British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day by Don Kindell

NAVAL EVENTS, JANUARY 1941, Part 1 of 2
Wednesday  1st – Tuesday 14th

HMS Polruan, minesweeper
(David Hill, click photographs for enlargements)

on to JANUARY 1941, Part 2
or back to Naval-History.Net

 

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

 

Background Events - January-May 1941

Battle of Cape Matapan, Battles for Greece & Crete, Capture of U.110, Enigma codes, Loss of 'Hood', sinking of 'Bismarck'

 


 

 

1941

           

 

Wednesday,  1 January

 

Destroyers DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, JAGUAR, HERO departed Gibraltar on 31 December on a RATION operation. Anti-aircraft cruiser BONAVENTURE departed Gibraltar on the 1st to support.

 

On the 1st, the destroyers intercepted French convoy K.5 of four ships, French steamer CHANTILLY (9986grt), French tankers OCTANE (1950grt) and SUROIT (554grt), Danish steamer SALLY MAERSK (3252grt), escorted by armed trawler LA TOULONAISE, in the Gibraltar Straits, coming from Casablanca, having departed on 30 December, for Oran.

 

Destroyer JAGUAR fired on steamer CHANTILLY. Two on the steamer were killed and four were wounded. The convoy was taken towards Gibraltar. A storm caused dispersal of the convoy. Steamer CHANTILLY arrived at Gibraltar on the 2ndand tankers OCTANE with an armed guard from destroyer HERO and SUROIT with an armed guard arrived on the 3rd. The Danish ship with an armed guard from destroyer FIREDRAKE also arrived at Gibraltar.

 

Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, light cruiser SHEFFIELD, destroyers FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FURY departed Gibraltar to support this operation and sweep in the western Mediterranean.

 

The ARK ROYAL force arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th. Steamer CHANTILLY and tanker OCTANE proceeded to England in convoy HG.57 on 24 March.

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Italian submarine BAGNOLINI attacked armed boarding vessel NORTHERN PRIDE in 54N, 14W without success.

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Light cruisers ARETHUSA and AURORA and destroyers BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MATABELE, TARTAR departed Scapa Flow at 0830 to cover destroyers INTREPID and ICARUS departing to lay mines off Jaederens Point and Obrestad in Operation DZ.

 

Destroyer ICARUS damaged her mine rails casting off from depot ship MAIDSTONE. The ships returned to port at 1109 while destroyer ICARUS was repaired.

 

The force departed again at 0800/2nd for the operations.

 

During the morning, destroyers BEDOUIN and MASHONA were detached for forty five minutes to search for a submarine reported by a trawler in 58-57N, 2-12W.

 

The mines were laid and all ships arrived back at 1415/3rd.

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Light cruisers MANCHESTER and NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol.

 

Light cruiser NIGERIA had serious engine room defects.

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Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 0930 to carry out exercises, then join convoy WN.62 until dark.

 

The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow at 2330.

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Convoy OB.268 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers VETERAN and WOLVERINE, sloop DEPTFORD, corvettes ARBUTUS, DELPHINIUM, ERICA. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 4th.

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Convoy FN.373 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VIMIERA and sloop WESTON, and arrived at Methil on the 3rd.

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Convoy FS.377 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

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Destroyer MEYNELL arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth for working up.

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Destroyer WHITSHED arrived at Scapa Flow from the Nore for working up.

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British steamer ATTENDANT (1016grt) was damaged on a mine one cable east of 9 Buoy, Sheerness.

 

The steamer was beached, was later refloated and towed to Gravesend for drydocking.

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Convoy SL.61 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser BULOLO to 18 January and anti-submarine trawlers KELt and TURCOMAN to 3 January.

 

On the 18th, destroyer VETERAN and corvette DELPHINIUM joined the convoy. On the 19th, corvette ARBUTUS joined and on the 20th, corvette CAMELLIA joined. These four were detached on the 21st.

 

On the 22nd, destroyer WOLVERINE joined and on the 23rd, anti-submarine trawler LEEDS UNITED joined. These escorted the convoy to arrival at Liverpool on the 24th.

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Convoy SLS.61 departed Freetown escorted by anti-submarine trawlers BENGALI and SPANIARD to 7 January, and arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

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Convoy HX.100 departed Halifax, escorted by armed merchant cruiser COMORAN, corvette COLLINGWOOD, escort vessel OTTER. The corvette and the patrol vessel were detached the next day. The armed merchant cruiser was detached on the 12th.

 

Convoy BHX.100 departed Bermuda on 30 December escorted by ocean escort armed merchant cruiser MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.100/4thand the armed merchant cruiser was detached.

 

On the 13th, destroyers VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and corvettes GENTIAN and RHODODENDRON joined the convoy. Destroyer WHITEHALL was with the convoy on the 13th. Destroyers VANQUISHER and WINCHELSEA and corvette RHODODENDRON were detached on the 16th and destroyer VISCOUNT and corvette GENTIAN the next day, and arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

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A Fulmar of 803 Squadron from aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE failed to return from a reconnaisance flight. Petty Officer H A Glover and Petty Officer R F Hurford were both killed.

 

 

Thursday,  2 January

 

The 1st Minelaying Squadron, escorted by destroyers DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, OURAGAN, which had arrived at Loch Alsh on the 1st, departed Loch Alsh to lay mines in SN 6 and SN 65.

 

Destroyer BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow at 0900 to join the destroyer escort.

 

The operation was screened by light cruiser EDINBURGH, which departed Scapa Flow at 1000/2nd.

 

Battlecruiser HOOD and destroyers ECHO, ELECTRA, SIKH, ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow at 1600/2ndand provided cover for the operation.

 

The minefield was laid and the minelayers returned to Loch Alsh on the 5th.

 

The battlecruiser force arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0930/5th.

 

Destroyer OURAGAN arrived at Scapa Flow at 1300/5th after being detached from the minelayers due to a shortage of fuel.

 

Destroyer BEAGLE and the minelayers arrived at Loch Alsh at 1700/5th. Destroyer BEAGLE was then sailed for Greenock to join the escort of convoy WS.5B.

 

Light cruiser EDINBURGH arrived at 1801 on the 5th at Scapa Flow.

 

At 2345/5th, destroyers DOUGLAS and KEPPEL arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting the minelayers to the Minches.

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Light cruiser NAIAD departed Scapa Flow and relieved light cruiser PHOEBE at Oban on guard duties. Light cruiser PHOEBE had been at Oban on anti-aircraft guard duties since 24 December.

 

On relief, light cruiser PHOEBE proceeded to Scapa Flow.

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Minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.10 in St Georges Channel.

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Light cruiser EMERALD was recommissioned at Devonport after a refit lasting from October to the end of December.

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Destroyer SOMALI departed Scapa Flow at 1530 for Rosyth to carry out repairs to a damaged gun shield.

 

The destroyer arrived at Rosyth at 0630/3rd.

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British P/T/Midshipman J. E. R. Rainford RNVR, was killed when his Fulmar of 807 Squadron collided with another Fulmar at Yeovilton. The other Fulmar safely landed.

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German tanker NORDMARK (15,000grt) refuelled German raider THOR.

 

The tanker also embarked diesel oil from captured Norwegian tanker STORSTAD (8998grt).

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U.65 sank British steamer NALGORA (6579grt) in 22-24N, 21-11W.

 

All passengers and crew were rescued.

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British steamer LOCH DEE (5252grt) was struck by a German delayed action bomb at Cardiff.

 

The bomb exploded at 0150/3rd. One crewman was killed.

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The British fleet departed Alexandria to cover ground operations in Libya for operation MC.5.

 

Aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, escorted by destroyers GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, ILEX, JUNO departed in the morning to embark aircraft.

 

Battleships WARSPITE, BARHAM, VALIANT, light cruiser GLOUCESTER and heavy cruiser YORK of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA, destroyers JANUS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, WRYNECK, DIAMOND, VENDETTA, GALLANT departed Alexandria at 1830.

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Monitor TERROR and gunboats LADYBIRD and APHIS bombarded Bardia.

 

Destroyer VOYAGER and monitor TERROR were unsuccessfully attacked by aircraft.

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Italian steamer ALBANO (2364grt) was sunk on a mine one mile east of Cape Laghi, Albania.

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Convoy SC.18 departed Halifax, escorted by armed merchant cruiser LACONIA, which was detached on the 14th. On the 14th, destroyer WESTCOTT and corvettes CANDYTUFT and HONEYSUCKLE joined the escort. Ocean boarding vessel CRISPIN and sloop WELLINGTON joined on the 15th. Destroyer WESTCOTT was detached on the 17th and the remainder of the escort on the 18th, and arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

 

 

Friday,  3 January

 

Destroyer LEGION arrived at Scapa Flow at 2200 from the Clyde to carry out working up exercises.

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Destroyer LINCOLN departed Scapa Flow for Belfast after completing working up exercises.

 

The destroyer arrived at Belfast at 1600/4th.

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Destroyer COSSACK departed Scapa Flow at 0800 for Southampton for refitting.

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Convoy OB.269 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvette ANEMONE. On the 4th, destroyers SARDONYX and SHIKARI, corvette LA MALOUINE, anti-submarine trawlers ST KENAN, ST ZENO, VIZALMA, WELLARD joined. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 6th.

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Convoy FN.374 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 5th.

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Convoy FS.378 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT, and arrived at Southend on the 5th.

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Naval drifter NEW SPRAY (70grt) was lost in a gale off Sheerness.

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British steamer PINEWOOD (2466grt) was sunk on a mine one and a half miles south of Pier, Southend.

 

Six crew were lost. Eighteen crew were rescued.

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Finnish steamer LIISA (1460grt) was sunk by British bombing at Bremen.

 

The steamer was later salved.

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Finnish steamer YRSA (2803grt) was sunk by British bombing in the Kiel Canal.

 

The bridge across the Kiel Canal received a direct hit and fell upon the steamer. The steamer sank in the canal. The steamer was subsequently raised and the canal reopened.

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The Mediterranean Fleet bombarded Bardia.

 

Destroyers JANUS, JUNO, GREYHOUND, ILEX, GRIFFIN streamed twin speed destroyer sweep equipment.

 

Aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, light cruiser GLOUCESTER, heavy cruiser YORK, destroyers WRYNECK, DIAMOND, GALLANT, VENDETTA parted company with the Fleet to operate aircraft as necessary.

 

Destroyers VOYAGER and DAINTY joined from Sollum.

 

The Battleships WARSPITE, VALIANT, BARHAM, escorted by destroyers ILEX, GREYHOUND, JUNO, JANUS, GRIFFIN bombarded Bardia from 0810 to 0855.

 

Anti-aircraft protection was provided by anti-aircraft ship CALCUTTA, escorted by destroyers NUBIAN and MOHAWK and DAINTY and VOYAGER after being detached from Force W.

 

Monitor TERROR, escorted initially by destroyer DAINTY and Australian VOYAGER, gunboats LADYBIRD and APHIS bombarded Bardia before and after the fleet bombardment, as Force W.

 

Gunboat APHIS received slight damage from a near miss of an air bomb.

 

Two crew were killed and three wounded on the gunboat.

 

At 1000, light cruiser GLOUCESTER, heavy cruiser YORK, anti-aircraft ship CALCUTTA were detached to Alexandria. Destroyers WRYNECK and VENDETTA were detached to Sollum.

 

Monitor TERROR and the gunboats returned to Alexandria that evening.

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Submarines TRIUMPH and UPHOLDER departed Gibraltar for patrol west of Sicily. Following the patrol, the submarines arrived at Malta on the 12th.

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Convoy BS.12 departed Suez. Sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY joined on the 4th. The sloops were relieved by light cruiser LEANDER, destroyer KIMBERLEY, sloops FLAMINGO, HINDUSTAN, YARRA on the 6th. The convoy was dispersed on the 11th.

 

 

Saturday,  4 January

 

Light cruiser ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to relieve light cruiser NAIAD on guard duties at Oban.

 

When relieved, light cruiser NAIAD proceeded to the Clyde.

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Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.63 from Pentland Firth until dark.

 

The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0830/5th.

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Destroyers ICARUS and INTREPID departed Scapa Flow at 0200 for Rosyth en route to the Nore.

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Destroyer NAPIER and Polish destroyer PIORUN departed Scapa Flow at 2000 to meet and escort armed merchant cruisers WOLFE and CILICIA from the North Minches to their Northern Patrol stations. The destroyers then escorted armed merchant cruisers LETITIA and CHITRAL from the patrol area to the North Minches.

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Destroyer LEAMINGTON departed Scapa Flow at 1800 for Londonderry after completing working up exercises.

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Convoy FN.375 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VANITY and WESTMINSTER, and arrived at Methil on the 6th.

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Convoy FS.379 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers VIVIEN and WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 6th.

 

Convoy FS.380 was cancelled.

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Battleships WARSPITE, BARHAM, VALIANT, aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, destroyers ILEX, JANUS, JUNO, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, DIAMOND, GALLANT, VOYAGER, DAINTY arrived at Alexandria.

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Italian torpedo boat PEGASO, escorting Italian steamers EZILDA CROCE (1230grt) and PALLADE (1131grt) from Tripoli, was attacked by British torpedo planes near Cape Bon.

 

No damage was done, and arrived at Palermo on the 5th and Naples on the 9th.

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In air operations from Aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE, Lt I. Easton and Naval Airman J. A. Burkey in a Fulmar of 803 Squadron failed to return from a reconnaissance flight over Dakar.

 

It was later found that they had been shot down and interned at Dakar by French Vichy forces.

 

Both were liberated at the end of 1942.

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Convoy BN.12A departed Suez, escorted by sloop YARRA, and arrived at Port Sudan on the 6th.

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Destroyer STRONGHOLD began minelaying around Singapore. By 8 March, the destroyer had laid Minefield No.2 of six lines of mines and Minefield No.3 of eleven lines of mines.

 

 

Sunday,  5 January

 

Light cruiser EMERALD was damaged while leaving dockyard at Plymouth.

 

The damage was assessed to require four to seven days to repair. She was able to depart Portsmouth on the 12th for the South Atlantic.

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Convoy OB.270 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers WILD SWAN and WITCH, corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, GARDENIA, PERIWINKLE. Sloop ABERDEEN joined on the 6th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 8th.

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Convoy FN.376 departed Southend, escorted destroyer WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Methil on the 7th.

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Sloop LOWESTOFT, arriving with convoy FS.378, was damaged by a mining in the Thames Estuary.

 

The sloop was able to arrive at Sheerness on the 5th.

 

The sloop was repairing to 3 October at Chatham.

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Destroyer CHURCHILL departed Scapa Flow at 1200 for the Clyde following working up.

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Destroyer SOUTHDOWN departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth at 2000 following working up.

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Destroyers BLENCATHRA and TYNEDALE departed Scapa Flow at 2030 for Portsmouth following working up.

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Destroyers COTTESMORE at 1030 and BELMONT at 1400 arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

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Minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.11 in St Georges Channel.

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Lt Cdr W. E. Fletcher, commanding officer of barrage balloon vessel trawler HASLEMERE, drowned attempting to rescued a downed pilot near East Knock John Buoy in the English Channel.

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Italian submarine CAPPELLINI sank British steamer SHAKESPEAR (5029grt) from dispersed convoy OB.262 at 18-05N, 21-10W.

 

Eighteen crew and two gunners were lost on the steamer. The survivors were towed in their boats to within sight of land.

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British steamer TEMPLE MOAT (4427grt) was damaged by German bombing in 55-20N, 18-55W.

 

One crewman was killed.

 

The steamer arrived at Gareloch on the 9th.

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Dutch steamer ALIOTH (5483grt) was damaged by German bombing near Cork Light Vessel.

 

The steamer grounded in entrance to the fairway at Harwich. Steamer ALIOTH was refloated and arrived at Ipswich on the 10th.

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German auxiliary patrol vessel Vp.306 (trawler FRITZ HINCKE, 391grt) was sunk on a mine near Ymuiden.

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Light cruiser KENYA and corvettes CLEMATIS, CYCLAMEN, GERANIUM, JONQUIL arrived Gibraltar escorting British troopship EMPIRE TROOPER (13,994grt) from Ponta Delgada.

 

The troopship's troops were disembarked at Gibraltar and the troopship began repairs completed in March.

 

Aircraft carrier ARGUS, heavy cruiser BERWICK, destroyers FORESTER, FURY, FOXHOUND, WISHART departed Gibraltar to cover as they proceeded northwards.

 

On the 6th, destroyers FORESTER, FURY, FOXHOUND arrived back at Gibraltar. On the 7th, destroyer WISHART was detached and returned to Gibraltar. Heavy cruiser BERWICK proceeded to Portsmouth. Repairs to the cruiser were begun on the 17th and were completed on 10 May. Aircraft carrier ARGUS proceeded to the Clyde, arriving 14 January.

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Italian coastal steamer VULCANO (273grt) was sunk on a mine at Tobruk.

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American heavy cruiser LOUISVILLE arrived at Simonstown to embark British gold to be deposited in American banks. The heavy cruiser departed Simonstown on the 6th and arrived in New York on the 22nd.

 

 

Monday,  6 January

 

Due to suspected raider D/F signals, battlecruiser REPULSE with destroyers BEDOUIN, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow at 0401 to cover convoy HX.99.

 

Destroyer MASHONA setting out on this sortie collided with destroyer SIKH at buoy at Scapa Flow.

 

The destroyer was unable to proceed and was taken to West Hartlepool for docking on the 9th.

 

Destroyer SIKH was docked at Scapa Flow for temporary repairs. The destroyer departed Scapa Flow for the Tyne on the 18th, escorted by destroyer PUNJABI but was forced to return due to a snow storm. The destroyer sailed again at 1000/20th escorted by destroyer WHITSHED and arrived in the Tyne at noon on the 21st. Destroyer WHITSHED continued to Chatham to return to the Nore Command.

 

Light cruisers MANCHESTER and EDINBURGH departed Scapa Flow at 0401 and proceeded to position 63N, 04W.