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Note: all vessels and aircraft are British or Dominion unless otherwise identified or implied - click for abbreviations |
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Background Events - September-December 1940 U-boat packs in Atlantic, Blitz on Britain, Attack on Taranto, German raiders at sea
1940
Sunday, 1 December
Canadian destroyer SAGUENAY, which had departed the Clyde on 27 November,
escorting convoy HG.47, was torpedoed and damaged by Italian submarine ARGO
three hundred miles west of Ireland in 54‑40N, 15‑50W.
Twenty
one ratings were killed.
Destroyer HIGHLANDER assisted SAGUENAY and the Canadian destroyer was able
to reach, largely under her own power, Barrow in Furness on the 5th for
repairs.
Destroyers ACHATES and ANTHONY from convoy SL.55 joined the convoy as
escorts.
SAGUENAY was under repair at Greenock until 22 May 1941.
______
Lord
Mountbatten reassumed command of Destroyer KELLY, completing repairs at
Hebburn.
______
Destroyer GEORGETOWN arrived at Scapa Flow at 1700 to work up.
______
Destroyers BULLDOG, BEAGLE, KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow at 1730 for Rosyth.
BULLDOG and BEAGLE were to escort battleship KING GEORGE V.
KEPPEL
was to escort battleship NELSON.
The
destroyers arrived at Rosyth at 0615/2nd.
______
Destroyer PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow at 0400 for Plymouth as a replacement
for damaged destroyer JAVELIN.
PUNJABI arrived at Plymouth at 0830/2nd.
______
Sloop
HASTINGS collided with steamer LIMSLADE on the east coast.
______
U.37
sank British steamer PALMELLA (1578grt) in 40‑30N, 13‑30W, straggling behind
convoy OG.46.
One
crewman was lost on the British steamer.
______
Armed
merchant cruiser FORFAR, destroyers VISCOUNT (escort commander), VANQUISHER
and CASTLETON, Canadian destroyer ST LAURENT, sloop FOLKESTONE, corvette
GENTIAN were escorting convoy HX.90 in the Western Approaches on the 1st.
Destroyer CASTLETON was damaged in a collision on the 1st during escort
operations.
______
U.101
in attacks on convoy HX.90 sank British tanker APPALACHEE (8826grt) in
54‑30N, 20‑00W and damaged British steamer LOCH RANZA (4958grt) in 54‑37N,
18‑54W.
Seven
crew were lost on the British tanker. British steamer LOCH RANZA picked up
survivors from tanker APPALACHEE.
Canadian destroyer ST LAURENT rescued the crew of steamer LOCH RANZA and
took them to Greenock.
______
British paddle steamer HER MAJESTY (235grt) was sunk by German bombing at
Southampton Harbour Board Yard.
There
was no crew on board at the time of her loss.
______
British tanker BRITISH OFFICER (6990grt) was sunk on a mine one quarter mile
east of North Pier Light, Tyne.
The
tanker broke in two. The forepart was towed to port.
Five
crew were lost on the British tanker.
______
Norwegian steamer OSLOFJORD (18,673grt), escorted by destroyer VIMY, was
sunk at 0820 on a mine one half mile 220° from T.2 Buoy, Tyne.
The
steamer was beached south of South Tyne Pier.
One
crewman was killed on the steamer.
______
Dutch
steamer FRISO (250grt) was damaged by German bombing at Southampton.
______
Yugoslavian steamer CETVRTI (1936grt) was damaged by German bombing in
51‑30N, 11‑52W.
______
Light
cruiser NEWCASTLE departed Gibraltar for Freetown.
______
Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN departed Gibraltar for Halifax, escorted by
destroyers JAGUAR and KELVIN.
On the
2nd, destroyer KELVIN attacked a submarine contact in 36-02N, 9-42W.
______
German
heavy cruiser ADMIRAL SCHEER sank British steamer TRIBESMAN (6242grt) in the
South Atlantic near Cape Verde at 15‑00N, 35‑00W.
Eight
crew were missing from the steamer. Fourteen crew were made prisoners of
war.
British units began to sweep for ADMIRAL SCHEER.
Aircraft carrier HERMES, light cruiser DRAGON, armed merchant cruiser
PRETORIA CASTLE at St Helena swept northward from St Helena.
Heavy
cruiser DORSETSHIRE and light cruiser NEPTUNE swept five hundred miles
westward from Freetown.
However, no British units contacted ADMIRAL SCHEER.
Monday, 2 December
In an
appointment announced on 18 October, Admiral Sir J. C. Tovey assumed
Commander in Chief, Home Fleet relieving Admiral Sir C. M. Forbes on the
2nd.
Tovey
had been Vice Admiral, Light Forces in the Mediterranean being relieved by
Rear Admiral H. D. Pridham-Wipple in November 1940.
______
Battleship KING GEORGE V with destroyers SOMALI (Captain D.6), MASHONA,
BEAGLE, BULLDOG departed Rosyth at 1445 for the Scapa Flow exercise area for
trials.
______
Anti-aircraft ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow at 0700 after escorting
convoy EN.34.
______
Convoy
OB.253 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers VANSITTART and WESTCOTT and
corvettes CANDYTUFT and HONEYSUCKLE. The escort was detached on the 6th.
______
Convoy
FN.348 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VERDUN and WOLSEY. The
convoy arrived at Methil on the 4th.
______
Destroyer VIMY departed the Tyne at 1650 for Rosyth arriving at 0700/3rd.
______
Destroyer MAORI departed Rosyth for the Tyne for repairs completed on 14
January.
______
Destroyer MATABELE was taken in hand at Rosyth for docking and repairs.
______
Destroyer CAMPBELTOWN was damaged when destroyer CALDWELL was blown into her
while refuelling at Belfast.
______
During
the night of 2/3 December, German torpedo boats ILTIS and JAGUAR from
Cherbourg laid minefield OSKAR off Dover.
______
U.37
sank Swedish steamer GWALIA (1258grt) in 39‑22N, 14‑22W, straggling behind
OG.46.
Sixteen crew were lost on the Swedish steamer.
______
U.37
sank British steamer JEANNE M. (2465grt) in convoy OG.46 and attacked
another steamer without result in 39‑19N, 13‑54W.
Seven
crew were killed on the British steamer.
______
U.43
in attacks on convoy HX.90 sank British steamer PACIFIC PRESIDENT (7113grt)
in 56‑04N, 18‑45W and tanker VICTOR ROSE (12,247grt) in 56‑04N, 18‑30W.
The
entire crews of both ships were lost.
______
U.47
in attacks on convoy HX.90 sank Belgian steamer VILLE D'ARLON (7555grt) in
55‑00N, 19‑30W and badly damaged British tanker CONCH (8376grt) in 55‑40N,
19‑00W.
U.95
torpedoed CONCH also later in the morning. U.99 midday on the 3rd sank CONCH
in 55‑40N, 19‑00W.
Canadian destroyer ST LAURENT rescued the entire crew of steamer CONCH.
______
U.47
attacked a straggler (possibly British steamer PENROSE: 4393grt) from HX.90
in 55N, 20W, claimed damaging her but no confirmation is available.
______
U.52
in attacks on convoy HX.90 sank British steamers TASSO (1586grt) in 55‑03N,
18‑04W and GOODLEIGH (5448grt) in 55‑02N, 18‑45W, damaged DUNSLEY (3862grt)
in 54‑41N, 18‑41W.
Five
crew were lost from the steamer TASSO. One crewman was lost from the steamer
GOODLEIGH.
______
U.94
in attacks on convoy HX.90 sank British steamers STIRLINGSHIRE (6022grt) in
55‑36N, 16‑22W and WILHELMINA (6725grt) and W. HENDRIK (4360grt) in 55‑43N,
15‑06W.
The
entire crew of steamer STIRLINGSHIRE was rescued. Four crew and the naval
gunner were lost on the steamer WILHELMINA. Five crew were lost on the
steamer W. HENDRIK.
Some
sources show W. HENDRIK victim of a German bombing attack on the 3rd in
56‑26N 12‑20W.
______
U.99
sank armed merchant cruiser FORFAR (Captain N. A. C. Hardy), which had
departed convoy HX.90 to join OB.251, in 54‑35N, 18‑18W.
Captain Hardy, A/Sub Lt J. W. R. Adams RNR, T/Lt R. Antrobus RNR, T/Lt W.
Ascroft RNR, T/Lt Cdr (E) C. H. Bamber RNR, Gunner W. H. Bell Rtd, T/Surgeon
Lt B. H. Brindle MB, CHB, (probationary) RNVR, T/Lt Cdr A. F. Campbell RNR,
T/Lt (E) J. J. Chrystie RNR, T/Lt Cdr (E) J.B. Davies RNR, T/Lt Cdr (E) F.
J. Hobby RNR, T/Lt (E) J. Holiday RNR, Lt Cdr H. Hudson RNR, T/Cdr (E) C. C.
Jones RNR, Lt Cdr H. N. Kenworthy RNR, Skipper Lt G. Ladley DSC RNR Rtd,
T/Lt Cdr (E) R. G. McIntyre RNR, T/Paymaster Lt E. J. J. Major RNR, T/Cadet
D. R. Mackay RNR, T/Sub Lt (E) J. Reilly RNR, T/Cadet J.B. Smith RNR, one
hundred and fifty three ratings were lost on the FORFAR.
Canadian destroyer ST LAURENT, destroyer VISCOUNT, British steamer DUNSLEY
(3862grt) rescued the three officers and eighteen ratings surviving the
armed merchant cruiser FORFAR.
______
U.101
in attacks on convoy HX.90 sank British steamers KAVAK (2782grt) in 55‑00N,
19‑30W and LADY GLANELY (5497grt) in 55‑00N, 20‑00W, attacked and claimed
damaginganother steamer with KAVAK, but no confirmation is available.
Twenty
four crew and the naval gunner were lost on the steamer KAVAK. The entire
crew of the steamer LADY GLANELY was lost.
______
U.99
sank Norwegian steamer SAMNANGER (4276grt) west of Ireland.
There
were no survivors from the Norwegian steamer.
______
U.140
sank British steamer VICTORIA CITY (4739grt) west of Ireland.
There
were no survivors from the steamer.
______
British steamer JOLLY GIRLS (483grt) was sunk on a mine 18 cables 101° from
North Pier Light, Tyne.
The
entire crew of the steamer were rescued.
______
British trawler KILGERRAN CASTLE (276grt) was sunk by German bombing in
51‑21N, 08‑35W.
There
were no casualties on the British trawler.
______
Light
cruiser MANCHESTER, escorted by destroyers HASTY and HEREWARD departed
Alexandria for Gibraltar.
The
ships called at Suda Bay at 0900/3rd. Light cruiser MANCHESTER and heavy
cruiser YORK departed Suda Bay at noon. At dark, heavy cruiser YORK was
detached and light cruiser MANCHESTER then set off on her own arriving at
Gibraltar at 1100/6th.
______
Light
cruiser SOUTHAMPTON departed Alexandria for Suez. She departed Suez that day
to meet troop convoy WS.4B coming from the Cape.
______
Heavy
cruiser DORSETSHIRE departed Durban.
______
Australian destroyers VOYAGER and VENDETTA departed Alexandria and Port
Said, respectively, with steamers for convoy AN.8 of five ships, two
British. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 6th.
______
Australian light cruiser ADELAIDE was escorting the Vancouver Mail Ship.
On the
2nd, the light cruiser turned over the escort to New Zealand light cruiser
ACHILLES off North Cape, Australia.
Light
cruiser ACHILLES escorted the steamer to the Tasman Sea.
______
Destroyer JERSEY arrived at Gibraltar with Admiral of the Fleet the Earl of
Cork and Orrery for a Board of Inquiry over the Battle of Spartivento.
______
German
steamer KLAUS SCHOKE (5830grt) had departed Holtenau on 12 August 1939 for
New York. She was only three hundred miles from New York when she diverted
for Las Palmas in the Azores.
On the
1st, the German steamer left Las Palmas to attempt to return to Germany.
Steamer KLAUS SCHOKE attempted to scuttle herself when she was intercepted
by Armed merchant cruiser CALIFORNIA off the Azores on the 2nd in 38‑28N,
22‑15W.
On the
3rd, destroyer ENCOUNTER and tug ST DAY departed Gibraltar to bring the
prize to Gibraltar.
The
German steamer sank after an unsuccessful attempt to get to port on the 5th
and the destroyer and tug were recalled to Gibraltar.
______
Ocean
boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived at Gibraltar from Western Patrol, escorted
by destroyer ENCOUNTER.
Tuesday, 3 December
Battleship NELSON (Tovey) departed Rosyth escorted by destroyers VIMY,
DOUGLAS, KEPPEL.
Battleship NELSON and her escorts arrived at Scapa Flow at 0600/4th.
______
Destroyers ESCAPADE and BRILLIANT departed Scapa Flow at 0310 to rendezvous
with battleship KING GEORGE V in Pentland Firth.
Upon
joining, destroyers ESCAPADE and BRILLIANT relieved destroyers SOMALI and
MASHONA which entered Scapa Flow.
______
Destroyers EXMOOR and COTSWOLD departed Scapa Flow at 0001 to rendezvous
with armed merchant cruisers CHITRAL and SALOPIAN off the Butt of Lewis in
61N, 15W.
______
Light
cruisers AURORA and ARETHUSA (Rear Admiral CS 2) departed Scapa Flow at 1100
with destroyers SOMALI (Captain D.6), BEDOUIN, MASHONA, ESKIMO on Operation
DN.
The
operation was a sweep off the southwest Norwegian coast.
No
contact was made and the ships arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1315/4th.
______
Anti-aircraft cruiser CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 0830 to escort convoy
WN.47 Fast from Pentland Firth until after dark and then to return to Scapa
Flow.
______
Anti-aircraft ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to cover convoy
WN.47 Slow to Methil.
At
Methil, the anti-aircraft ship was taken in tow from Methil to Rosyth for
maintenance.
______
Convoy
FN.349 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VIMIERA and sloop WESTON.
The convoy arrived at Methil on the 5th.
______
Convoy
FS.351 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer VORTIGERN and sloop EGRET. The
convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.
______
Convoy
FS.352 departed Methil. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.
______
Destroyer ICARUS departed Portsmouth for Dartmouth on 30 November.
On the
3rd, destroyer ICARUS departed for minelay GR with destroyers KASHMIR,
KIPLING, PUNJABI.
A
defect on ICARUS delayed the minelay. The defect was corrected the next day,
but the escorts were no longer available.
Destroyer ICARUS departed Portsmouth on the 7th for Immingham.
______
Destroyer CAMPBELTOWN was damaged in a collision with British tanker CONUS
(8132grt).
Destroyer CAMPBELTOWN was repaired at Liverpool completing on 28 March.
______
Destroyer CASTLETON was damaged in a collision in the Western Approaches.
Destroyer CASTLETON was taken to Portsmouth for repair, arriving on the
18th. While under repair, she was damaged by German bombing on 18 January
1941.
Destroyer CASTLETON repairs were completed on 22 February.
______
Catapult ship PEGASUS departed Portsmouth to join the escort of convoy
OG.47.
______
British trawler SLEBECH (222grt) was damaged by German bombing five miles
west, northwest of Skelligs.
______
British trawler WILLIAM DOWNES (275grt) was damaged by German bombing five
miles west, northwest of Skelligs.
______
British steamer QUEBEC CITY (4745grt) was damaged by German bombing in the
North Atlantic off the Irish Coast.
______
British steamer ROBRIX (292grt) was damaged on a mine two miles 110° from
Spurn Light House.
______
Convoy
HX.93 departed Halifax at 1440 escorted by Canadian destroyer ASSINIBOINE
and auxiliary patrol vessels FRENCH and HUSKY.
Patrol
vessels FRENCH and HUSKY were detached at 1730 and ASSINIBOINE departed at
1655/4th.
The
ocean escort was Armed merchant cruiser AURANIA, which was detached on the
11th. Battleship RODNEY joined on the 11th and was detached on the 13th.
Corvette PICOTEE joined on the 11th and destroyers ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTELOPE
and corvette HEATHER on the 13th. Destroyer ACHATES and corvette HEATHER
were detached on the 16th. Anti-submarine trawlers LADY MADELEINE and
NORWICH CITY were with the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at
Liverpool on the 18th.
______
Aircraft carrier FURIOUS and anti-aircraft cruiser DIDO departed Freetown
for the Clyde where they arrived on the 14th.
______
Light
cruiser GLASGOW at anchor in Suda Bay was struck by two torpedoes from
Italian aircraft and was seriously damaged.
The
first torpedo at 1540 made a twenty two foot by twenty two hole foot in the
starboard side forward. It caused structural damage and flooding.
The
second torpedo struck at 1541 and hit the starboard side aft. X turret was
out of service and two propeller shafts were damaged.
T/Surgeon Lt G. R. E. Maxted RNVR, two ratings were lost in the explosions.
Three ratings were seriously wounded.
Destroyer GLOUCESTER was also in Suda Bay.
Light
cruiser GLASGOW was able to return under her own power at 2300 later at
sixteen knots to Alexandria with light cruiser GLOUCESTER and destroyers
HEREWARD and HASTY and given anti-aircraft protection by anti-aircraft ship
CALCUTTA.
Cruiser GLOUCESTER was detached at 1800/4th to join cruiser YORK covering
convoy movements. Ship CALCUTTA was also detached.
Cruiser GLASGOW with destroyers HEREWARD and HASTY arrived at Alexandria
early on the 5th.
After
repairs, GLASGOW was able to leave Alexandria in early February 1941 for
passage into the Red Sea. She was not, however, up to her capability; her
top speed was only twenty four knots and X turret was still disabled.
Light
cruiser GLASGOW was deployed in the East Indies on convoy and escort duties.
The
cruiser received further T/repairs at Singapore from 29 June to 29 August
1941.
Light
cruiser GLASGOW continued damaged until 6 May 1942 when she arrived at the
New York Naval Yard. Repairs were completed 7 August 1942.
______
Battleships BARHAM and VALIANT departed Alexandria for gunnery practices.
Destroyer HAVOCK setting out collided with battleship VALIANT.
Destroyer HAVOCK was under repair at Malta from 22 December to 20 February.
______
Convoy
AS.6 of seven ships, four British, departed Pireaus, escorted by
anti-submarine trawler LOCH MELFORT. The second trawler of the escort,
KINGSTON CORAL, was unable to proceed with defects. The convoy was given
anti-aircraft support by CALCUTTA until south of Kaso Strait.
Escort
ship WRYNECK departed Alexandria on the 5th and joined convoy AS.6.
Heavy
cruiser YORK and light cruiser GLOUCESTER provided cover for this convoy and
convoy AN.8 on the 5th. The convoy arrived at Port Said on the 7th.
______
Italian destroyers TIGRE, LEONE, MANIN, SAURO and submarine FERRARIS
operated in the Red Sea looking for a Convoy without success.
______
German
raider KORMORAN departed Gotenhafen raid in the Central and South Atlantic,
the Indian Ocean, the Pacific. She carried 280 moored mines and 40 ground
mines for operations.
At
0700/7th, German torpedo boats T.1, T.5, T.12 escorted KORMORAN through the
Skagerrak.
Armed
merchant cruiser KORMORAN successfully passed the Denmark Strait on 12/13
December.
______
During
the night of 3/4 December, German destroyers GREIF, KONDOR, FALKE, SEEADLER
from Cherbourg laid minefield MARIANNE off Dover.
______
German
steamers IDARWALD (5033grt) and RHEIN (6031grt) departed Tampico to attempt
again to return to Germany.
Steamer IDARWALD was shadowed by US destroyer BROOME (DD.210) until British
cruiser DIOMEDE arrived on the 8th. IDARWALD scuttled herself off the Cuban
south coast at 21‑34N, 84‑25W. Attempts to save IDARWALD continue until 9
December.
Steamer RHEIN was shadowed by US destroyer SIMPSON (DD.221) which was
relieved by US destroyer MACLEISH (DD.220).
Steamer RHEIN was intercepted on the 11th by Dutch gunboat VAN KINSBERGEN
(Captain J. L. K. Howeke, RNethN) in the Straits of Florida. RHEIN scuttled
herself to avoid capture at 24‑55N, 83‑15W.
The
wreck of RHEIN was scuttled by Light cruiser CARADOC on the 11th.
Wednesday, 4 December
Battleship KING GEORGE V with destroyers ESCAPADE, BRILLIANT, BEAGLE,
BULLDOG arrived at Scapa Flow at 1500 after gun trials west of the Orkneys.
______
Anti-aircraft cruiser CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1200 to join convoy
WN.48, then transfer to convoy EN.36 when met.
______
Light
cruiser PHOEBE was repairing in the Clyde to complete on the 14th.
______
Destroyers DOUGLAS and KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow at 1800 and proceeded to
Loch Alsh as additional escorts for Rear Admiral Minelayer for operation
SN.10 A.
______
Convoy
OB.254 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers BLYSKAWICA, GARLAND,
VESPER, sloops CHEVREUIL and SANDWICH, corvette HEARTSEASE. The corvette was
detached on the 5th. Destroyer BLYSKAWICA and sloop CHEVREUIL were detached
on the 6th and the rest of the escort on the 7th.
______
Convoy
FN.350 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VIVIEN and sloop
LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 6th.
Convoy
FN.351 did not sail.
______
Convoy
FS.353 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT.
The convoy arrived at Southend on the 8th.
______
Destroyer TYNEDALE arrived at Scapa Flow at 1025 to work up.
______
T/Lt
(A) R. H. Ridley RNVR, was killed when his Fulmar of 759 Squadron crashed
near Shaftesbury.
______
U.37
sank Swedish steamer DAPHNE (1513grt) off the southwest coast of Spain,
38-12N, 9-26W, straggling behind convoy OG.46.
Eighteen crew were lost on the Swedish steamer.
______
U.52
attacked and claimed sinking a steamer west of Ireland, but no confirmation
is available.
______
British special service vessel EMPIRE SEAMAN (1927grt) was lost.
______
Belgian fishing vessel HELENE (145grt) was sunk on a mine in 51‑41N, 05‑09W.
______
Light
cruiser DESPATCH departed Gibraltar for Bermuda.
______
Convoy
BS.10 departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were
detached on the 7th when relieved by light cruiser HOBART, sloops AUCKLAND
and INDUS, armed patrol yacht SAGITTA. Destroyers KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY
joined on the 8th. The convoy was dispersed on the 11th.
______
Light
cruiser DRAGON departed Freetown.
______
Light
cruiser DAUNTLESS was refitting at Hong Kong.
Thursday, 5 December
Destroyers DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, BATH, ST ALBANS departed Loch Alsh at 1530
escorting minelayers SOUTHERN PRINCE (Rear Admiral Minelaying), MENESTHEUS,
PORT QUEBEC, AGAMENOM for minelaying mission SN.10 A.
Battlecruiser REPULSE with destroyers SOMALI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN
departed Scapa Flow at 1730 to cover this operation.
The
minelaying was conducted during the night of 7/8 December.
______
Destroyers ESCAPADE, SIKH, BRILLIANT, BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow at 0830
escorting Battleship RODNEY as far as 66-00N, 25-00W on passage to cover an
Atlantic convoy.
______
Polish
destroyer PIORUN and Destroyer VIMY departed Scapa Flow at 1800 to
rendezvous with armed merchant cruisers LETITIA and WOLFE and auxiliary
minelayer MANCHESTER CITY at 0900/7th in 61-00N, 15-00W.
The
ships were met and safely arrived in the Clyde.
______
Destroyer CAMERON was bombed and badly damaged at Portsmouth while in dock
refitting. The dock was partially flooded and destroyer CAMERON capsized in
dock.
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