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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 - January-May 1941
1941
Saturday, 1 March Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed British steamer FORTHBANK (5057grt) was damaged by
German bombing in convoy WN.91 in 57-53N, 1-57W. Four crew were lost. The steamer arrived at Invergordon on the 3rd. On
13 March, she left under tow for British steamer British tanker ATHELTEMPLAR (8949grt) was damaged
by German bombing in convoy EN.79 in 57-04N, 1-50W. Destroyer ERIDGE departed Rosyth at 1800 for The tanker was burnt out. She arrived in tow of destroyer
ERIDGE and minesweeper SPEEDWELL at Methil Roads on the 3rd. Destroyer ERIDGE arrived at Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA transferred to convoy
EN.79 off Buchan Ness at 2300/1st to cover this convoy to _____ Destroyer QUANTOCK departed _____ Minesweeping trawler ST DONATS (349grt, T/Skipper
F. L. A. Atkinson The destroyer was repaired at _____ U.552 sank British tanker CADILLAC (12,062grt) from
convoy HX.109 in 59-44N, 11-16W. Thirty three crew and two gunners were lost on the
tanker. _____ Dutch tanker ROTULA (7981grt) was badly damaged by
German bombing in 52-15N, 5-33W. Sixteen crew were killed. The wreck was sunk by a British trawler. _____ British steamer EMPIRE SIMBA (5691grt) was damaged
by German bombing in 52-21N, 5-23W. The steamer was abandoned with engine room and
stokehold flooded. She was towed to _____ Light cruiser ARETHUSA arrived at _____ Destroyer FIREDRAKE ran aground on the Spanish
coast in the Destroyer FIREDRAKE was under repair at The destroyer was sent to _____ Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN departed _____ A supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed The return convoy was steamers _____ Minesweeping drifter PLOUGHBOY was severely damaged
by the explosion of three mines close aboard at One rating was missing and nine were wounded. The drifter was beached. _____ Aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE, escorted by destroyers
The aircraft carrier and the destroyers were sent
to On 1 March, her aircraft, based ashore, attacked
Massawa. _____ Greek submarine PAPANICOLIS made an unsuccessful torpedo
attack off Saseno. _____ Italian submarine GUGLIEMOTTI departed Massawa on
the 3rd. The submarine with submarines ARCHIMEDE and GALILEO
FERRARIS, which departed Massawa about the same time, refuelled from German
tanker NORDMARK on 16 and 17 April. Submarine GUGLIEMOTTI was the first Italian
submarine from Massawa to arrive at Italian submarine PERLA departed Massawa during the
night of 1/2 March. The submarine refuelled from German raider ATLANTIS
on the 29th. She was the last Italian submarine from Massawa to
arrive after 80 days at sea on _____ Heavy cruiser The steamer was taken to Capetown. _____ Convoy HX.112 departed Convoy BHX.112 departed On 5 March, heavy cruiser _____ Convoy SL.67 departed Due to German activity in the area, from 3 March
battleship Light cruiser Destroyers HAVELOCK to 24 March, HESPERUS,
HURRICANE, MANSFIELD, and SALISBURY to 26 March, VERITY to 24 March, VETERAN
to 25 March, and WOLSEY to 26 March, corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA to 26
March, and catapult ship PEGASUS to 26 March joined the convoy on the 21st. On the 22nd, destroyers CHELSEA and DOUGLAS joined
to 24 March. Corvette BEGONIA joined on the 23rd to 26 March. The convoy
arrived at _____ Destroyer Tender PRAIRE (Flagship Rear Admiral A L
Bristol Jr) Destroyer Squadron 7 (Captain J L Kauffman) -
PLUNKETT Division 13 - NIBLACK (DD.13), BENSON, GLEAVES,
MAYO Division 14 - Destroyer Squadron 30 (Captain M Y Cohen) - Division 60 - ELLIS (DD60), BERNADOU, COLE, DUPONT Division 61- GREER (DD.61), TARBELL, UPSHUR, Destroyer Squadron 31 (Captain W D.Baker) -
MACLEISH Division 62 - BAINBRIDGE (DD62) OVERTON,
STURTIVANT, REUBEN JAMES Division 63 - MCCORMICK (DD.63), BROOME, SIMPSON,
TRUXTON Sunday, 2 March Destroyer COSSACK departed On 3 March, the destroyer was damaged by a mine
exploding close aboard 300° SW point of the Isle of Man. The destroyer spent
no time out of service. Destroyer COSSACK arrived at _____ Convoy OB.293 departed _____ Australian destroyer NESTOR arrived at _____ Minesweeper KELLETT was damaged in a collision with
armed boarding vessel NORTHERN REWARD (655grt) off Peterhead. The minesweeper was repaired in the _____ U.95 sank British steamer PACIFIC (6034grt) from
convoy HX.109 180 miles WSW of Sydero Island, Faroes. One crewman was rescued. _____ U.147 sank Norwegian steamer AUGVALD (4811grt) from
convoy HX.109, 150 miles northwest of Loch Ewe. One crewman was rescued. _____ British steamer CASTLEHILL (690grt) was sunk by
German aircraft east of Mine Head. One crewman was rescued. _____ Dutch steamer SIMALOER (6533grt) was sunk by German
bombing in 56-40N, 10-46W. Two crew were killed. _____ Light cruiser ORION returned to Alexandria from
Port Said following the removal of her catapult to allow fitting of
additional close range anti-aircraft guns. _____ Convoy Destroyer VAMPIRE was taken in hand at _____ Lt W. L. Le C Barnes of 806 Squadron at _____ Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN departed _____ Monday, 3 March Destroyer WHADDON arrived at _____ Destroyer BRILLIANT arrived at _____ Motor gun boat MGB 12 was mined off Milford Haven. The gunboat sank in tow on the 6th. _____ Destroyer BURNHAM, which departed Aultbrea on the
2nd, was damaged in a collision alongside destroyer MALCOLM, which departed
Aultbrea on the 3rd, in the North West Approaches. Destroyer BURNHAM was repaired at Destroyer MALCOLM was repaired at _____ British mine destructor ship CORFIELD was damaged
in a collision with British steamer CORMEAD (2848grt) in the Thames Estuary. The mine destructor ship was repaired at Blackwall
from 5 to 14 March. _____ Patrol trawler COBBERS (275grt, T/Skipper L. Turner
Four crew were rescued. Turner and eight ratings
were killed and two ratings were missing. _____ Auxiliary yacht TINY (5grt) was sunk by German
bombing at South Dock, Sutherland. _____ British steamer Two passengers were lost. The steamer sank on the 4th. _____ Battleship WARSPITE, aircraft carrier EAGLE, and
five destroyers departed Following the exercises, destroyer STUART proceeded
to _____ British steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA (1553grt), which
had departed Alexandria on the 1st escorted by anti-submarine whaler SOUTHERN
MAID with troops for Tobruk, ran aground during the night of 2/3 March two
miles 273° from Ras Azzaz. There were no casualties. Destroyer WRYNECK was sent to assist to assess the
possibility of salvage. The cargo was salved. Salvage of the ship was
abandoned after bombing attacks on corvette PEONY and tug ST ISSEY on the
10th. _____ Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL with destroyers FORTUNE
and DUNCAN departed _____ Submarine PANDORA departed _____ Convoy HG.55 departed Destroyer WRESTLER was detached on the 6th.
Corvettes GENTIAN and JONQUIL on the 10th and corvette COREOPSIS on the 14th.
On 14 March, submarine PANDORA joined convoy OG.55.
Light cruiser ARETHUSA joined the convoy on the
15th and escorted it through the day before continuing to _____ A supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed _____ Light cruiser DAUNTLESS arrived at _____ The cruiser left the convoy on the 5th and returned
to Tuesday, 4 March Operation CLAYMORE, a raid on the Lofotens, was
carried out. Submarine SUNFISH acted as a beacon for landing
craft. Destroyer SOMALI (Captain Caslon, D.6) remained at
sea. Landing ship QUEEN EMMA escorted by destroyers
BEDOUIN and TARTAR proceeded to Svolvaer. Landing ship PRINCESS BEATRIX escorted by
destroyers ESKIMO and LEGION proceeded to Stamsund. German steamers EILENAU (1404grt), BERNHARD SCHULTE
(1058grt), and FELIX HEUMANN (2468grt) were sunk by demolition charges near
Solaer. Destroyer TARTAR sank German steamers German steamer GUMBRINNEN (1381grt) was sunk by with
demolition charges by the Army landing party. Norwegian steamer MIRA (1152grt) was sunk by
destroyer BEDOUIN. Norwegian fishing vessel MYRLAND (321grt) joined
the British force and proceeded to the Faroes, arriving on the 7th. The destroyers and landing ships returned to Battleships NELSON and KING GEORGE V, light
cruisers EDINBURGH and At 2100/6th, troopships QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS
BEATRIX with destroyer LEGION departed _____ Destroyer ARROW departed The ships arrived at Thorshavn on the 5th. After this duty, destroyer ARROW arrived back at _____ Destroyer ELECTRA departed the Destroyer ELECTRA escorted the steamer to Lerwick.
At 2000/6th, both ships departed to return to Destroyer ELECTRA arrived back at _____ Minelayer PLOVER laid minefield ZME.21 in the The series continued in April, completing on 21
April. _____ British steamer ANONITY (303grt) was sunk on a mine
at one and a half miles southeast of Skegness Pier. Four crew were lost of a six man crew. _____ British steamer RUTH II (321grt) was damaged on a
mine two cables NNE of Bar Light Vessel. _____ British trawler _____ British steamer _____ British pilot carrier LYNDIS KITWOOD (20grt) was
damaged on a mine off Skegness. _____ British cruisers ORION, The troops were disembarked at The cruisers then operate in the _____ Convoy AN.17 of four steamers ( Anti-aircraft cruiser This convoy carried the first LUSTRE Force. The
convoy arrived at _____ Convoy AN.16 of British steamer ALAVI (3566grt)
arrived at _____ Convoy AS.16 of four British, fourteen Greek, and
one other ship departed Pireaus escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser Light cruisers Convoy AS.16 arrived at _____ British troopship The troopship, after unloading stores and Fleet Air
Arm personnel, embarked the ABSTENTION Commando Unit. _____ Submarine UTMOST arrived at _____ Light cruiser _____ Norwegian tanker KETTY BROVIG (7031grt), captured
by German raider ATLANTIS on The tanker scuttled herself when she was
intercepted by cruiser German supply ship German ship Australian heavy cruiser _____ Convoy BS.18 departed _____ Convoy BM.4 departed Karachi on the 4th with steamers
TALMA (10,000grt) and VARELA (4651grt), escorted by armed merchant cruiser
ANTENOR from 4 March to 12 March. Further units departed Bombay on the 8th
with steamers EGRA (5108grt), SANTHIA (7754grt), EL MADINA (3962grt), FELIX
ROUSSEL (17, 083grt), NEURALIA (9182grt), RAJULA (8478grt), and ROHNA
(8602grt) and joined the convoy. Light cruiser EMERALD escorted the convoy from 12
to 15 March. Light cruiser DAUNTLESS escorted the convoy from 13 to 16 March.
The armed merchant cruiser was detached on the 16th. Steamers BAHADUR, JAPAYAMUNA, and JALADUTA departed
Wednesday, 5 March Destroyer LIDDESDALE arrived at _____ Battlecruiser REPULSE, aircraft carrier FURIOUS,
armed merchant cruiser ALCANTARA. and steamer STRATHMORE (23, 428grt)
departed the The aircraft carrier was carrying aircraft to
Takoradi to be delivered on the 22nd in operation SUMMER. The aircraft carrier, light cruiser DRAGON, and
destroyers DUNCAN and FOXHOUND departed The aircraft carrier arrived at Takoradi on the
22nd, escorted by light cruiser DRAGON, which landed passengers and to refuel
the destroyers. Light cruiser DRAGON then proceeded to The aircraft carrier and the destroyers arrived
back at _____ Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed The ship remained with the convoy until _____ Convoy OB.294 departed When the convoy was dispersed on the 9th, the
escorts proceeded to join convoy SL.66. _____ Tug SILVERSTONE (58grt) was sunk on a mine three
miles above Tug SILVERSTONE was towing barges ROCKSTONE
(96grt), SANDSTONE (96grt), STONECURB (96grt), and CESTONE (96grt). Barges ROCKSTONE and SANDSTONE were lost with the
tug. The entire crew on the tug were lost. _____ U.95 sank Swedish steamer MURJEK (5070grt) in the There were no survivors on the steamer. _____ German torpedo boats ILTIS and JAGUAR laid
minefield AUGBURG off _____ German steamer STOLZENFELS (7512grt) was sunk by
war cause near Schiermonnikoog. _____ After reports of shipping at sea, Submarines
UPRIGHT and UTMOST departed _____ Submarine TRIUMPH sank Italian steamers MARZAMEMI
(958grt) and COLOMBO LO _____ Convoy Anti-aircraft cruiser _____ Aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE, escorted by destroyers
_____ An Italian convoy of steamers CASTELLON (2086grt), _____ Lt D. M. Cheeke DSC, Lt (A) R. S. Illingworth, and
Leading Airman G. Mitchell of 700 Squadron from heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE
were killed when their Walrus crashed into a hillside at Port Victoria in the
Seychilles. _____ Light cruiser _____ Convoy HX.113 departed Convoy BHX.113 departed Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN joined on the 15th and
the armed merchant cruiser was detached on the 16th. The battleship was
detached on the 16th. On 17 March, destroyers KEPPEL, |
