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Background Events -
September 1939-March 1940
Battle of Atlantic starts,
'Phoney War' on land, Battle of River Plate
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, destroyer JAGUAR was attacked by German
aircraft off Longstones. However, the destroyer was able to drive the attack
off without damage to herself. Destroyer JAGUAR arrived at Rosyth on the 2nd.
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After delivering Fleet Tenders A and B (decoy ships
PAKEHA and WAIMANA) at 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. British 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
fifty two 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 cruiser DERBYSHIRE.
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Sloop GRIMSBY was in a collision with Italian steamer EDERA
(5254grt) while berthing in the Tyne. The sloop
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 steamer
VESTFOSS, British steamer STAR OF
LIBERTY (205grt) took off the nineteen crew. Tug ST MELLONS had been
dispatched, but was recalled. Part of the crew from steamer 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 bombing off Whitby. The crew abandoned ship. The steamer waited in Bridlington Bay
for tugs. Destroyer JUNO, escort vessel VEGA, sloop STORK were escorting
the convoy. One of the escort ships picked up a lifeboat from BROTT.
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Convoy MT.21 departed Methil for the Tyne. Latvian steamers ELIZABETE (2039grt) was damaged by German bombers
five miles east by south of Hartlepool Light Vessel andKATVALDIS (3208grt)
was damaged by German bombers off Scarborough, in 54-20N, 00-20W from convoy
MT.20. Steamer 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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British steamer DOMALA (8450grt) ran aground three
cables east of Goodwin Knoll Buoy. Downs Guard Vessel GOODWIN, minesweeping
trawler CALVI, a tug from Ramsgate stood by until the steamer refloated
herself without assistance at 1600.
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Convoy OG.20 was formed from convoy 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, convoy
OB.100G, which departed Liverpool escorted by by sloop LEITH from 1 to 3
March and destroyer VENETIA from 1 to 2 March, with thirty one 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 the convoy on the 6th. 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 on the Italian steamer. 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 thirty six ships. French destroyer CHACAL and
auxiliary patrol vessel CAPITAINE ARMANDE escorted the convoy 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 the convoy 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 on her return to Home Waters. She arrived
at Malta on the 10th and departed on the 12th. The cruiser
passed Gibraltar on the 14th. Heavy cruiser SUSSEX arrived at Liverpool on the 17th and began a refit that continued until
18 May when she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron operating with the Home
Fleet.
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British 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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British gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD departed Singapore escorted by light cruiser DAUNTLESS for Penang where they arrived on the 2nd. They departed Penang on the 3rd. They arrived at the Nicobar Islands for refuelling. There, DAUNTLESS was relieved by
Australian light cruiser HOBART which took them to Colombo. Light cruiser DAUNTLESS arrived back at Penang on the 8th. The gunboats departed Colombo on the 11th without an escort. The gunboats
proceeded to Bombay.At Bombay, they joined an RFA tanker and proceeded with
her to Masirah. At Masirah, they refuelled from the tanker and then proceeded
on to Aden, arriving on the 27th, Port Sudan, Suez, Port Said. The gunboats 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 and 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. The heavy cruiser 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),
destroyers KELLY (D.5), SIKH, 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, destroyer FORESTER made a submarine contact in
58-27N, 5-46W and attacked it without result. Destroyers FORESTER and FAME made further attacks at 1240, 1320, 1423, 1500 in
the same area. Destroyer FORESTER remained at the contact for twenty four
hours before rejoining the Whitworth force. At 2138/3rd, northwest of Foula
Island in 61-06N, 03-58W, destroyer 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 with destroyers HARDY,
HOSTILE, VIMY departed Portsmouth for the Clyde. The British ships arrived during the afternoon of
3 March and destroyer VIMY immediately returned to Plymouth, via Liverpool.
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British liner QUEEN ELIZABETH (83,673grt) departed
the Clyde at 0800 escorted by destroyers MOHAWK, PUNJABI,
FORTUNE, FOXHOUND. As she was getting underway, destroyer MOHAWK was damaged in
a collision with British steamer GARTBRATTAN (1811grt) off Greenock. Damage, however, did not prevent MOHAWK from joining the escort for
British liner QUEEN ELIZABETH (83,673grt). Destroyer TARTAR was just arriving
from Greenock in the Clyde for boiler cleaning
when she received orders to join the outbound "convoy", which was
the QUEEN ELIZABETH. Destroyer TARTAR relieved destroyer MOHAWK, which
returned to the Clyde, destroyer TARTAR's commanding officer became the
senior officer of the escort. The destroyers escorted the liner to 200 miles
northwest of Rathlin Island before being detached. Destroyers FOXHOUND and FORTUNE proceeded to Belfast to escort dummy aircraft carrier HERMES (decoy
ship MAMARI) on the 3rd.All three departed Belfast on the 4th and arrived in the Clyde on the 5th. Destroyers TARTAR and PUNJABI arrived back at the Clyde on the 4th. Destroyer MOHAWK entered the Ailsa Shipyard at Troon on
the 5th and was repairing until 19 March. Liner 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. The light cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow on the 4th.
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Convoy OA.102 departed Southend. The convoy was
escorted by destroyer CAMPBELL, which accompanied the convoy on 3 and 4
March. On the 5th, the convoy was dispersed.
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Convoy OB.102 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers WALPOLE and VANOC. The
destroyers were detached on the 5th to convoy HX.22. The convoy dispersed on
the 6th.
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Convoy FN.109 departed Southend, escorted by
destroyers VALOROUS and JERVIS and sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 4th.
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Convoy FS.110 departed the Tyne escorted by destroyers WHITLEY and BOREAS and sloop EGRET.Minelayer
PRINCESS VICTORIA travelled in the convoy. The convoy arrived at Southend on
the 4th.
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German steamer
WOLFSBURG (6201grt) had departed Pernambuco on 5 February.
The German steamer, disguised as Norwegian AUST, scuttled herself north of Iceland in 67‑20N, 22‑50W when intercepted by
heavy cruiser BERWICK on Northern Patrol. Heavy cruiser BERWICK picked up the
German crew of eleven officers and forty three 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. Destroyer
BEAGLE returned to service on completion of the work 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, eighty miles west of Kirkwall.
Armed boarding vessels NORTHERN SKY and NORTHERN PRINCESS also were sent to
investigate. One crewman was lost on the Swedish steamer. The twenty seven
survivors were rescued by Norwegian steamer BELPAMELA (3215grt) and fourteen
were landed at Kirkwall on the 4th. The remainder of the survivors were
landed at North Ronaldsay. U.32 also attacked Norwegian steamer BELPAMELA,
but torpedo malfunctions permitted BELPAMELA to escape undamaged. Steamers
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 on the British steamer. The survivors of steamer ALBANO 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 on the Dutch steamer. The survivors were picked
up. (Sources show rescue ship as Danish ZINE or Dutch SINE. 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 DOMALA and was machine
gunned and bombed, also by He111's of German KG26. Four to five bombs were dropped
at the Dutch steamer, 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 soon thereafter to assist in driving off further
air attacks. Soon destroyer ACHATES, tug REVUE, anti-submarine trawler
KINGSTON AGATE (464grt) arrived. Destroyer VISCOUNT picked up 120 survivors
from the steamer. The destroyer sustained some damage to her hull while
alongside the British steamer.
Dutch steamer JONGE WILLEM picked up fifty one crew
and three dead crew from lifeboats and took them to Newhaven.
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Convoy BC.27 of steamers BALTRAFFIC, BARON GRAHAM,
BOTHNIA, BRITISH COAST, MARSLEW (Commodore) departed Loire escorted by destroyer VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived safely in Bristol Channel on the 4th.
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Convoy HN.16 six British, eighteen Norwegian, two
Finnish, two Danish ships departed Bergen escorted by destroyers ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER,
ELECTRA, 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 destroyers ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ECLIPSE arrived safely
at Methil on the 5th. Destroyers INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN arrived in the Clyde at 0630/6th after dispersing the west bound section of convoy 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, ST LAURENT. Destroyer ST LAURENT returned to Halifax after dark. Destroyers SAGUENAY and SKEENA turned over the convoy to Battleship REVENGE on
the 3rd and arrived back at Halifax midmorning on the 4th. The battleship was detached
on the 11th. Destroyers VERSATILE, WAKEFUL, WALPOLE, WOLVERINE escorted the
convoy from 14 to 17 March, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.
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Light cruiser DUNEDIN intercepted German merchant ship
HEIDELBERG (6530grt) sixty miles west, southwest of the Windward Passage in the Caribbean. This
steamer, which had departed Aruba the day before with German steamer TROJA, also
scuttled herself to avoid capture.
Sunday, 3 March
The last German ship of the February Vigo group,
German steamer ARUCAS (3359grt), scuttled herself in 63‑20N, 14‑15W
when she was intercepted by heavy cruiser YORK in 63‑08N, 14‑42W. The German crew was
rescued, but three crew died after rescue. Heavy cruiser YORK arrived at Kirkwall to land thirty nine German survivors on the 10th.
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Minelayer TEVIOTBANK and destroyers ESK, EXPRESS,
ICARUS, 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
British ships arrived in the Humber after the minelay 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, two Estonian ships departed Methil
at 1700 escorted by destroyers NUBIAN, DELIGHT (SO), DIANA, ILEX, GURKHA. The
convoy was given anti-aircraft support by anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA. Destroyer COSSACK was assigned to this convoy,
but was held back as unseaworthy for repairs to leaking seams. Destroyer
GURKHA arrived at Scapa
Flow from Rosyth on the
2nd as a replacement for COSSACK. Destroyer DIANA and submarine NARWHAL escorting
fleet auxiliary GREENAWN (784grt) were detached on the 4th abreast of Scapa Flow for that port. Destroyer DIANA and steamer
GREENAWN arrived at Scapa
Flow on the 5th.
Submarine NARWHAL arrived at Scapa
Flow 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. Convoy 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 traveled in this convoy en
route to the Tyne for repair. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
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Convoy FN.110 departed Southend, escorted by
destoyer VIVIEN and sloops PELICAN and FLEETWOOD, as far as the Tyne. Destroyer JAVELIN to Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 5th.
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Convoy FS.111 departed the Tyne escorted by sloops BLACK SWAN and GRIMSBY and destroyer JERVIS. The convoy 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. After the operations, cable ship ROYAL SCOT proceeded to Leith and destroyer BRAZEN arrived at Rosyth 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, FIREDRAKE. Air support was provided from the
morning of 4 March. The British ships arrived in the Clyde at 1230/4th. Destroyer ACASTA, after refuelling, returned to Plymouth.
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Destroyers KHARTOUM and KINGSTON departed Greenock for
repairs of weather damage to their hulls and refitting at Falmouth. During the evening of 4 March at 1903, west,
southwest of Trevose Head in 50-31.21N, 5-24.4W, destroyers KHARTOUM and KINGSTON attacked a submarine contact. This was assessed
later as probably a wreck. After searching for another U-boat reported late
on the 4th, destroyers KHARTOUM
and KINGSTON arrived at Falmouth for refitting.
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Destroyers JERVIS, JUNO, 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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During landing at Campbeltown when their Swordfish
of 816 Squadron collided with two stationary aircraft, Lt B.E.H. Stranack, Lt
(A) J.D. Stern, Naval Airman J.W. White of 816 Squadron were killed and five
aircraft were destroyed.
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U.29 laid mines off Newport.Two merchant ships were
lost on this minefield. Steamer CATO (710grt) was lost in 51‑24N,
03‑33W off Newport on this minefield on the 3rd.Of a fifteen man crew
on the British steamer, 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. Destroyers RAILLEUSE and FORBIN then joined light
cruiser PRIMAGUET, arriving from Brest, escorted her to Toulon, arriving 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, IVANHOE arrived at Aberdeen to patrol. Destroyer INTREPID left to investigate
a submarine reported at 0530 six miles northeast of Aberdeen. Destroyers JUPITER and JUNO of convoy ON.17A were detached to assist. British
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 Submarine NARWHAL, proceeding to Scapa Flow, 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 for Portsmouth. Submarine TETRARCH, escorted by destroyer VESPER,
arrived at Portsmouth on the 6th for equipment repairs. After repairs,
submarine TETRARCH departed Portsmouth on 13 April on 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, British tanker CHARLES T. MEYER
(10,516grt) of convoy HX.20 A, escorted by sloop FOWEY, struck a floating
mine fifteen miles south of Dungeness, in 50-21N, 0-18E. Sloop FOWEY
continued on with the convoy. To assist the damaged tanker, destroyer
BRILLIANT was ordered from Dover, destroyer BOADICEA was ordered from her patrol,
destroyer KEITH was ordered to Dover from Dover when ready, tug LADY BRASSEY proceeded, French
torpedo boats and trawlers proceeded to the area. Destroyer BOADICEA located
the damaged tanker at 0400.At 0500, destroyer BRILLIANT joined and soon after
destroyer KEITH arrived. At 0600, destroyer BOADICEA took the tanker in tow
escorted by destroyers BRILLIANT and KEITH. Tugs LADY BRASSEY from Dover and FOREMOST from Newhaven arrived at 0959 and
took the tanker in tow. Destroyer BRILLIANT returned to patrol at 0700 and
destroyer KEITH was left as an anti-submarine screen. British tug CALSHOT
departed Southampton at 1100 and Admiralty Salvage Vessel RECOVERY OF
LEITH departed Dover. Destroyer 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, one Panamanian ship departed
Methil escorted by destroyers JERVIS, JUNO, JUPITER, JANUS, JAGUAR. One steamer was detached
before the convoy crossed the North Sea. The
convoy was joined by seventeen 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. Anti aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA arrived at Sullom Voe on the 9th after this duty.
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Convoy FN.111 departed Southend, escorted
destroyers VEGA and GRENADE and sloop STORK. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 6th.
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Convoy FS.112 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop FLAMINGO and destroyer WALLACE. The convoy arrived
at Southend on the 6th. Convoy FS.113 was cancelled.
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Convoy MT.23 departed Methil. The convoy 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 sloop LEITH to hunt this submarine.
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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. Steamer THURSTON had been
involved in a collision with French collier S N A 1 (2679grt) which sank. THURSTON had just rescued the French survivors when she herself was
sunk. Thirty four crew were lost on THURSTON. One survivor from
SNA 1 and THURSTON was picked up by steamer
MOYLE (1761grt). All 53 crew of steamer 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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British steamer AUCKLAND STAR (13212grt) reported that 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 5 March, destroyers WILD SWAN and VENETIA were ordered into the area to assist. Later on the 5th, another
report of a submarine, caused Destroyers WHIRLWIND, VOLUNTEER, VETERAN being
ordered into the area.
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The German Navy began holding submarines in port
for WESERUBUNG, the invasion of Norway, cancelled all other naval operations.
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Convoy HG.21 of thirty four ships departed Gibraltar escorted by destroyers VELOX, VIDETTE, ACTIVE.
Destroyer ACTIVE was detached on the 6th. Destroyers VELOX, which had joined
from convoy HG.20F, VIDETTE were detached on the 11th to Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively. Destroyer VIMY
escorted the convoy from 4 to 10 March, when she was detached to convoy
HG.21. Destroyer WINCHELSEA joined the convoy from 11 to 13 March in Home
Waters for the Liverpool section of the convoy. Merchant ships not going to
Liverpool were escorted by destroyer WINDSOR which was with
the convoy from 11 to 13 March. The convoy arrived on the 13th at Liverpool.
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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,
FOXHOUND departed Greenock to screen armed merchant cruisers SCOTSTOUN,
LETITIA, WORCESTERSHIRE on full calibre firings. After the firings, SCOTSTOUN
proceeded to patrol. LETITIA arrived back at 1500 and WORCESTERSHIRE at 1700.
The destroyers arrived back at 2010.
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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. The British ships arrived at Rosyth on the 6th.
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Destroyer WANDERER arrived at Liverpool at 1030 with urgent defects. The defects were
corrected and the destroyer was able to sail later that day.
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Destroyer WANDERER attacked a submarine contact in
St Georges Channel in 52‑01N, 6‑27W. This contact was later
determined to be non submarine.
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Armed merchant cruisers WORCESTERSHIRE and LETITIA
arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol.
______
Armed merchant cruisers SCOTSTOUN and MALOJA departed
the Clyde on Northern Patrol. Both armed merchant cruisers
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.
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Submarine NARWHAL arrived at Scapa Flow for direction finding trials.
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Submarine THISTLE and Polish submarine ORZEL
departed Rosyth for patrol in the vicinity of Devil's Hole.
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Submarine TRITON was docked at Rosyth for
reballasting.
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Convoy OA.104 departed Southend escorted by sloop
FOWEY from 5 to 7 March.
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Convoy OB.104 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers MACKAY and VANQUISHER which
escorted the convoy from 5 to 8 March.
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