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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
Thursday, 15 May Battlecruiser REPULSE, aircraft carrier ARGUS, and
liners MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt) and EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt)
arrived at the _____ Destroyer ICARUS arrived at _____ Destroyer PUNJABI departed The heavy cruiser was escorted to _____ Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, and The minelayers were escorted by destroyers ANTHONY,
ELECTRA, ANTELOPE, and ST MARYS. Light cruiser HERMIONE, which departed Light cruisers Light cruiser HERMIONE arrived at _____ Convoy OG.62 departed The convoy was joined on the 16th by destroyers
BOADICEA and ST FRANCIS, sloop EGRET, corvettes ARROWHEAD, ASTER, HEPATICA,
SNOWBERRY, SPIKENARD, and WOODRUFF, and anti-submarine trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE,
and STELLA CARINA. Trawler AYRSHIRE was detached later on the 16th,
the destroyers, corvette SPIKENARD, and trawler ARAB on the 19th, sloop EGRET
and corvettes ARROWHEAD, HEPATICA, and SNOWBERRY on the 20th. On the 22nd, Dutch submarine O.24 joined the convoy
escort. The convoy arrived at _____ P/T/Sub Lt (A) G. R. Cruickshank RNVR and P/T/Sub
Lt (A) R. C. Brownie RNVR, were killed when their Skua of 801 Squadron
crashed during a test flight near _____ Swedish steamer OSSIAN (1564grt) was sunk by
British aircraft in 54N, 7-16E. Two crew on the steamer were killed and
another died later. _____ Italian submarine BARBARIGO attacked British
steamer _____ French sailing vessel NOTRE DAME DU CHATELET
(488grt) was en route from St Malo to the On the 15th, U.43 sank the French vessel with
gunfire in 48N, 14W. Two survivors from the vessel were rescued by
Italian submarine OTARIA on the 23rd. _____ U.105 sank British steamer BENVENUE (5920grt) in
4-27N, 18-25W. One crewman and one gunner were lost from the steamer. Three
boats of survivors were rescued by British steamer ENGLISH TRADER (3953grt).
A four boat was rescued on the 23rd by a Destroyer (BOREAS, VELOX, DUNCAN, or
HIGHLANDER; one wasdetached from EAGLE screen). _____ The British Mediterranean Fleet was divided at 1321
on the 15th into groups in anticipation of enemy action against Force A - battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH, BARHAM and
destroyers JERVIS, JAGUAR, NIZAM, DEFENDER, and IMPERIAL was to be to the
west of Force B - light cruisers Force C - anti-aircraft cruiser Force D - light cruisers NAIAD, between Antikithera and Destroyers ILEX, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK departed In Reserve - battleships WARSPITE, VALIANT,
aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE, and light cruisers ORION and Submarine RORQUAL was on patrol off Minelayer ABDIEL departed Italian destroyer MIRABELLO, escorting steamers
ANNARELLA (5999grt) and LAURA C (6181grt) and tankers DORA C (5843grt) and
STROMBO (5232grt) with armed merchant cruiser German steamers KYBFELS (7764grt) and _____ Greek destroyer _____ Lt P. F. Scott of 806 Squadron was killed when the
Gladiator he was ferrying between Maleme and _____ Italian steamer _____ Destroyer VELOX departed _____ In a dive-bombing attack on the Sumawar barracks, Sub Lt (A) G. R. Coy, Lt J. H. Dundas, and Leading
Airman L. E. Lasson were rescued. _____ American heavy cruisers QUINCEY and Friday, 16 May Light cruisers EDINBURGH, GALATEA, and AURORA
departed Battlecruiser HOOD, light cruiser The cruisers returned to _____ Sloop BLACK SWAN arrived at _____ Anti-aircraft ship ALYNBANK departed On the 17th off Tod Head, the ship transferred to
convoy EC.20. In the _____ Minelayers TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER, escorted by
destroyer CATTISTOCK, laid minefield BS.56 off the east coast of Paddle minesweepers SNAEFELL and THAMES QUEEN
accompanied the minelayers. _____ U.105 sank British steamer RODNEY _____ British steamer Forty crew of a crew of seventy five and twelve
troops of four hundred on board were lost. The survivors were rescued by
destroyer BLANKNEY which landed them at The destroyer attempted to take the steamer in tow.
The steamer beached off Black Dog, five miles south of _____ British steamer ETHEL RADCLIFFE (5673grt) was
damaged by a German S boat on 17 April. The steamer was sunk by German bombing at Great
Yarmouth on the 16th. _____ British steamer JOFFRE ROSE (715grt) was damaged by
German bombing off St David's Head. The steamer was beached in The steamer was damaged again on the 18th in Steamer JOFFRE ROSE was refloated and drydocked. _____ British steamer OBSIDIAN (811grt) was damaged by
German bombing in 52-06N, 5-25W. _____ Minelayer LATONA, which had completed construction
on the 4th,departed the The minelayer arrived at _____ Light cruisers Destroyer ILEX joined these forces on the 16th. During 16 May, the ten destroyers of ForcesA, B,
and D.refuelled from the two battleships of Force A. _____ Anti-aircraft cruiser DIDO and destroyer _____ During the night of 16/17 May, the British cruiser
forces swept off the north coast of _____ Heavy cruiser _____ British troopship GLENGYLE departed The troopship departed Anti-aircraft cruiser During the night of 18/19 May, commando ship
GLENGYLE landed 700 Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders at Tymbaki. The troopship then withdrew to _____ Australian destroyer VAMPIRE carried troops to
Tobruk during the night of 16/17 May. _____ Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked escorted
two transports near _____ Lt A. H. M. Ash and Lt H. J. C. Richardson of 805
Squadron were attached to the RAF 33 Squadron at Maleme. Both were killed
when their Hurricanes were shot down on the 16th. _____ In air raids on The destroyer had already been damaged during raids
on 29 and 30 April. _____ Corvette GLOXINIA, minesweeping at The corvette had no time out of service. _____ Minesweeper _____ British steamer LOGICIAN (5993grt) was badly
damaged by German bombing at The steamer was bombed again on the 25th and sank
two miles and two cables, bearing 303° from Kalani Prism Five crew were
killed and one was missing. Twenty five Australian troops were killed. _____ Greek steamer KYTHERA (1070grt) was sunk by German
bombing at Suda Bay. _____ Greek steamer NICOLAOU OURANIA (6397grt) was badly
damaged by German bombing at The steamer was beached. She was later refloated
and towed to _____ Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, battlecruiser RENOWN,
light cruiser SEHFFIELD, and destroyers WRESTLER, FEARLESS, FORESTER, and
FURY for exercises. They returned to _____ Destroyers The ships arrived on the 18th. On the 19th,dummy battleship ANSON departed _____ Convoy HX.127 departed Convoy BHX.127 departed Destroyer LINCOLN and corvettes SUNFLOWER joined on
the 23rd and were detached on the 27th. Destroyer _____ Ocean boarding vessel MARON arrived at Saturday, 17 May Battleship RODNEY departed The British ships arrived in the _____ Convoy OB.323 departed _____ Destroyer BLANKNEY arrived at _____ Destroyer LANCE arrived at _____ Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN intercepted Vichy
French auxiliary schooner IZARRA (488grt) and sent her to The schooner arrived on the 27th. _____ Lt H. G. Hunt, flying a Battle of RAF No.1 Flying
Training School at Netheravon, was killed when his aircraft crashed at _____ P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) J. N. W. Parish RNVR, was killed
when his Hurricane of 759 Squadron crashed in the River Parrett. _____ U.107 sank Dutch tanker MARISA (8029grt) in 6-10N,
18-09W. Three crew were lost on the tanker. _____ British steamer STATESMAN (7939grt) was sunk by
German bombing in 56-44N, 13-45W. One crewman was lost on the steamer. _____ British steamer ARTHUR WRIGHT (1091grt) was damaged
by German bombing five miles south of Shoreham. _____ Norwegian steamer One crewman was killed on the steamer. The steamer was beached about one and a half cables
west of entrance pier, Shoreham. The steamer was refloated on the 19th and
eventually towed to _____ Hospital ship Force C cruisers DIDO and Anti-aircraft cruiser _____ British Forces C and D were recalled to Force C with light cruisers NAIAD and Force D with light cruiser DIDO, anti-aircraft
cruiser _____ British tanker ELEONORA MAERSK (10,694grt) was sunk
by German bombing at Twenty crew were missing and seven were made
prisoners of war. Seventeen crew were rescued. _____ Greek steamer THEMONI (5719grt) was sunk by German
bombing at _____ Submarine REGENT arrived at Submarine PANDORA arrived at _____ Convoy SL.75 departed Battleship NELSON joined the convoy on 1 June to 5
June. Corvette ARABIS joined on 8 June to 12 June. On 9
June, destroyers ROXBOROUGH, The convoy arrived at _____ Petty Officer J. F. Bray was killed when his Vega Gull
crashed at Aboukir. He had been appointed to battleship WARSPITE. Sunday, 18 May German battleship From Off the Belt, the German ships were joined by
destroyer LODY and minesweepers of the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla. _____ Heavy cruiser _____ Light cruiser EDINBURGH departed _____ Light cruisers |
