British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day by Don Kindell NAVAL EVENTS, MAY 1940, Part 3 of 4 Wednesday 15th – Tuesday 21st

HMS Potentilla, corvette (NavyPhotos, click photographs for enlargements)

on to MAY 1940, Part 4 or back to Naval-History.Net

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, 15 May

Anti-aircraft ship CARLISLE departed Scapa Flow for Devonport.

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French destroyer FOUDROYANT sank two German seaplanes at their moorings at Hemnes and Sund.

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Destroyer SOMALI and French destroyer FOUDROYANT, returning from Mo, received the report of troopship CHROBRY's bombing and heavy damage. En route to assist at 0243, these destroyers were heavily bombed by German Ju.87 bombers and SOMALI was badly damaged by a near miss.

Destroyer SOMALI had fore compartments flooded.

Destroyer SOMALI was escorted to Scapa Flow by destroyer FOUDROYANT, screened by anti-aircraft cruiser CURLEW.

Tug BRIGAND departed Lerwick at 1930/15th, but she was ordered to return at 2150 when it was found she was not needed.

Anti-aircraft cruiser CURLEW arrived and Scapa Flow at 1339/17th and the two destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow at 0400/18th.

Destroyer SOMALI then went on her own to Liverpool arriving at 1245/19th.

The destroyer was under repair until 1 September 1940.

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French destroyer FOUDROYANT arrived at Scapa Flow at 0400/18th. She took on fuel and ammunition before departing at 2130/18th for the Clyde.

Destroyer FOUDROYANT escorted French tanker TARN to the Clyde arriving at 0400/20th.

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Destroyer FURY, after destroyer KELLY escort, departed the Tyne for Leith to escort troopship ORION (23,456grt) to Pentland Firth.

Destroyer FURY and the troopship departed Leith at 1600/15th.

Destroyer MASHONA departed Scapa Flow at 0330/16th to escort ORION.

Destroyer MASHONA arrived at Greenock at 1530/17th after escorting ORION to 13W.

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Destroyer ZULU, which had evacuated 150 allied troops from Mo, arrived in the Clyde at 1930 after having been relieved by destroyer ACASTA in the light cruiser PENELOPE screen.

At 2102, destroyer ZULU received orders to remain at Greenock for escort duties.

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Destroyer BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow at 1030/14th for repairs in the Clyde, arriving at 0930/15th.

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A Swordfish of 816 Squadron ditched in Ofotfjord after receiving damage on an attack on German aircraft at Lake Hartvig, near Bjervik. S/Lt J. W. Ball, Lt A. S. Marshall, Naval Airman R. Pike were picked up by destroyer ZULU.

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Nine Skuas of 806 Squadron and three Blenheims of 254 Squadron departed Hatston to raid Bergen, but were forced to return owing to fog.

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British Leading Airman J. Rees of 7 SFTS Peterborough was killed when his Hart dived into the sea during dive bombing exercises off West Freugh.

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From 1045 to 1455, submarine PORPOISE laid minefield FD.11 in 61‑44N, 04‑54E.

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Anti-submarine trawlers CAPE WARWICK and CAPE PORTLAND departed Scapa Flow escorting oiler British GENERAL for Liverpool and Norwegian oiler EGERO for Trinidad as far as Cape Wrath.

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French troopships DEGRASSE (18435grt) and COLOMBIE (13390grt) departed the Clyde for Brest.

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Swedish steamer ROSENHOLM (1736grt) was seized by German forces at Bergen.

The Swedish steamer was renamed OXHOFT for German use.

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Destroyer MALCOLM departed Dover at 1310 for docking at Blackwall to repair propellers damaged at Hook of Holland.

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Destroyer WINCHESTER, en route from Flushing, was near missed by German bombing early on the 15th off Hook of Holland and was badly damaged.

Destroyer WINCHESTER arrived at Dover. She departed Dover at 1900/15th under tow for Portsmouth where she was beached temporarily. The destroyer was taken on to Liverpool for repairs completed in mid June.

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Destroyers VALENTINE, WINCHESTER, WHITLEY were operating off Flushing during the night of 14/15 May.

At 1300, destroyers VALENTINE and WHITLEY were ordered to cover the Terneusen - Brosele (Beveland) Ferry.

Destroyer VALENTINE (Cdr H.J. Buchanan RAN), at the mouth of the River Scheldt within a mile of Terneusen, was bombed and badly damaged by German Ju.88 bomber.

Struck by two bombs, destroyer VALENTINE's boiler blew up and she was run aground and abandoned a total loss.

Thirty one ratings were killed and twenty one crew, including Probationary Temporary Surgeon Lt N. F. E. Burrows RMCS, LRCP, MD, BCH RNVR, Temporary Lt R. M. MacFie RNVR, Acting Gunner S. F. Burrow were wounded.

Destroyer WHITLEY was bombed, but was not damaged. Destroyer WHITLEY blew up destroyer VALENTINE.

Destroyer WHITLEY remained at Flushing during the afternoon and evening.

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Minesweeper HUSSAR off Orfordness was struck by a glancing German bomb. The bomb itself did little damage, but it set off a depth charge on the minesweeper.

Temporary Lt F. F. Wheeler RNR, two ratings were killed in the minesweeper.

Despite the damage, the minesweeper was able to return to Harwich under her own power.

The minesweeper was repaired at North Shields, completing on 21 June.

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Destroyer WESSEX departed Dover at 0600 for the Humber.

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Destroyers WESTMINSTER and VIMIERA arrived at Dover from the Hook of Holland.

After refuelled and taking on ammunition, they departed that evening for Dunkirk.

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Destroyer WOLSEY departed Dover at 1600 for Dunkirk and Flushing.

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Destroyer VESPER departed Dover at 0010 for Sheerness.

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Five Destroyers departed Harwich for Plymouth.

Destroyer HYPERION departed Sheerness at 0800 for Plymouth. The destroyer arrived at 2130 to prepare to depart for duty in the Mediterranean Fleet.

Destroyers JUNO and JANUS departed Harwich for Plymouth for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet.

Destroyer HOSTILE departed Humber for Plymouth for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet.

Destroyer MOHAWK arrived at Plymouth from Sheerness for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet.

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Destroyers KHARTOUM and KINGSTON, after refitting at Falmouth, arrived at Plymouth for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet.

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Destroyer ILEX, which had departed Narvik on the 10th, was ordered at 1815 to proceed directly to Plymouth.

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Submarine SEAWOLF sighted enemy minesweepers off the Texel.

These minesweepers were thought to be preceding merchant ships. The allied submarines in these areas were told to remain to the east of their patrol zones.

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Submarine SUNFISH arrived at Harwich after patrol.

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Submarines depot ship CYCLOPS of the 3rd Submarine Flotilla and French submarine depot ship JULES VERNE of the 10th Submarine Flotilla departed Harwich for Rosyth.

Depot ship CYCLOPS was escorted by destroyers CODRINGTON, GRIFFIN, GRAFTON, GALLANT. When the Humber was reached, destroyers CODRINGTON and GRIFFIN were detached. The group safely arrived at Rosyth on the 18th, escorted by destroyers GRAFTON and GALLANT.

On 25 May, depot ship JULES VERNE and submarines CIRCE and THETIS departed Rosyth for Dundee. They were joined at sea by submarine CALYPSO and safely arrived at Dundee later the same day.

On 16 May, submarines H.49 and H.50 departed Dover with British trawler WARRIOR II for Portsmouth.

On 18 May, after being delayed by fog, submarines H.28 and H.44 departed Dover escorted by British trawler WARRIOR II for Portsmouth, where they arrived on the 19th.

At Harwich after the departure of the 3rd Submarine Flotilla, five H.class submarines were brought from Portland for anti-invasion duties.

These submarines were H.31 and H.32, which were refitting at Sheerness, H.33, H.34, H.43. In addition, L. 27 was also attached to the Flotilla pending the completion of a refit at Portsmouth.

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Destroyers IVANHOE, ESK, EXPRESS of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla departed Immingham at 1525/15th and laid mines off Hook of Holland in Operation CBX 3.

On 26 July, three German minesweepers were lost on this minefield.

Destroyer INTREPID, to be escorted by destroyer IMPULSIVE,departed Immingham to lay mines off Egmond in Operation CBX 2, an extension of the CBX minefield.

However, destroyer IMPULSIVE was forced to return to Immingham with boiler defects and destroyer INTREPID proceeded alone.

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Destroyer WESTMINSTER (Lt Cdr A. A. C. Ouvry) arrived at Dover at 1100/15th to reprovision. The destroyer departed at 2100 for Dunkirk.

At 2325, the destroyer struck a wreck in the Dunkirk west channel approaches. She was considerably damaged, but sustained no casualties. WESTMINSTER was towed into Dunkirk and drydocked at 0520/16th.

On 20 May, tug LADY BRASSEY towed WESTMINSTER to Dover escorted by destroyer WOLSEY.

Off Dover, destroyer WESTMINSTER was able to proceed on her own at nine knots to Portsmouth escorted by destroyer WOLSEY as far as Nab Tower.

Destroyer WESTMINSTER was repaired at Portsmouth on 7 July.

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Minesweeper ELGIN was damaged in a collision with the Grimsby Royal Dock.

The minesweeper was repaired at Hull completing on 8 June.

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French auxiliary minesweepers DUQUESNE II (189grt) and HENRI GUEGAN (251grt) were sunk by mines at the entrance to the Scheldt River, five hundred yards southeast of the Wielingen Whistle Buoy.

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Italian steamer FOSCOLO (3059grt) was badly damaged by German bombing six miles northeast of Zeebrugge.

The steamer was abandoned and the survivors were landed at Zeebrugge. The steamer sank on the 18th.

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Greek steamer EVGENIA (5839grt) was badly damaged by German bombing in 51-23N, 03-07E, off red Buoy, outside Zeebrugge.

All the crew was saved.

The steamer was abandoned on the 16th and sank as a result of this bombing on the 18th.

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Belgian steamer BRABO (3699grt) was damaged by German bombing in the River Scheldt.

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Dutch steamer PRINSES IRENE (400grt) was damaged by German bombing in 51‑24N, 0l‑18E.

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Dutch steamer TEXELSTROOM (1617grt) arrived at Dover with 268 German prisoners of war, the Dutch guard, thirty one refugees.

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Dutch steamer INSPECTOR GENERAL TWENT arrived at Dover with fifty of the Ijmuiden XD demolition party.

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Convoy FN.172 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers WALLACE, VIMY, WINDSOR. Minelayers TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER traveled in this convoy. On arrival off the Tyne, destroyers VIVIEN and VALOROUS escorted the minelayers to Rosyth. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 17th.

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Convoy FS.171 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th.

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Convoy HG.30 of twenty seven ships departed Gibraltar escorted by destroyer KEPPEL which escorted the convoy from 15 to 17 May.

The ocean escort for the convoy was Sloop DEPTFORD from 15 to 25 May.

Destroyer WHITEHALL escorted the convoy in Home Waters from 22 to 25 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

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Australian light cruiser HOBART covered the disembarkation of the 2nd King's African Rifles at Berbera from 15 to 17 May.

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Submarine RORQUAL, following repairs at Singapore, departed Singapore on 28 April, Colombo on the 3rd, Aden on the 10th arriving at Suez on the 15th.

Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Alexandria on the 16th, departing on the 20th, arrived at Malta on the 22nd for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet.

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French destroyers VERDUN, VALMY, GUÉPARD, ALBATROS, VAUTOUR, which departed Brest on the 13th, passed Gibraltar en route to Toulon, arriving on the 17th.

Thursday, 16 May

Destroyer VERITY departed Dover in the morning to relieve destroyer WHITSHED on North Goodwin Patrol. When relieved destroyer WHITSHED proceeded to Ostend, arriving at 1230.

Destroyers WHITSHED and VENOMOUS with British steamer MONA'S QUEEN (2756grt) and Belgian steamer PRINCE LEOPOLD (2938grt) arrived at Ostend at 1230 to evacuate troops.

Both steamers ran aground. They were towed off by destroyer WHITSHED which also ran aground and was able to get off herself.

The steamers proceeded to Folkestone. The destroyers arrived at Dover at 2100.

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Light cruisers ARETHUSA and GALATEA departed Sheerness for Portsmouth due to air threat of remaining at Sheerness.

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British Captain G.H. Stevens-Guille assumed command of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla.

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French destroyers CYCLONE and SIROCCO arrived at Dover at 1200 with the Dutch Naval Staff and his staff.

The French destroyers departed Dover that evening with Prince Bernhard on his way to join the Dutch army at Zeeland.

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French destroyers FOUGUEUX and ADRIOT operating off Hook of Holland attacked a submarine contact.

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Dutch minelayers NAUTILUS and JAN VAN BRAKEL, armed yacht DE MOK, armed tug AMSTERDAM, seagoing torpedo boats Z.5, Z.8, G.13, G.15 passed Dover en route to Portsmouth.

Dutch seagoing torpedo boats Z.6 and Z.7 departed Dover for Ramsgate.

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Battleship RESOLUTION, anchored at Tjeldsundet, was struck at 1130 by a German bomb that pierced the starboard side of the quarterdeck and dove three decks before exploding in the Marines' messdeck.

One ratings was killed and a second rating died of wounds the next day. Twenty two Marines and four naval ratings were wounded. A further rating was wounded in destroyer VANSITTART in the bombing.

A Swordfish of 700 Squadron from RESOLUTION was also damaged on the 16th. The aircraft was shipped back to the UK in steamer BLACKHEATH, which departed on 7 June.

Battleship RESOLUTION, escorted by destroyers VANSITTART and WREN departed Vestfjord on the 18th.

Destroyer FORTUNE departed Scapa Flow at 0745/20th and joined the British ships at sea.

All four British ships arrived at Scapa Flow without incident at 1000/21st.

Battleship RESOLUTION was repaired by local repair facilities by 4 June when she sailed to the join the North Atlantic Command at Gibraltar.

Destroyer VANSITTART departed Scapa Flow at 1715/24th and went on to the Tyne. She arrived on the 26th for repairs completed on 22 June.

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Sloop FLEETWOOD was bombed in the same attack as battleship RESOLUTION near Narvik. Splinters from a near miss mortally wounded Lt Cdr H.T. R. Bonham, which died on 8 June.

Tanker BROOMDALE also sustained some damage from bombing.

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Lt L.A. Harris RM, Lt J. H.R. Medlicott-Vereker in a Skua of the 803 Squadron were shot down in Rombaksfjord.

Both were picked up by destroyer MATABELE.

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Destroyer MATABELE was ordered to relieve destroyer FAME at Narvik. Destroyer FAME to Hol until relieved by destroyer ECHO, then to Skaanland for fuel and provisions.

Destroyer VANSITTART relieved destroyer ECHO on "B" patrol. Destroyer ECHO proceeded to Hol on relief.

Destroyer BRAZEN was on "E" patrol.

Destroyer HAVELOCK proceeded to Skaanland for ammunition, then proceeded to Baroy.

Destroyer WREN to Harstad to refuel and for oil and provisions.

Destroyer WARWICK remained at Harstad.

Destroyer VANSITTART was available to return to England when relieved by destroyer WHIRLWIND.

Destroyer ESKIMO had been towed to Skaanland from Skelfjord. Her temporary repairs were delayed until the arrival of further oxygen, acetylene, hydrogen.

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Nine Skuas of 806 Squadron from Hatston, escorted three Blenheims of 254 Squadron, attacked Bergen. No aircraft were lost and damage to German targets was confined to fuel tanks at Kaarven, Florgasaaspynt, Strudshavn.

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Destroyers HAVOCK and HEREWARD departed Harwich at 0600 for Plymouth for duty in the Mediterranean Fleet.

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Destroyers to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet departed Plymouth.

At 1630/16th, sloops AUCKLAND (Cdr J. G.Hewitt) and FLAMINGO (Cdr J. H.Huntley) departed Plymouth.

Sloop GRIMSBY (Cdr K. J. D'Arcy) was taken in hand on the 20th at Plymouth to repair defects, as a replacement for sloop EGRET which was in the earlier group, but was ordered to return to Rosyth. The sloop was able to proceed independently on the 20th for Gibraltar.

At 2000/16th, destroyers KINGSTON (Lt Cdr P. Somerville), KHARTOUM (Cdr D. T. Dowler), KANDAHAR (Cdr W. G.A. Robson), NUBIAN (Cdr R. W. Ravenhill), HYPERION (Cdr H.St L.Nicholson), HOSTILE (Cdr J. P. Wright), HASTY (Lt Cdr R. K. Tyrwhitt) departed Plymouth. This group arrived at Gibraltar on the 18th.

At 0035/17th, anti-aircraft cruiser CARLISLE (Captain G.M. B. Langley, OBE), destroyers HERO (Cdr H.W. Biggs), HAVOCK (Lt Cdr R. E. Courage), HEREWARD (Lt Cdr C. W. Greening), JANUS (Captain P. J. Mack; Cdr J. A. W. Tothill), IMPERIAL (Lt Cdr C. A. De W. Kitcat), ILEX (Lt Cdr P. L.Saumarez), JUNO (Cdr W. E. Wilson), KIMBERLEY (Lt Cdr J. S. M. Richardson), MOHAWK (Cdr J. W. M. Eaton) departed Plymouth.

Destroyers JANUS, JUNO, ILEX, KIMBERLEY, MOHAWK and sloops AUCKLAND and FLAMINGO arrived at Gibraltar on the 19th.

Destroyer MOHAWK required docking at Gibraltar for several days to make good damage sustained by German bombing in the North Sea.

On 19 May, destroyers HYPERION, HOSTILE, HASTY, NUBIAN, KINGSTON, KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM departed Gibraltar in company for Malta.

The two sloops departed Gibraltar for Malta on the 19th.

The two groups arrived at Malta on the 21st.

Destroyers JANUS, KIMBERLEY, JUNO, ILEX departed Gibraltar for Malta on the 20th.

On 20 May, anti-aircraft cruiser CARLISLE and destroyers HEREWARD, HAVOCK, IMPERIAL arrived at Gibraltar and departed that day for Malta.

Sloop GRIMSBY arrived at Gibraltar on the 24th and departed the same day for Malta.

Destroyers HYPERION, HASTY, NUBIAN arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd. Cruiser CARLISLE, destroyers K