British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day by Don Kindell NAVAL EVENTS, MAY 1940, Part 1 of 4 Wednesday 1st – Tuesday 7th

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Note: all vessels and aircraft are British unless otherwise identified or implied - click for abbreviations

Background Events - April-May 1940
Invasion of Norway, Battles of Narvik, Blitzkrieg on Western Europe, Dunkirk evacuation starts

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1940

Wednesday, 1 May

Norwegian hospital ship DRONNING MAUD (1488grt) was badly damaged by German bombing at Gratangen.

There were twenty casualties on the Norwegian ship.

Hospital ship DRONNING MAUD was a total loss and was not salved.

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Submarine NARWHAL at 0727 laid a minefield, designated FD.6, off Frederikstavn in 57-30N, 10-43E.

On 3 May, German auxiliary minesweeper M. 1102 (trawler H.A. W. MULLER, 460grt) was slightly damaged on this minefield.

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Submarine NARWHAL at 1825 attacked a German convoy,carrying the 2nd Gebirgsjager Division, nine miles east of Skagen near Hertha, in 57-39N, 11-02. 5E.

Submarine NARWHAL fired six torpedoes at a convoy of four merchant ships, German steamers BUENAS AIRES (6097grt), BAHIA CASTILLO (8579grt), KRETA (2359grt), WIEGAND (5869grt).

German steamer BUENAS AIRES (6097grt) was sunk and German steamer BAHIA CASTILLO (8579grt) was badly damaged losing her rudder and screws.

Sixty men and two hundred and forty horses were lost and sixty four men wounded on the steamer BUENAS AIRES. Ten men and twenty six horses were lost and twenty three men wounded on the steamer BAHIA CASTILLO.

Steamer BAHIA CASTILLO was towed to Frederickshavn and was later broken up.

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French submarines CASABIANCA and SFAX arrived at Dundee from patrol.

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French minelaying submarine RUBIS (Lieutenant de Vaisseau G. Cabanier) arrived at Harwich for minelaying operations off the Norwegian coast.

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Destroyers VETERAN, VISCOUNT, VANSITTART departed Scapa Flow at 0500 with French convoy FS.3, consisting of British steamers MARGOT (4545grt) and SEPIA (6214grt), British tanker BRITISH LORD (6098grt), British base ship MASHOBRA (8324grt), French steamers ALBERTE LE BORGNE (3921grt), ENSEIGNE MAURICE PRECHAC (4578grt), SAINTE CLARE (3824grt), VULCAIN (4362grt).

These ships had been escorted to Scapa Flow by Escort ships JASON and GLEANER and anti-submarine trawlers. On arrival at Scapa Flow on 28 April, the escorts returned to the Clyde.

Off Scapa Flow, these ships were joined by destroyers ISIS, IMOGEN, ILEX with British steamers BELLEROPHON (9019grt) and LYCAON (7350grt) which had departed the Clyde on 30 April.

When the two groups rendezvoused, destroyers VETERAN and VISCOUNT took base ship MASHOBRA to the Clyde arriving on the 2nd. The convoy and its escorts arrived safely at Harstad on the 6th.

French steamer PAUL EMILE JAVARY (2471grt) of the convoy was damaged in a collision on 28 April with British steamer PIZARRO (1367grt) sixteen miles east, northeast of Stornoway. She was able to leave Scapa Flow on the 3rd and arrived at Harstad on the 9th.

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Destroyers ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID with mines for the Narvik area were ordered to return to Immingham.

The destroyers departed Scapa Flow at 0540 and arrived at Immingham at 2030.

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French destroyer FOUDROYANT arrived at Greenock escorting French troopship VILLE D'ALGER (10,172grt). She departed that day and arrived at Scapa Flow the next day.

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French convoy FP.3 with French troopships VILLE D'ALGER (10,172grt), COLOMBIE (13,391grt), CHENONCEAUX (14,825grt), MEXIQUE (12,220grt) and British troopship MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt) departed the Clyde at 0700/1st carrying the last contingent of the 1st Chasseurs Light Division, the French Legion Demi Brigade, the Polish Brigade.

These troopships were escorted by destroyers ATHERSTONE, WARWICK, French destroyers EPERVIER and FOUDROYANT, Patrol vessels JASON and GLEANER of the 3rd Anti-submarine Striking Force.

Destroyer WHIRLWIND departed the Clyde at 1300 and joined the convoy.

British troopships EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, REINA DEL PACIFICO, LANCASTRIA, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL and Polish troopships BATORY and SOBIESKI proceeded in company in the convoy for Scapa Flow. The escort vessels JASON and GLEANER escorted this section into Scapa Flow.

Destroyer ATHERSTONE was detached for refuelling at Scapa Flow.

Troopship VILLE D'ALGER took the place of French liner GENERAL METZINGER (9312grt) which was damaged in St George's Channel while en route to Greenock. British steamer MONARCH OF BERMUDA replaced French liner PROVIDENCE (11996grt).

Destroyer ECHO departed Rosyth at 0900/1st and passed May Island at 0900. She arrived at Scapa Flow at 0700/2nd escorting British tanker BRITISH GOVERNOR (6840grt) from Aberdeen.

Destroyer ECHO departed Scapa Flow at 1300/2nd to escort convoy FP.3, but was recalled at 1351 to Scapa Flow. At Scapa Flow, the destroyer went alongside troopship ULSTER PRINCE and embarked the Norwegian Naval Commander in Chief Admiral Deisan, three staff officers, three Swedish officers for passage to Tromso. She then proceeded to join the convoy.

Destroyers AMAZON and BRAZEN departed Scapa Flow at 0340/2nd to join the convoy.

Destroyer ECHO joined the convoy escort on the 4th.

Troopships VILLE D'ALGER and MONARCH OF BERMUDA arrived at Harstad on the 5th and the rest of the convoy safely arrived at Tromso on the 5th.

On the 7th, escorted by destroyers BRAZEN and ECHO and French destroyer EPERVIER, troopships CHENONCEAUX and COLOMBIE disembarked at Harstad and MEXIQUE disembarked at Salangen and Balangen.

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Battleship RESOLUTION and light cruisers EFFINGHAM (Commander in Chief Norway aboard) and AURORA bombarded German positions in Ofotfjord in the Ankenes area.

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Anti-aircraft ship CURLEW arrived at Scapa Flow.

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Destroyers WOLVERINE and BRAZEN arrived at Scapa Flow at 0525 with details on board from the Namsos area.

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Anti-submarine trawler NORTHERN PRIDE ran aground at Tjelsundet.

The trawler was assisted by destroyer WALKER.

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Destroyer JUNO from Scapa Flow arrived at Sullom Voe at 1800 to refuel.

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Destroyer WANDERER searched for a German submarine reported by air at 1515 in 61‑20N, 00‑18E. She searched from 1744 to 2103 and then proceeded to Sullom Voe to refuel.

Destroyer WANDERER arrived at daylight at 0635/2nd. She embarked troops in destroyer WALKER.

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Destroyer KIMBERLEY departed Sullom Voe at 0915 after refuelling.

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British operation BRICK 2, the evacuation of southern Norway which began on 30 April, continued.

At Romdalsfjord, anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA and sloop AUCKLAND were heavily attacked by German bombers and both ships, almost out of ammunition, were withdrawn at 1600 from the Fjord.

That night, a British force under Vice Admiral G. Layton, CB DSO, which departed Scapa Flow at 1700 on 30 April, entered the Romdalsfjord to embark troops with Light cruisers MANCHESTER (CS 18) and BIRMINGHAM, destroyers INGLEFIELD, DIANA, DELIGHT. They joined anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA and sloop AUCKLAND already in the area.

As cruisers MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM were too large the use the pier, destroyers INGLEFIELD, DIANA, DELIGHT ferried the troops out into the harbour for embarkation on the cruisers.

Destroyer SOMALI embarked the PRIMROSE detachment at Aalesund.

Destroyer DIANA embarked Norwegian General Ruge and took him, along with his staff, to Tromso arriving at 1100/3rd.

Layton with light cruisers BIRMINGHAM and MANCHESTER and destroyers INGLEFIELD and DELIGHT returned to Scapa Flow at 0015/3rd sustaining no casualties in the evacuation.

Destroyer SOMALI arrived Scapa Flow at 1630/2nd.

Anti-aircraft ship CALCUTTA and destroyer MASHONA arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730/3rd. CALCUTTA had forty one officers and seven hundred and fifteen men evacuated from Aandalsnes. MASHONA carried one officer and nine men, all wounded, the crew of trawler CAPE CHELYUSKIN.

Sloop AUCKLAND arrived at Scapa Flow at 1015/3rd.

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Aircraft carrier GLORIOUS, escorted by destroyers ACHERON, ANTELOPE, BEAGLE, arrived off Norway with new aircraft after having been withdrawn for refuelling and aircraft on 27 April.

A Skua from aircraft carrier GLORIOUS 803 Squadron was shot down in error by British ships off Namsos. S/Lt G. W. Brokensha and Petty Officer S. E. Andrews were picked up by destroyer NUBIAN.

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Destroyers HYPERION and BEAGLE were detached from the aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL's screen for refuelling at Sullom Voe.

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Destroyers WITHERINGTON and WOLVERINE departed Scapa Flow at 2107 with Polish troopship CHROBRY (11,442grt) and British troopship ORION (23,456grt) to Rosyth, arriving at 1130/2nd.

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In Operation KLAXON 1 and 2, Namsos was to have been evacuated over two days, but when word of a battalion of French troops having gotten away, the entire operation was set to take place on the 1st.

The British evacuating force arrived off the coast and found it fog covered.

Late on the 1st, destroyer MAORI reached Kya Light off Namsenfjord and Vice Admiral J. Cunningham sent destroyers KELLY, GRENADE, GRIFFIN, French BISON to join her.

As the destroyers went up Namsenfjord in dense fog early on the 2nd, destroyer MAORI was damaged by near misses of air bombs and sustained twenty three casualties (five dying of wounds). Cdr G. N. Brewer, Lt Cdr (E) T. T. Brandreth and Acting Gunner (T) S. C. White were among the wounded.

The evacuation attempt was aborted at that time due to the German's knowledge of their intentions and operation was rescheduled for the night of 2/3 May.

Destroyer MAORI withdrew with her casualties.

Destroyer MAORI was able to participate in evacuation the next night.

Destroyer MAORI departed Scapa Flow at 0001/6th. Off Sumburgh Head, she met destroyer ECLIPSE, which departed Lerwick at 0420 with one operable engine, escorted her to the Clyde.

Destroyer ECLIPSE arrived at Greenock at 1800/7th.

Destroyer MAORI went on to Bootle, near Liverpool, where her repairs were completed on the 20th.

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S/Lt H.G. Aitchison was killed when his Hornet Moth aircraft crashed at Golspie.

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Convoy BC.36 of steamers ATLANTIC COAST, BARON NAIRN (Commodore), CAMEO, CITY OF LANCASTER, DORSET COAST, MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escorted by destroyer MONTROSE. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 3rd.

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Convoy SA.39 of one steamer arrived at St Malo from Southampton.

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Convoy FN.159 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer WOOLSTON and armed patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 3rd.

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Convoy MT.62 departed Methil, escorted by sloops EGRET and WESTON. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.

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Convoy FS.159 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers VALOROUS and WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

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Convoy FS.160 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyer VALENTINE and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

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Destroyer BOREAS arrived at Dover from Chatham after refitting.

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Convoy OG.28F was formed from convoys OA.138GF, which departed Southend on 28 April escorted by sloop SCARBOROUGH, OB.138GF, which departed Liverpool on 28 April, escorted by destroyer VERSATILE, with forty five ships.

Sloop SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy on the 1st and was then detached to convoy HG.28 F.

Sloop FOLKESTONE and anti-submarine whaler WILLIAM SCORESBY escorted the convoy from 1 to 6 May. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 6th.

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French anti-submarine trawlers LA CANCALAISE (former British SAINT AMANDUS, 400grt), LA NANTAISE (former British SAINT ARCADIUS, 399grt), LA L'LORIENTAISE (former British SAINT ANDRONICUS, 398grt) departed Dover for Dunkirk.

Trawler L'LORIENTAISE, damaged on 26 April, was under the tow of French tug BARFLEUR (TUMULTE in some sources).

Near Dyck Light Vessel shoal, trawler LA CANCALAISE struck a mine and sank.

Twelve plus crew were lost on the French trawler.

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Convoy OA.139 departed Southend escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS.

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Battleships MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, French battleships LORRAINE, BRETAGNE, PROVENCE,from Mer el Kebir, French cruisers TOURVILLE, DUQUESNE, DUGUAY TROUIN escorted by destroyers DEFENDER and DECOY, Australian destroyers STUART and VAMPIRE, six French destroyers, one French torpedo boat passed Malta en route to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet.

Destroyers VELOX and WATCHMAN, escorting the battleships, entered Malta, arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th.

Battleships MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, Australian destroyers STUART and VAMPIRE, French battleships PROVENCE, LORRAINE, BRETAGNE, destroyers TIGRE, LYNX, FORBIN arrived at Alexandria at 1820/3rd.

Destroyer FORBIN was a replacement for originally designated destroyer PANTHERE which was under repair at Toulon.

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Convoy SL. 30 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser CARNARVON CASTLE until 15 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

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Australian troop convoy US.3 departed Wellington with troopships AQUITANIA (45,647grt), EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (42,348grt), EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt), escorted by Australian heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA and New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER.

Light cruiser LEANDER had arrived at Wellington on 24 April in preparation for this convoy duty.

Australian light cruiser SYDNEY, en route to join this convoy on the 1st, was ordered to Colombo, via Sunda Strait and Singapore. The cruiser arrived at Singapore on the 5th. After refuelling, the cruiser departed Singapore later the same day and arrived at Colombo on the 8th. She departed Colombo on the 12th to meet convoy US.3 in the area of the Coco Islands, but was recalled to Colombo to sail for the Mediterranean.

Troopship ANDES (25,689grt) joined en route, escorted by Australian heavy cruiser CANBERRA, all arrived safely off Sydney on the 5th under the escort of Australian heavy cruisers AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA and New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER.

At Sydney, the convoy was joined by troopships MAURETANIA (35,738grt) and QUEEN MARY (80,774grt), escorted by Australian light cruiser PERTH, the next day off Melbourne by troopship EMPRESS OF CANADA (21,517grt).

Light cruiser PERTH was detached when the convoy formed for ocean passage.

Convoy US.3 was at Fremantle from 10 to 12 May when the convoy put back out to sea. New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER was detached on the 16th and proceeded on other duties. The light cruiser LEANDER arrived at Colombo on the 19th.

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Light cruiser DAUNTLESS was refitting at Hong Kong from this date to 4 June.

Thursday, 2 May

Anti-aircraft cruiser COVENTRY departed Sheerness for trials at Rosyth after refit.

The trials were completed on the 7th. Anti-aircraft cruiser COVENTRY arrived at Sullom Voe on the 8th.

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Destroyer WOLFHOUND completed her conversion to fast escort ship. She proceeded to Portland for working up which was cut short by the invasion of France and the Low Countries. On 14 May, she departed Portland for Sheerness.

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At 0926, submarine TRIDENT fired two torpedoes at German steamer CLARE HUGO STINNES I (5294grt) off Skorpa Island.

Submarine TRIDENT fired seventy rounds from her deck gun at the German steamer which ran herself aground in Bjoernefjord to prevent sinking.

Submarine TRIDENT fired three torpedoes at the grounded German steamer, but all three torpedoes exploded on the rocks.

The German steamer was later salved. On 26 July, CLARE HUGO STINNES I was docked at Bergen for repairs. The ship was ultimately lost on 27 September 1944 on a mine.

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Submarine CLYDE departed Dundee for patrol off Fro Havet.

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Submarine TAKU departed Rosyth on patrol.

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French destroyers BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS arrived at Scapa Flow at 1245 with steamers AMIENOIS and SAUMUR.

Both destroyers departed at 2130 escorting French steamers AMIENOIS, SAUMUR, CAP BLANC to Greenock, arriving at 1800/4th.

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Destroyer HEREWARD arrived at Sullom Voe for refuelling at 1240/2nd.

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Polish destroyer BLYSKAWICA was damaged by German shore guns near Narvik. She retired to Skelfjord for repairs.

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Late on the 2nd at Mosjoen, destroyer JANUS landed 100 Chasseur Alpins and two anti-aircraft guns embarked at Namsos. The landing was completed at 2350.

This operation was attempted on the 1st, but was delayed due to heavy fog.

The destroyer was then ordered to meet two Norwegian pulp ships from Salsbruket and one Norwegian pulp ship from Lansless fifty miles off the coast and escort them.

Destroyer JANUS was unable to locate any of these merchant ships and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730/5th.

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Destroyer WANDERER arrived at Sullom Voe at 0635 to refuel.

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Destroyer WESTCOTT arrived at Scapa Flow from Sullom Voe at 0800 with 350 troops on board.

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Destroyer HYPERION arrived at Sullom Voe for refuelling at 2215.

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Destroyer ICARUS departed Scapa Flow at 1200 to meet Danish steamer GUNVOR MAERSK en route to Scapa Flow.

Both ships arrived at Scapa Flow at 1800.

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Destroyer JAGUAR departed Rosyth with British A. S. I. S. steamer CROMARTY FIRTH (538grt) for Scapa Flow.

Destroyer JAGUAR was returning to the Home Fleet after repairs.

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Late on the 2nd, the British evacuated Namsos in Operation KLAXON.

Anti-aircraft cruiser CARLISLE, which had joined the evacuation force west of Namsos earlier in the day, stood off the town of Namsos while the evacuation took place.

The two surviving trawlers at Namsos, ARAB and ANGLE, ferried troops to the French armed merchant cruiser EL MANSOUR and heavy cruiser YORK in the harbour, while French armed merchant cruisers EL D'JEZAIR and EL KANTARA berthed at the pier.

Destroyers AFRIDI, NUBIAN, KELLY and French destroyers BISON and FOUDROYANT operated in the Fjord.

Heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE, French light cruiser MONTCALM, Destroyers GRENADE, GRIFFIN, HASTY, IMPERIAL remained at sea off Namsenfjord.

Early on the 3rd, British trawlers ST GORAN (565grt) of the 15th Anti-submarine Striking Force and ASTON VILLA (546grt) and GAUL (550grt) of the 16th Anti-submarine Striking Force, which had been badly damaged by German bombing near Namsos on 30 April, were scuttled before the allied ships left.

The British and French ships were able to lift 1850 British troops, 2345 French troops, some Norwegian troops, thirty German prisoners from Namsos.

Destroyer AFRIDI stayed behind to pick up a late arriving detachment when the other ships left for the relative safety of the open sea.

The evacuation was completed at 0445/3rd.

Destroyer AFRIDI caught up with the allied force as the Germans launched heavy air attacks on the force. Air attacks concentrated on heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE and light cruiser MONTCALM.

French destroyer BISON was hit by a German bomb which exploded her fore magazine and blew off the fore part of the ship at 1010 in these attacks in 65‑42N, 07‑17E. Her survivors were taken off by destroyer GRENADE which went alongside and destroyers IMPERIAL and AFRIDI which picked up men from the water. AFRIDI had rescued sixty nine BISON survivors.

C. V. Bouan, L. V. Merlin, one hundred ratings were lost in destroyer BISON. Also killed on destroyer BISON was British Cdr R. R. Graham DSO, which was an observer.

Destroyer AFRIDI scuttled destroyer BISON.

Destroyer AFRIDI rejoined the Main Force after picking up BISON's survivors, but then was hit herself at 1400 in further German bombing in 66‑14N, 5‑45E.

Destroyer AFRIDI foundered forty six minutes after being hit.

Destroyers GRIFFIN and IMPERIAL picked up her survivors.

Warrant Telegraphist R. Mellor and forty eight of AFRIDI's ratings were lost with the ship along with three of IMPERIAL's ratings, about 30 of BISON's crew, thirteen military rearguard personnel evacuated from Namsos. Three AFRIDI ratings died of wounds and thirty one ratings were wounded.

Light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON and destroyer HYPERION, HEREWARD, BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow on the 3rd to support the British force.

Destroyers FURY, FORESIGHT, ANTELOPE, ACHERON also departed Scapa Flow at 2330/3rd to support the evacuation force's return. The British and French ships arrived at Scapa Flow, without further damage, late on 4 and early on the 5th.

Destroyers IMPERIAL, GRIFFIN, GRENADE arrived at Sullom Voe at 1700/4th to discharge wounded French and British sailors from destroyers BISON and AFRIDI and the military rearguard from Namsos to French hospital ship SPHINX.

The destroyers departed Sullom Voe at 2130/4th and arrived Scapa Flow at 0730/5th. Passengers embarked from Norway were accommodated in battleship RODNEY.

Heavy cruiser YORK and destroyer NUBIAN arrived at Scapa Flow at 2030/4th.

Destroyers KELLY and HASTY and t