVONSHIRE repaired at Devonport until the 21st, and then arrived at the Clyde on the 22nd for duty with the Home Fleet.

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Destroyer DECOY departed Malta after refitting, and escorted steamer NEVASA to Marseilles. The destroyer returned, escorting ocean boarding vessel VAN DYCK and reached Malta on the 7th.

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Destroyers ISIS and ILEX, which had departed Plymouth, arrived at Gibraltar for escort duties with battleship WARSPITE and later cruisers of the 1st Cruiser Squadron.

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Submarine OSIRIS was damaged by a motor room fire at Alexandria. She departed Alexandria on the 8th escorted by anti-submarine trawler CORAL and arrived at Malta on the 13th, where she was under repair and refit until 30 December.

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Light cruiser CARADOC departed Kingston for duty in the Pacific Ocean.

Saturday, 4 November

Destroyers BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MATABELE were to ordered to rendezvous with light cruiser GLASGOW off Stadtlandet in the search for German liner NEW YORK.

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On Northern Patrol, two light cruisers were on patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three light cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait. When a London flying boat from depot ship MANELA was reported missing, the five Northern Patrol cruisers carried out a search.

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Anti-aircraft cruiser CAIRO departed Grimsby and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th.

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The first of the Methil-Bergen ON convoy series departed Methil with five British merchant ships at 1710. Convoy ON.1 put to sea escorted by destroyers FAME, TARTAR, ASHANTI, SOMALI. At sea, FAME was relieved by destroyer PUNJABI, which was refuelling at Scapa Flow. The convoy was given anti-aircraft support by anti-aircraft cruiser CURLEW, which departed Scapa Flow on the 5th, and close cover by light cruiser EDINBURGH. The EDINBURGH departed Rosyth on the 5th and refuelling at Scapa Flow, departed on the 6th to join the Home Fleet at sea; she arrived back at Rosyth on the 9th. En route to Bergen, ASHANTI was detached from the convoy for refuelling and to repair defects at Sullom Voe and did not rejoin until the start of the return convoy. ON.1 arrived at Bergen on the 7th without incident.

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Convoy OA.30 of twelve ships departed Southend escorted by destroyers GREYHOUND and GALLANT from the 4th to 6th, and dispersed on the 7th.

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Convoy OB.30 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers VANOC and WHIRLWIND to the 7th.

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Canadian destroyer ASSINIBOINE, working up prior to departing for Canada, attacked a submarine contact northwest of Guernsey at 0200.

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Minesweepers HUSSAR and SPEEDWELL were involved in a minor collision. SPEEDWELL repaired in the Tyne, completing on 10 December.

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U.21 laid mines in the Firth of Forth during the night of 4/5 November. One merchant ship and one netlayer were sunk and light cruiser BELFAST badly damaged in the minefield. U.61 later tried to reinforce the minefield, but could not get through the patrol line.

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Steamer BRANDON (6668grt) was attacked by a U-boat 120 miles W of the Hebrides, and submarines TRIUMPH and TRIDENT were sent to investigate and carry out a search.

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Greek steamer NICOLAOS M EMBIRICOS (5295grt) was sunk on a British defensive minefield off the Goodwins, 15 miles east of Dover near the Sandettie Light Vessel. One crewman was lost and the survivors picked up by the North Goodwin Light Vessel and a Dutch boat. They were transferred to British lifeboats.

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Finnish steamer OTAVA (1290grt) was seized in the Gulf of Bothnia by German warships and taken to Swinemünde.

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Light cruiser BIRMINGHAM was relieved by light cruiser DAUNTLESS in the Sunda Strait on the 4th and arrived at Singapore on the 6th.

Sunday, 5 November

On Northern Patrol, two cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and an AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. Armed merchant cruiser TRANSYLVANIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol duties and AMC AURANIA departed her patrol station for the Clyde to overhaul her guns. Armed boarding vessels NORTHERN ISLE, NORTHERN PRINCESS, NORTHERN FOAM relieved armed boarding vessels NORTHERN CHIEF and KINGSTON BERYL on patrol in the vicinity of Muckle Flugga.

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Convoy FN.32 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers WHITLEY, WALLACE and sloop STORK. Destroyers WOOLSTON, VALOROUS and sloop HASTINGS departed Harwich and relieved the original escort which proceeded to Rosyth. The convoy arrived on the 7th.

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Convoy FS.32 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer VIVIEN and sloops BITTERN and FLEETWOOD. Six merchant ships departed at 1200, despite fog. The rest departed later. Destroyers JUNO and JUPITER were at sea to act as a fighting force from daylight on the 6th. Destroyer JAGUAR remained at Methil Roads until ordered to proceed at 1540 and overtook the convoy. JUNO and JUPITER were detached at dark on the 6th to proceed to Rosyth. There they joined minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE and escorted her to the Humber. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th. There was no convoy FS.33.

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Danish steamer TEKLA (1469grt) reported sighting a U-boat four miles SE of Flamborough Head. Destroyer JUNO was sent to search.

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After a D/F bearing on a suspected submarine 150 miles SW of Ushant, destroyers ACASTA, ESCAPADE, VERSATILE, GRENVILLE conducted searches in the area.

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Destroyer ANTHONY, which had departed the Clyde on the 4th, was escorting base ship MANCHESTER CITY to Rosyth, where they arrived early on the 6th. Later that day, ANTHONY  for Plymouth.

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Destroyer VANSITTART was sent to the Tongue Light Vessel to investigate a report of a fast motor boat, but the order was later cancelled and she returned to her normal patrol.

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Submarine L.26, on Dogger Bank patrol, reported sighting a suspicious merchant ship in 54-32N, 3-26E. The submarine was ordered by Rear Admiral Submarines to follow the ship.

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U.33 laid mines off North Foreland. Two ships were sunk and one damaged in the minefield.

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Force K, consisting of aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, battlecruiser RENOWN, light cruiser NEPTUNE, destroyers HARDY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO, HOSTILE departed Freetown on 28 October. HERO was detached on escort duties shortly after the first of the month. In 6N, 17 W, 300 miles WSW of Freetown on the 5th, ARK ROYAL aircraft sighted German steamer UHENFELS (7603grt) which had departed Lourenco Marques, Portuguese Mozambique, on her third attempt to escape back to Germany and after evading sloop EGRET patrolling off the port. HEREWARD was detached from the screen to investigate and UHENFELS attempted to scuttle herself. However, she was captured and the sinking prevented. Force K and their prize arrived at Freetown on the 6th. UHENFELS was taken for British service and renamed EMPIRE ABILITY. She arrived in the Thames for duty on 5 April 1940.

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Australian light cruiser PERTH departed Bermuda and arrived at Kingston on the 9th.

Monday, 6 November

Destroyer KHARTOUM (Cdr D T Dowler) was completed. Following working up at Portland, she joined the 5th Destroyer Flotilla operating with the Home Fleet on 1 December.

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Destroyer AFRIDI, whose defects were repaired in the Tyne, departed the Tyne and arrived at Rosyth on the 7th for operations.

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Light cruisers CARDIFF, COLOMBO, DRAGON departed Sullom Voe on Northern Patrol duties. They arrived back on the 12th.

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Light cruisers DUNEDIN, DELHI, CALYPSO arrived at Sullom Voe from Northern Patrol.

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On Northern Patrol, there were three cruisers on patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait.

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Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN DUKE received instructions to take over a merchant ship from light cruiser CERES and escort her into Kirkwall.

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Anti-aircraft cruisers CAIRO and CALCUTTA arrived at Rosyth to strengthen the air defences at Rosyth while the Home Fleet was refuelling there.

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Sloop FLAMINGO, en route from the Clyde to Rosyth, was ordered to attempt to locate an aircraft down in the sea 20 miles northeast of Fraserburgh. She was unable to locate it and arrived at Rosyth on the 8th.

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Polish submarine ORZEL, escorted by destroyer WHITEHALL, departed Rosyth for Dundee for docking. After the escort, WHITEHALL arrived back the same day.

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Destroyers INTREPID and IVANHOE arrived at Scapa Flow. After refuelling, they departed Scapa Flow for Plymouth, arriving on the 11th. They departed later that day and anchored in the Medway on the 12th, before reaching Chatham on the 13th for conversion to minelaying destroyers. On 4 December, the conversions were completed and both destroyers departed Chatham for Sheerness. At this time, INTREPID and IVANHOE were detached from the 3rd Dest