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

HMS Glorious, aircraft carrier (NavyPhotos, click photographs for enlargements)

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

Background Events - June 1940

Evacuation of Dunkirk ends, Italy at war, Action at sea in the Mediterranean, France falls

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1940

Saturday, 1 June

Anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA departed Sheerness late on 31 May escorted by patrol sloops MALLARD and SHEARWATER and operated off Dunkirk near Bray.

Destroyer IVANHOE was badly damaged at 0805 by German bombing at Dunkirk. Destroyer HAVANT and minesweeper SPEEDWELL took off her wounded and part of the crew, and Tug PERSIA (165grt) towed IVANHOE back to England. Twenty six ratings were killed. She repaired at Chatham completing on 24 August.

Destroyer KEITH was damaged by the near miss of an air bomb at Dunkirk. Later, before leaving Dunkirk, she was bombed again by German aircraft at 0915 and sunk. Lt (E) W. H. Kenward, Acting Gunner (T) C. J. Brown, Surgeon Lt R. H.A. Turner, MRCS, LRCP Rtd, thirty three ratings were lost, and Captain E. L. Berthon and Lt Cdr R. S.Miller RNR, wounded. The survivors, seven officers and one hundred and twenty three ratings were picked up by tugs ST ABBS, VINCIA, SERVIA and Dutch steamer HILDA. Minesweeper SALAMANDER rescued seven ratings.

Tug ST ABBS was lost later on the 1st with the survivors still on board and one hundred navy and army personnel were lost in the tug.

Destroyer HAVANT was badly damaged at 0905 in German bombing off Dunkirk. She was taken in tow, but sank five miles from West Buoy. Lt (E) E. S.Stribley MBE Rtd and seven ratings were lost. Minesweeper SALTASH scuttled her after taking off the crew.

Destroyer BASILISK was immobilised by near misses from German bombing at 0800. She was then badly damaged by German bombing at Dunkirk at 1258. Gunner (T) E. G. Francis Rtd and eight ratings were lost. Six officers and seventy one ratings were picked up by small French trawler LE JOLIE MASCOTTE. Destroyer WHITEHALL picked up two officers and fifty two ratings, while other survivors got away in the motor boat and a whaler. The surviving officers were Cdr M.Richmond, Lt Cdr W. G. Boaks, Lt (E) C. W. Treweeks, Probationary Lt J. M.Sowry RNVR, S/Lt P. B. de B. Jeayes, S/Lt W. H.Ellis, S/Lt W. B. G. Galbraith, Temporary Surgeon A. W. Lt McHaffie MB, CHB RNVR, Probationary Midshipman I. McEvoy RNR. BASILISK was later scuttled by destroyer WHITEHALL, which was damaged herself by near misses.

Destroyer WHITEHALL departed Dover at 2308/1st for Plymouth. The destroyer was repaired and reboilered at Plymouth, not returning to service until 26 August.

Minesweeper SKIPJACK of the 6th Minesweeping Flotilla was sunk by five direct hits from German bombing at Dunkirk. She had two hundred and seventy five men on board her at this time, most of whom were below decks and lost. Probationary Temporary S/Lt Cowley RNVR, was lost.

French destroyer FOUDROYANT, which departed Dover at 0800/1st, was sunk in German air bombing off Dunkirk. One hundred and fifty survivors were picked up by French trawler BERNADETTE (302grt), and patrol trawler GAVA (256grt) and motor yacht NAIAD ERRANT also rescued a number of survivors. A total of one hundred and thirty seven crew and eighty three soldiers were rescued.

Minesweeper HEBE was damaged by the near miss of German air bombs at Dunkirk, but was not put out of action. She departed Dover at 0925/3rd for Portsmouth.

Minesweeper HALCYON was machine gunned by a German aircraft at Dunkirk. Lt N. V. B. Thurston was mortally wounded.

Gunboat MOSQUITO was badly damaged at 1030 by German bombing off Dunkirk, and was scuttled by gunboat LOCUST on the 3rd. Lt A. H. Manwaring and a number of ratings were lost; Lt D. H.P. Gardiner and S/Lt E. S.Flint RNR, were wounded.

Patrol sloop KINGFISHER was damaged by the near miss of German air bombs at Dunkirk.

Destroyer WORCESTER was badly damaged by German bombing at Dunkirk. S/Lt N. L.Humphreys, Warrant Engineer T. Smillie, and a number of ratings were lost, and Acting Gunner E. F. Wheeler wounded. Returning to Dover, she was damaged in a collision with steamer MAID OF ORLEANS (2386grt) which was badly damaged. WORCESTER departed Dover at 1404/3rd for Tilbury, and was repaired at London, returning to service on 11 July.

Destroyer HARVESTER was damaged by near misses of air bombs and forced to return to Sheerness. At 1409/3rd, she departed Dover for Chatham for repairs to her furnace.

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Destroyers VENOMOUS, VIMY, VIVACIOUS and minesweeper SALAMANDER were damaged were damaged by German bombing at Dunkirk. Destroyers VENOMOUS, VIMY, VIVACIOUS were all repaired at Portsmouth completing on the 13th, within a week, on the 11th, respectively.

Destroyer VENOMOUS also damaged her stern at 0040/1st when she collided with the harbour wall.

Destroyer VIVACIOUS was temporarily repaired at Chatham in time for port blocking operations on 2/3 June at Dunkirk.

Minesweeper SALAMANDER departed Dover on the 2nd for Sheerness.

Destroyer SHIKARI was damaged by German bombing at Dunkirk.

Destroyer SHIKARI departed Dover at 1140 with destroyer CODRINGTON. The destroyer was taken to Plymouth for repairs completed on the 18th.

Motor torpedo boat MTB.100 was damaged by the near miss of air bombs at Dunkirk.

Auxiliary minesweeper BRIGHTON QUEEN (Temporary Lt A. Stubbs RNR) of the 7th Minesweeping Flotilla was sunk by German shore guns at Dunkirk.

The minesweeper's survivors were rescued by minesweeper SALTASH.

French auxiliary minesweepers DENIS PAPIN (309grt), LA MOUSSAILLON (38grt), VENUS (264grt) were sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.

Destroyers ICARUS, VANQUISHER, WINDSOR evacuated three thousand troops from Dunkirk on this date.

Minesweeper SPEEDWELL grounded west of La Panne and embarked troops until towed off by minesweeper ALBURY.

Destroyers WHITSHED, repaired of her damage from the Boulogne evacuation, ESK, MALCOLM, CODRINGTON, SABRE, WINCHELSEA were also at Dunkirk to lift troops.

Off the Bray, destroyer SABRE embarked 451 troops and minesweeper NIGER embarked 310 troops.

British steamer SCOTIA (3454grt) was sunk at 1300 by German bombing off Dunkirk in 51‑07N, 02‑10E.

Thirty two crew members and two to three hundred troops were lost on the steamer SCOTIA.

Her survivors were picked up by destroyer ESK and drifters FISHER BOY, FIDGET, JAKETA.

British troopship ORFORD (20,043grt) was badly damaged by German bombing at Marseilles.

The troopship was set afire and beached.

Four crew died on the troopship and ten were missing.

Belgian tug ELBE (150grt) was sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.

Anti-submarine trawler ARGYLLSHIRE (540grt, S/Lt J. S.Weddle RNR, SO ) of the 11th Anti-Submarine Striking Force and minesweeping trawlers LORD MELCHETT (347grt) and STELLA RIGEL (358grt)were on patrol together near Dunkirk.

Anti-submarine trawlers ARGYLLSHIRE and STELLA DORADO (550grt, Skipper W. H.Burgess RNR) which was a unit of the 10th Anti-Submarine Striking Force were sunk by German motor torpedo boat S 34 near Dunkirk in the North Sea at 0245 and 0430, respectively.

S/Lt Weddle and four other survivors from trawler ARGLLSHIRE were picked up by trawler MALABAR.

Patrol sloop WIDGEON near South Falls reported she was attacked by a German motor torpedo boat, but no damage was done.

Yacht AMULREE (89grt) was sunk at 0200 in a collision with destroyer VIMY in the Dover Strait.

Destroyer VIMY was out of action.

The destroyer departed Dover at 0610/2nd for Cardiff for repairs.

Hospital ship ST DAVID, at anchor off Dover, was damaged at 0845/1st by the spontaneous explosion of a mine.

Yacht GRIVE (687grt, Captain the Hon. L.J. O. Lambart DSO Rtd) was sunk in German bombing at Dunkirk Roads at 2355.

Captain Lambart, Temporary Lt (E) T. Graham RNR, S/Lt H.B. M.Marr RNVR, Lt M.R. Branwell, which was a Fleet Air Arm passenger,were lost in the yacht. S/Lt J. K. B. Miles RNVR, was wounded in the yacht.

Drifter FAIR BREEZE (92grt) was sunk after a collision with a wreck in Dunkirk harbour.

Drifter LORD CAVAN (96grt, SO Cdr A. J. Cubison Rtd, mine Recovery Flotilla) was sunk by German shore guns at Dunkirk.

Her entire crew were rescued by a destroyer.

Tugs ST ABBS (550grt), with destroyer KEITH survivors aboard, ST FAGAN (550grt) were sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.

Lt T. E. Brooker Rtd and eighteen ratings were lost on tug ST ABBS in addition to eighty six passengers. Thirty crew and passengers, including Captain E. L.Berthon were rescued. Lt Cdr G. H.Warren MBE, Boatswain D. G. Brown, who was wounded, six ratings of ST FAGAN were rescued by tug TANGA. The rest of the crew of twenty five were lost.

British sail barges DUCHESS (72grt) and LADY ROSEBERRY (109grt) were lost three miles east of Dunkirk when the tug they were alongside was blown up on a mine.

The entire crew of the barge DUCHESS was rescued. One crewman was lost on the LADY ROSEBERRY.

British sailing barges LARK (67grt) and ROYALTY (101grt) were beached and abandoned at Dunkirk and Malo les Bains, respectively.

Three crew and six soldiers were rescued from barge ROYALTY.

British sailing barge DORIS (83grt) were sunk on mines three miles east of Dunkirk.

British sailing barges BARBARA JEAN (144grt) and ETHEL EVERAND (190grt) were blown up and abandoned at Dunkirk. Sailing barge AIDIE was blown up and abandoned between Dunkirk and La Panne. Sailing barge ETHEL EVERAND was blown up and abandoned at La Panne.

Three crew were saved from barge BARBARA JEAN, the entire crew was saved from AIDIE, the entire crew was saved from ETHEL EVERAND.

In the tow of two tugs, British fishing vessel RENOWN (9grt) was sunk on a mine near Sandettie Light Vessel.

Four crew were lost on the fishing vessel.

British steamer PRAGUE (4220grt) was damaged at 0927 by German bombing 13 miles 115° from North Foreland.

Steamer PRAGUE was assisted by destroyer SHIKARI, sloop SHEARWATER, auxiliary minesweeper QUEEN OF THANET. The steamer was towed in and beached on Sandwich Flats.

Steamer PRAGUE was refloated and anchored in the Downs on the 6th to await tugs to take her to London.

On 1 June, 64,429 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.

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Destroyer TARTAR (D.6) departed Liverpool for Scapa Flow where she arrived at 1700/2nd.

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Destroyer FORESTER arrived at Scapa Flow at 1600. She soon departed with destroyer MAORI for Aberdeen to escort two troopships to Lerwick and then return to Scapa Flow.

At 0510 on 2 May, destroyer MAORI dropped depth charges on a contact in 59-10N, 1-10W of Lerwick. Destroyer FORESTER proceeded on to Lerwick with the convoy.

At 1150, destroyer FORESTER was ordered to rejoin MAORI to hunt the submarine.

Both destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow after this operation at 0400/3rd.

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Destroyer AMAZON arrived in the Clyde at 2130 after being relieved by destroyer WREN in the destroyer ESKIMO escort.

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Sloop FLEETWOOD, which had only arrived at 0425, departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth at 1400 after destroyer ESKIMO escort duty.

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British oiler BRITISH GOVERNOR arrived at Scapa Flow at 0415 from Harstad.

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British steamers CYPRIAN PRINCE, RUTLAND, GUNVOR MAERSK, escorted by anti-submarine trawlers INDIAN STAR and ANGLE, arrived at Scapa Flow from the Narvik area.

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Submarine NARWHAL arrived at Immingham and departed the same day for minelaying mission FD.16 on the 3rd off Jaederens.

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Submarine TRUANT arrived at Rosyth after patrol.

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Submarines TRITON, TRIDENT, SALMON, SNAPPER, SEALION, SUNFISH departed patrol areas to return to base.

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Submarines TRIAD, SEAWOLF, STURGEON were still at sea.

Polish submarine ORZEL (already lost) was ordered to relieve submarine TRIDENT's billet.

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Submarine L.26 departed Harwich for Sheerness arriving later the same day.

Submarine L.26 was docked the next day.

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British troopships ORMONDE and ORAMA departed Scapa Flow at 2100 for Harstad escorted by destroyer FOXHOUND. When this group met the troopships departing the Clyde on 31 May off Cape Wrath, destroyer FOXHOUND returned to Scapa Flow where she arrived at 1230/2nd.

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Destroyer WHIRLWIND escorting British troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN (3244grt) departed Harstad at 0400 for Scapa Flow where they arrived at 2350/3rd.

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British repair ship VINDICTIVE departed Scapa Flow at 2116 for the Harstad area.

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U.48 badly damaged chartered boom carrier ASTRONOMER (8401grt), en route from Rosyth to Scapa Flow, escorted by anti-submarine trawlers STOKE CITY and LEINCESTER CITY, in 58‑01N, 02‑12W. A mine was suspected.

The report of the damage to the boom carrier was received at 0100/2nd. Destroyer KELVIN was sent from Scapa Flow.

Destroyer MASHONA departed Scapa Flow at 0215/2nd to assist destroyer KELVIN.

Anti-submarine trawlers PETER HENDRICKS and PAUL RYKENS were ordered to the area and tug ST MELLONS departed Scapa Flow to assist, but returned on the 2nd when the ship was lost.

Destroyer KELVIN reported a second explosion on the boom carrier ASTRONOMER at 0345 and ASTRONOMER sank soon thereafter.

Anti-submarine trawler LEINCESTER CITY (422grt) reported a submarine contact in the vicinity at about the time of the second explosion on ASTRONOMER.

Four crew were lost on the boom carrier. Trawler LEINCESTER CITY picked up fifty five survivors and trawler STOKE CITY rescued fifty four survivors. The survivors were taken to Aberdeen, arriving on the 2nd.

Anti-submarine trawler STOKE CITY dropped depth charges on a contact without result.

At 0640, an aircraft bombed a submarine contact in 57-25N, 0-56W, twenty five miles south of ASTRONOMER's position. Destroyers MASHONA and KELVIN set off to search, but were unsuccessful.

At 1100/2nd, destroyers ENCOUNTER and ATHERSTONE departed Rosyth.

Destroyer ATHERSTONE proceeded to Scapa Flow where she later arrived at 2200/2nd.

Destroyer ENCOUNTER was to join the search for the submarine contact near ASTRONOMER.

At 1800/2nd, destroyer ATHERSTONE, still en route to Scapa Flow, reported a line of mines near where boom carrier ASTRONOMER sank.

Boom defense vessel BARBICAN, escorted by anti-submarine trawler ELM, proceeded to the area. They recovered the mooring buoys, covered by destroyers MASHONA and ENCOUNTER, took them to Scapa Flow arriving on the 3rd.

Destroyer KELVIN arrived at Scapa Flow at 0315/3rd.

Destroyers MASHONA and ENCOUNTER arrived at Scapa Flow at 1127/3rd.

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British trawler SLASHER (195grt) was sunk by German bombing seventy miles northeast, one half mile east of the Spurn Light Vessel in 54-35N, 1-16E.

One crewman was killed on the British trawler.

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Convoy OA.159 departed Southend escorted by corvette CLARKIA.

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Convoy OB.159 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop SANDWICH from 1 to 4 June. The sloop was detached to convoy HX.45.

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Convoy MT.79 departed Methil, escorted by sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.

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Convoy FS.185 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

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Armed merchant cruisers CARINTHIA and ASTURIAS departed Gibraltar to return to England. Armed merchant cruiser DERBYSHIRE on patrol off the Spanish ports was ordered to leave her patrol area and return to the Clyde.

Armed merchant cruiser PATROCLUS was ordered to depart Casablanca and patrol in the Teneriffe area.

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U.37 sank Greek steamer IOANNA (950grt) 120 miles off Cape Finisterre.

The entire crew was landed at Vigo by Spanish steamer CABO RAZO (2879grt).

Sunday, 2 June

British Force K was formed for the final operations off Dunkirk.

The destroyers were sent to Dunkirk to embark troops in pairs.

Destroyer WINDSOR embarked 493 troops on her first trip and destroyer ICARUS embarked 677 troops. Destroyer ICARUS was returned on the return part.

At 0400, destroyer ICARUS was in a collision with a trawler or a drifter at Dunkirk. The destroyer was damaged, but was not taken out of service.

Destroyer CODRINGTON embarked 878 troops and destroyer SABRE embarked 756 troops.

Destroyer SHIKARI embarked 470 troops. Destroyer ESK was to have accompanied her, but was unable to sail due to having been in continuous duty since 27 May.

The next pair was destroyers WINCHELSEA and WHITSHED.

Destroyer WINDSOR on her second trip embarked 624 troops.

French destroyers EPERVIER and LEOPARD operated on the patrol line, but withdrew when German bombing began at 1035.

Between X and Y buoy, off Bray, anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA fought off three different air attacks. She was slightly damaged by near misses.

The cruiser was ordered to Sheerness at 1442.

Destroyer MALCOLM at 1651 damaged her bow and propellers in a collision at Dunkirk.

Destroyers VENOMOUS, WINDSOR, WINCHELSEA, among others lifted troops from Dunkirk on the 2nd.

Destroyer WHITSHED was damaged in a collision with Tug JAVA (128grt) at Dover as she was setting out at 1435/2nd.

The destroyer was able to continue.

Destroyer WHITSHED departed Dover at 1300/4th for Portsmouth. The destroyer was repaired of her collision damage at Portsmouth completing on the 12th.

Anti-submarine trawler SPURS (399grt) of the 10th Anti-Submarine Group was badly damaged in German bombing off Dunkirk.

Trawler SPURS was assisted and escorted back to Dover to destroyer VANQUISHER.

Early on the 3rd, these destroyers arrived at Dover - CODRINGTON with 44 troops, ESK with 500 troops, SABRE with 500 troops, SHIKARI with 700 troops, VANQUISHER with 37 troops, VENOMOUS with 1500 troops, WHITSHED with 82 troops, WINCHELSEA with 152 troops, WINDSOR with 1022 troops, EXPRESS was not able to embark troops and arrived at Dover. Gunboat LOCUST arrived with 800.

Anti-submarine trawlers AMETHYST and KINGSTON PERIDOT were damaged by German bombing at Dunkirk and out of action.

Tug FOSSA (105grt) was stranded and abandoned at Bruyne Sands at Dunkirk.

She was later salved by German forces for their own use.

Belgian fishing vessels ONZE LIEVE VROUW VAN VLAANDEREN (39grt), GETUIGT VOR CHRISTUS (39grt), ANNA LEOPOLD (52grt) were lost at Dunkirk.

Fishing vessel GETUIGT VOR CHRISTUS was sunk by a German patrol boat.

Anti-submarine trawler BLACKBURN ROVERS (422grt, Skipper W. Martin RNR, of the 21st Anti-Submarine Group (SO Cdr R. W. English DSO Rtd on board) was sunk at 1618 in mining twenty four miles east by south of North Foreland.

Skipper W. Martin RNR, was wounded in the trawler.

Anti-submarine trawler WESTELLA (550grt, Chief Skipper A. Gove RNR) of the 10th Anti-submarine Group, rescuing the survivors of trawler BLACKBURN ROVERS was also sunk by a mine at 1639.

Anti-submarine trawler SAON rescued thirty six men from the two trawlers.

Hospital ship PARIS (1790grt), on passage to Dunkirk, was badly damaged at 1915 by German bombing near Dunkirk in 51‑11N, 02‑07E. Two crew were killed. PARIS sank on the 3rd.

British steamer MONA'S ISLE was damaged by the near miss of German bombing at Dunkirk.

Hospital ship WORTHING (2294grt) was damaged by German bombing at 1442 at Dunkirk. Patrol sloop MALLARD from the cruiser CALCUTTA screen stood by, and she was taken to Newhaven.

On 2 June, 26,256 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.

Destroyer VIVACIOUS with MTB.107 and MA/SB 7 took blockships EDV. NISSEN (2062grt), WESTCOVE (2735grt), HOLLAND (1251grt) from Dover to Dunkirk late on the 2nd. A fourth blockship did not arrive.

At 0300/3 June, the blockships were sunk at Dunkirk, but the channel was not completely blocked.

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Minesweeping trawler MILFORD QUEEN (280grt) of the 10th Minesweeping Group, JAMES LAY (278grt) of the 11th Minesweeping Group,CAPE MELVILLE (342grt) and MILFORD PRINCESS (301grt) of the 12th Minesweeping Group and unattached CLOTILDE (289grt), escorted by Sloop WESTON, departed the Tyne to cut the cables between Newbiggin and Peterhead to Scandinavia in Operation QUIDNUNC.

After the operation, the ships proceeded to Yarmouth.

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French trawler EMMA (255grt) and Finnish steamer HEBE (686grt) collided two miles east, southwest of South Foreland light House.

The French trawler sank.

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British trawler GREYNIGHT (96grt) was sunk by German bombing off the Humber in 54‑40N, 01‑30E.

The Master of the trawler was lost.

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