Note: all vessels and aircraft are British 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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1940

 

 

Friday, 1 March

 

Heavy cruiser YORK departed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol.

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Heavy cruiser NORFOLK was on the WR station off North Cape to intercept German shipping.

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The flag of Cruiser Squadron 2 transferred to depot ship FORTH.

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Destroyers FAULKNOR, FAME, FURY, FORESTER, MOHAWK arrived back in the Clyde after escorting battleship MALAYA and armed merchant cruiser ASCANIA.

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Destroyer JAGUAR departed the Humber for Rosyth. On the 2nd, JAGUAR was attacked by German aircraft off Longstones, but she was able to drive the attack off without damage to herself, and arrived at Rosyth on the 2nd.

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After delivering Fleet Tenders A and B (decoy ships PAKEHA and WAIMANA) to Scapa Flow on the 1st, destroyer TARTAR departed Scapa Flow again that day.

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Destroyer KANDAHAR arrived at the Clyde.

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Destroyers FORTUNE and PUNJABI, returning to the Clyde after full calibre firings, investigated a submarine reported seven miles 254° from Ailsa Craig. Steamer CLAN MACNAUGHTON (6088grt) had reported sighting a periscope.

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Destroyer WILD SWAN, escorting convoy OA.100G, lost Probationary Midshipman R. R. Tett RNR overboard.

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Submarine THISTLE departed Rosyth and performed exercises in the Firth of Forth.

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The Northern Patrol from 1 to 14 March sighted 52 eastbound merchant ships and sent into Kirkwall twelve for inspection. Four German merchant ships were encountered and all four scuttled themselves to avoid capture. Armed merchant cruisers ASTURIAS and SCOTSTOUN arrived at the Clyde from Northern Patrol. Armed merchant cruisers WOLFE and DERBYSHIRE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. Air escort from Aldergrove was supplied for DERBYSHIRE.

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Sloop GRIMSBY was in a collision with Italian steamer EDERA (5254grt) while berthing in the Tyne, but sustained no damage.

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Anti-submarine trawler ASTON VILLA (546grt) was damaged in a collision with RFA PETRONEL at Aberdeen.

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Norwegian steamer VESTFOSS (1388grt) was bombed and sunk by aircraft of German KG26 (X Air Corps) twelve miles east by south of Copinsay, Orkney Islands. After an unsuccessful attempt to tow VESTFOSS, British steamer STAR OF LIBERTY (205grt) took off the 19 crew. Tug ST MELLONS had been dispatched, but was recalled. Part of the crew from VESTFOSS arrived at Oslo on the 6th. (Note: German X Air Corps flew He111's of KG26, Ju88's of KG30, and two reconnaissance squadrons flying He59's or Do17's.)

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Norwegian steamer BROTT (1583grt) in convoy FS.109 was machine gunned and bombed by German aircraft off Whitby, and the crew abandoned ship. The steamer waited in Bridlington Bay for tugs. Destroyer JUNO, escort vessel VEGA and sloop STORK were escorting the convoy, one of the escorts picking up a lifeboat from BROTT.

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Convoy MT.21 departed Methil for the Tyne. In convoy MT.20, Latvian steamers ELIZABETE (2039grt) was damaged by German bombers five miles east by south of Hartlepool Light Vessel and KATVALDIS (3208grt) off Scarborough, in 54-20N, 00-20W. KATVALDIS was struck by two bombs, one of which did not explode. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd.

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Steamer DOMALA (8450grt) ran aground three cables east of Goodwin Knoll Buoy. Downs Guard Vessel GOODWIN, minesweeping trawler CALVI and a tug from Ramsgate stood by until she refloated herself without assistance at 1600.

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Convoy OG.20 was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.100G, which departed Southend on 28 February, escorted by sloop BIDEFORD from 28 February to 2 March and destroyer WILD SWAN from 29 February to 3 March, and (2) OB.100G, which departed Liverpool escorted by by sloop LEITH from 1 to 3 March and destroyer VENETIA from 1 to 2 March, with 31 ships. Both Liverpool escorts were detached to convoy HG.20. French destroyer TIGRE and escort vessel VIKINGS joined the convoy from 2 to 7 March. Destroyer ACTIVE joined on the 6th, and the convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 7th.

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U.20 sank Italian steamer MIRELLA (5340grt) in 52‑24N, 02‑02E; one crewman was lost. The survivors were rescued by destroyer WALLACE and anti-submarine trawler CAPE ARGONA (494grt). Patrol sloops SHEARWATER and MALLARD were patrolling nearby and were joined by sloops WIDGEON and SHELDRAKE to search for the submarine.

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Convoy HG.21F departed Gibraltar with 36 ships. French destroyer CHACAL and auxiliary patrol vessel CAPITAINE ARMANDE escorted from 1 to 6 and 7 March, respectively. Destroyers WHIRLWIND from convoy OG.21F and WITCH escorted the convoy from 7 to 10 March, when it arrived at Liverpool.

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Destroyer BULLDOG and Australian destroyer WATERHEN arrived at Gibraltar.

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Heavy cruiser SUSSEX departed Colombo 1 March to return to Home Waters. She reached Malta on the 10th, departed on the 12th, passed Gibraltar on the 14th, and arrived at Liverpool on the 17th. There she began a refit that continued until 18 May when she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron operating with the Home Fleet.

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Steamer SOUTHGATE (4862grt) reported being under attack by a U-boat 150 miles northeast of San Juan in 19‑58N, 64‑00W. American destroyers of the 31st Destroyer Squadron, MACLEISH (DD.220, Flagship Commander Destroyer Squadron 31, Captain W.W. Bradley) and SATTERLEE (DD.190) and MASON (DD.191) of the 68th Destroyer Division were dispatched to assist. However, the submarine was not located and SOUTHGATE was not damaged. U.S. Coast Guard cutter UNALGA also searched in the area for the reported submarine. The U-boat, in reality, was one of the four French submarines based on Martinique.

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During the night of 29 February/1 March, light cruiser DESPATCH off Aruba in the Caribbean intercepted German steamer TROJA (2390grt) shortly after the German ship had put to sea. Rather than be captured, TROJA scuttled herself.

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Gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD left Singapore escorted by light cruiser DAUNTLESS for Penang where they arrived on the 2nd. They departed on the 3rd, and arrived at the Nicobar Islands for refuelling. There, DAUNTLESS was relieved by Australian light cruiser HOBART which took them to Colombo. DAUNTLESS arrived back at Penang on the 8th. The gunboats departed Colombo on the 11th without an escort, and proceeded to Bombay, joined an RFA tanker and proceeded with her to Masirah. At Masirah, they refuelled from the tanker and carried on to Aden, arriving on the 27th, followed by calls at Port Sudan, Suez, Port Said. They arrived at Alexandria on 4 April.

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Convoy SLF.22 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser MOOLTAN until 12 March. On the 11th convoy SL.22 merged with convoy SLF.22. On the 12th, sloops BRIDGEWATER, ROCHESTER and destroyers AMAZON and VENETIA relieved the armed merchant cruiser. The convoys arrived on the 15th.

 

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French heavy cruiser SUFFREN arrived at Singapore for docking, and was undocked on the 7th.

 

 

Saturday, 2 March

 

Destroyers KELLY and SIKH arrived at Greenock from Scapa Flow.

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Destroyer KHARTOUM arrived at Greenock from Scapa Flow.

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Battleship VALIANT, battlecruiser HOOD (Whitworth), and destroyers KELLY (D.5), SIKH and KANDAHAR departed Greenock at 1600, and destroyers FAULKNOR (D.8), FORESTER, FAME departed the Clyde to patrol and cover the progress of the ON/HN convoys at sea. At 1133/3rd off North Minch, FORESTER made a submarine contact in 58-27N, 5-46W and attacked it without result. FORESTER and FAME made further attacks at 1240, 1320, 1423, 1500 in the same area. FORESTER remained at the contact for 24 hours before rejoining the Whitworth force. At 2138/3rd, northwest of Foula Island in 61-06N, 03-58W, KELLY made a submarine contact, also attacking it without result. In a freshening gale, contact was lost and KELLY rejoined the Whitworth force.

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Battlecruiser REPULSE (right - Peter Siddall) with destroyers HARDY, HOSTILE and VIMY departed Portsmouth for the Clyde. The ships arrived during the afternoon of 3 March and VIMY immediately returned to Plymouth, via Liverpool.

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Liner QUEEN ELIZABETH (83,673grt) departed the Clyde at 0800 escorted by destroyers MOHAWK, PUNJABI, FORTUNE and FOXHOUND. As she was getting underway, MOHAWK was damaged in collision with steamer GARTBRATTAN (1811grt) off Greenock. However, this did not prevent her from joining the escort. Destroyer TARTAR was just arriving from Greenock in the Clyde for boiler cleaning when she received orders to join the outbound "convoy" - the lone QUEEN ELIZABETH. TARTAR relieved MOHAWK, which returned to the Clyde, TARTAR's commanding officer becoming the senior officer of the escort. The destroyers escorted the liner to 200 miles northwest of Rathlin Island before being detached. FOXHOUND and FORTUNE proceeded to Belfast to escort dummy aircraft carrier HERMES (decoy ship MAMARI) on the 3rd. All three left there on the 4th and arrived in the Clyde on the 5th. TARTAR and PUNJABI arrived back at the Clyde on the 4th. MOHAWK entered the Ailsa Shipyard at Troon on the 5th and was repairing until 19 March. QUEEN ELIZABETH arrived safely at New York on the 7th completing her maiden voyage.

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Light cruiser MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol duties.

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Armed merchant cruiser CARINTHIA arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol.

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Light cruiser ENTERPRISE arrived at Portsmouth from Halifax convoy escort duty to refit completing on 11 April.

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Destroyers FURY and KINGSTON proceeded to patrol off Pladda Island in case a U-boat sighted in 55-48N, 6-45W at 1300 was en route to mine the Clyde. The patrol was terminated at 1000/3rd.

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Light cruiser GALATEA departed Portsmouth to join the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow, and arrived on the 4th.

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Convoy OA.102 departed Southend, and escorted by destroyer CAMPBELL, which accompanied the convoy on 3 and 4 March. On the 5th, the convoy dispersed.

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Convoy OB.102 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers WALPOLE and VANOC, until they detached on the 5th to HX.22. The convoy dispersed on the 6th.

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Convoy FN.109 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VALOROUS, JERVIS and sloop HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne on the 4th.

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Convoy FS.110 departed the Tyne escorted by destroyers WHITLEY, BOREAS and sloop EGRET. Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA travelled in the convoy, which arrived at Southend on the 4th.

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German steamer WOLFSBURG (6201grt) had departed Pernambuco on 5 February. Disguised as Norwegian AUST, she scuttled herself north of Iceland in 67‑20N, 22‑50W when intercepted by heavy cruiser BERWICK on Northern Patrol. BERWICK picked up the German crew of 11 officers and 43 men and sank the steamer with gunfire.

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Cable ship ROYAL SCOT with destroyers BRAZEN and WOLSEY was involved in mending cables in Largo Bay.

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Submarine TRIAD undocked at Rosyth.

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Destroyer BEAGLE went alongside destroyer depot ship SANDHURST in the Submarine Basin at Dover for boiler cleaning and degaussing, returning to service on the 7th.

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Destroyer KEITH arrived at Dover from Sheerness after repairs.

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After a report of a German submarine off the Dutch coast, two French destroyers departed Dunkirk that evening to sweep up the Belgian and Dutch coast during the night.

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U.17 sank Dutch steamer RIJNSTROOM (695grt) in 51‑36N, 02‑54E.

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U.32 sank Swedish steamer LAGAHOLM (2818grt) in 59‑34N, 05‑10W, 80 miles west of Kirkwall; one crewman was lost. Armed boarding vessels NORTHERN SKY and NORTHERN PRINCESS were sent to investigate. The 27 survivors were rescued by Norwegian steamer BELPAMELA (3215grt), fourteen were landed at Kirkwall on the 4th, and the remainder at North Ronaldsay. U.32 also attacked BELPAMELA, but torpedo malfunctions allowed her to escape undamaged. LAGAHOLM and BELPAMELA were both en route for contraband inspection at Kirkwall.

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Steamer ALBANO (1176grt) was sunk on a mine 7.6 miles 128.5° from Coquet Light, midway between Blyth and North Sunderland; nine crew were lost. The survivors were picked up by escort vessel WALLACE and armed patrol trawler STELLA CARINO (440grt).

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Dutch steamer ELZIENA (176grt) was bombed and sunk by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) five miles east of Coquet Island; two crew were killed. The survivors were picked up. (Sources show the rescue ship as Danish ZINE or Dutch SINE, but neither appear in LLOYDS).

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At 0500, steamer DOMALA (8441grt) was bombed and set on fire by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) 24 miles east of St Catherine's Point, I.O.W, between St Catherine's Point and the Owers. Dutch steamer JONGE WILLEM (1632grt) assisted and was machine gunned and bombed, also by He111's of German KG26. Four to five bombs were dropped, but no damage was done. At 1245, destroyers VISCOUNT, which was en route to pick up convoy OA.102, VENOMOUS and tug STALWART were standing by. Destroyer ANTHONY arrived from Portsmouth shortly after to assist in driving off further air attacks. Soon destroyer ACHATES, tug REVUE and anti-submarine trawler KINGSTON AGATE (464grt) arrived. VISCOUNT picked up 120 survivors, but sustained some damage to her hull while alongside. JONGE WILLEM picked up 51 crew and three dead from lifeboats and took them to Newhaven.

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Convoy BC.27 of steamers BALTRAFFIC, BARON GRAHAM, BOTHNIA, BRITISH COAST and MARSLEW (Commodore) departed Loire escorted by destroyer VIVACIOUS, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 4th.

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Convoy HN.16 six British, eighteen Norwegian, two Finnish and two Danish ships departed Bergen escorted by destroyers ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER, ELECTRA and ESCORT. When the convoy split into sections, destroyers INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN took over the seven ships of the west coast section. Convoy HN.16 and ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER, ESCORT and ECLIPSE arrived safely at Methil on the 5th. INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN arrived in the Clyde at 0630/6th after dispersing the west bound section of HN.16 at Cape Wrath.

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Rescue tug FAIRPLAY II (282grt, Temporary Lt H L Forster RNR) was wrecked on the Yorkshire coast.

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Convoy HX.24 departed Halifax at 0800 escorted by Canadian destroyers SAGUENAY, SKEENA and ST LAURENT, the latter returning to Halifax after dark. SAGUENAY and SKEENA turned over the convoy to battleship REVENGE on the 3rd, and they arrived back at Halifax mid-morning on the 4th. REVENGE detached on the 11th. Destroyers VERSATILE, WAKEFUL, WALPOLE and WOLVERINE escorted the convoy from the 14th to 17th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

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Light cruiser DUNEDIN intercepted German merchant ship HEIDELBERG (6530grt) 60 miles WSW of the Windward Passage in the Caribbean. She had departed Aruba the day before with German steamer TROJA, which had also scuttled herself to avoid capture.

 

 

Sunday, 3 March

 

The last German ship of the February Vigo group, steamer ARUCAS (3359grt), scuttled herself in 63‑20N, 14‑15W when she was intercepted by heavy cruiser YORK in 63‑08N, 14‑42W. The crew was rescued, but three died. YORK arrived at Kirkwall to land the 39 survivors on the 10th.

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Minelayer TEVIOTBANK and destroyers ESK, EXPRESS, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla laid mines in Operation IE-1 in the channels through the German mine fields in the Heligoland Bight. The ships arrived back in the Humber on the 3rd. Operation IE 2 was postponed.

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Convoy ON.17 of three British, sixteen Norwegian, twelve Swedish, five Danish, two Finnish and two Estonian ships departed Methil at 1700 escorted by destroyers NUBIAN, DELIGHT (SO), DIANA, ILEX and GURKHA, with anti-aircraft support provided by anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA. Destroyer COSSACK was assigned to the convoy, but was held back as unseaworthy for repairs to leaking seams. GURKHA arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth on the 2nd as her replacement. On the 4th abreast of Scapa Flow, DIANA and submarine NARWHAL escorting fleet auxiliary GREENAWN (784grt) were detached, with DIANA and GREENAWN arriving at Scapa Flow on the 5th and NARWHAL on the 6th after being delayed by gales. Light cruisers EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA, which departed Rosyth on the 3rd, gave this convoy, as well as ON.17 A and HN.17, close support. ON.17 arrived at Bergen on the 7th without event.

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Convoy MT.22 departed Methil, escorted by trawlers of the 1st Anti-submarine Group and sloops BLACK SWAN and GRIMSBY. Destroyer IMPERIAL travelled in the convoy en route to the Tyne for repairs. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.

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Convoy FN.110 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VIVIEN and sloops PELICAN and FLEETWOOD, as far as the Tyne, and arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. Destroyer JAVELIN carried on to Methil.

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Convoy FS.111 departed the Tyne escorted by sloops BLACK SWAN, GRIMSBY and destroyer JERVIS, and arrived at Southend on the 5th.

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Destroyers BRAZEN and WOLSEY with cable ship ROYAL SCOT departed Rosyth for operations east of May Island. ROYAL SCOT then proceeded to Leith and BRAZEN to Rosyth, arriving on the 5th.

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Armed merchant cruiser CIRCASSIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

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Armed merchant cruiser MALOJA departed Liverpool for the Clyde.

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Battlecruiser RENOWN departed Plymouth for the Clyde escorted by destroyers ACASTA, KIMBERLEY and FIREDRAKE. Air support was provided from the morning of the 4th. The ships arrived in the Clyde at 1230/4th, and ACASTA, after refuelling, returned to Plymouth.

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Destroyers KHARTOUM and KINGSTON departed Greenock for repairs to weather damage to their hulls and refitting at Falmouth. During the evening of the 4th at 1903, WSW of Trevose Head in 50-31.21N, 5-24.4W, they attacked a submarine contact, assessed later as probably a wreck. After searching for another U-boat reported late on the 4th, KHARTOUM and KINGSTON arrived at Falmouth.

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Destroyers JERVIS, JUNO and JUPITER arrived at Rosyth for escort duty with convoy ON.17 A.

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Submarine URSULA arrived at Blyth after patrol.

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Submarine TRUANT arrived at Rosyth after patrol.

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Lt B E H Stranack, Lt (A) J D Stern and Naval Airman J W White of 816 Squadron were killed at Campbeltown when their Swordfish landed and collided with two stationary aircraft, a total of five aircraft being destroyed.

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U.29 laid mines off Newport. Two merchant ships were lost on this minefield, starting with steamer CATO (710grt) on the 3rd in 51‑24N, 03‑33W; of a fifteen man crew, thirteen were lost. The two survivors were rescued by auxiliary minesweeper AKITA (FY610).

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French light cruiser LA GALISSONIERE, escorted by destroyers RAILLEUSE and FORBIN, departed Oran. The destroyers were detached on the 6th at Gibraltar and the cruiser proceeded to Brest. RAILLEUSE and FORBIN then joined light cruiser PRIMAGUET, arriving from Brest, and escorted her to Toulon, which they reached on the 8th.

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Light cruiser DAUNTLESS departed Singapore.

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Light cruiser DURBAN arrived at Penang.

 

 

Monday, 4 March

 

Light cruisers PENELOPE and AURORA arrived at Rosyth after covering convoys ON.15 and HN.15.

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Light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol.

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Armed merchant cruiser PATROCLUS departed Liverpool on Northern Patrol.

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Armed merchant cruiser MALOJA arrived in the Clyde from Liverpool.

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Destroyers INTREPID, GALLANT and IVANHOE arrived at Aberdeen to patrol. INTREPID left to investigate a submarine reported at 0530 six miles NE of Aberdeen, and destroyers JUPITER and JUNO of convoy ON.17A were detached to assist. Trawler BEN CHOURN (197grt) reported an explosion in this area. It was first thought that convoy ON.17 was under attack. It was later ascertained that the submarine was the British NARWHAL, proceeding to Scapa Flow, and that the explosion was a depth charge fired by destroyer NUBIAN.

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Submarine TRIAD carried out special trials off Inchkeith.

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Destroyer VESPER departed Greenock escorting submarine TETRARCH to Portsmouth, where they arrived on the 6th. TETRARCH carried out equipment repairs, and then sailed on 13 April for a war patrol.

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Anti-submarine trawler NEIL MACKAY went ashore at Scapa Flow during a storm, but was later refloated.

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At 2030, tanker CHARLES T. MEYER (10,516grt) of convoy HX.20 A, escorted by sloop FOWEY, struck a floating mine 15 miles south of Dungeness, in 50-21N, 0-18E. FOWEY continued on with the convoy. To assist the damaged tanker, destroyers BRILLIANT was ordered from Dover, BOADICEA from her patrol, and KEITH from Dover when ready. Tug LADY BRASSEY and French torpedo boats and trawlers proceeded to the area. BOADICEA located the damaged tanker at 0400. At 0500, BRILLIANT joined and soon after KEITH arrived. At 0600, BOADICEA took the tanker in tow escorted by BRILLIANT and KEITH. Tugs LADY BRASSEY from Dover and FOREMOST from Newhaven arrived at 0959 and took over the tow. BRILLIANT returned to her patrol at 0700, but KEITH remained as an anti-submarine screen. Tug CALSHOT departed Southampton at 1100 and Admiralty Salvage Vessel RECOVERY OF LEITH departed Dover. KEITH was released when the tow reached Sandown Bay, I.O.W. All units involved arrived safely at Castle Point, Cowes, at 0105/6th.

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Convoy ON.17 A of six British, sixteen Norwegian, eight Swedish, eight Finnish, three Estonian and one Panamanian ship departed Methil escorted by destroyers JERVIS, JUNO, JUPITER, JANUS and JAGUAR. One steamer was detached before the convoy crossed the North Sea. The convoy was joined by 17 ships from Kirkwall. These are included in the sailing breakdown from Methil. Anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe on the 5th for anti-aircraft protection. Destroyer JERVIS made an attack at 0905/7th on a submarine contact northeast of the Shetlands in 61‑15N, 1‑20E. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 8th, while CALCUTTA arrived back at Sullom Voe on the 9th.

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Convoy FN.111 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VEGA, GRENADE and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 6th.

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Convoy FS.112 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop FLAMINGO and destroyer WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 6th. Convoy FS.113 was cancelled.

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Convoy MT.23 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day.

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Sloop LEITH, escorting convoy HG.20, attacked a submarine contact west of Scilly Isle in 49‑57N, 08‑15W. Destroyer VENETIA, also of HG.20, joined her in the hunt.

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U.29 sank steamers THURSTON (3072grt) 32 miles west of Trevose Head in 50-23N, 5-49W and PACIFIC RELIANCE (6717grt) in 50‑23N, 05‑49W. THURSTON had been involved in a collision with French collier S N A 1 (2679grt) which sank, and had just rescued the French survivors when she herself was sunk. Thirty four crew were lost on THURSTON, while one survivor each from SNA 1 and THURSTON was picked up by steamer MOYLE (1761grt). All 53 crew of PACIFIC RELIANCE were rescued by steamer MACVILLE (666grt) and tanker SAN FLORENTINO (12,842grt). U.29 also attacked SAN FLORENTINO but torpedo failures allowed her to escape.

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Steamer AUCKLAND STAR (13,212grt) reported she had sighted a submarine (U.28) in 49‑26N, 07‑27W. Sloop LEITH nearby, escorting convoy HG.20 was detached to investigate. On the morning of the 5th, destroyers WILD SWAN and VENETIA were ordered into the area to assist. Later on the 5th, another report of a submarine, led to destroyers WHIRLWIND, VOLUNTEER and VETERAN being ordered into the area.

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The German Navy began holding submarines in port for WESERUBUNG, the invasion of Norway, and cancelled all other naval operations.

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Convoy HG.21 of 34 ships departed Gibraltar escorted by destroyers VELOX, VIDETTE and ACTIVE, the latter detaching on the 6th. VELOX, which had joined from convoy HG.20F, and VIDETTE were detached on the 11th to Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively. Destroyer VIMY escorted the convoy from the 4th to 10th, when she detached to convoy HG.21 (?). Destroyer WINCHELSEA joined from the 11th to 13th in Home Waters for the Liverpool section. Merchant ships not going to Liverpool were escorted by destroyer WINDSOR which was with the convoy from the 11th to 13th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 13th .

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Heavy cruiser CORNWALL departed Freetown on patrol.

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Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND departed Freetown.

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Light cruiser DUNEDIN departed Kingston on patrol.

 

 

Tuesday, 5 March

 

Light cruiser NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol.

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Destroyers HARDY, HOSTILE, PUNJABI, FORTUNE and FOXHOUND departed Greenock to screen armed merchant cruisers SCOTSTOUN, LETITIA and WORCESTERSHIRE for full calibre firings. SCOTSTOUN ten proceeded to her patrol area, while LETITIA arrived back at 1500, WORCESTERSHIRE at 1700, and the destroyers at 2010. WORCESTERSHIRE and LETITIA were returning from Northern Patrol at the time.

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Destroyer IVANHOE arrived at Rosyth from Scapa Flow, via Aberdeen, for boiler cleaning.

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Destroyers JAVELIN and WOOLSTON departed the Humber escorting base ship DUNLUCE CASTLE for Rosyth, arriving there on the 6th.

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Destroyer WANDERER arrived at Liverpool at 1030 with urgent defects, which were corrected and she was able to sail later that day. She attacked a contact in St Georges Channel in 52‑01N, 6‑27W, which was later determined to be non-submarine.

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Armed merchant cruisers SCOTSTOUN and MALOJA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. Both were given air escort.

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Submarine TRITON arrived at Rosyth after patrol.

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Submarine SEALION departed Harwich on patrol.