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Background Events - December 1941-February 1942
Pearl
Harbor attacked, Loss of 'Repulse' & 'Prince
of Wales', Singapore falls, 'Channel Dash' by
German big ships, to February 1942
1942
Sunday, 1 February
Light cruiser TRINIDAD arrived in the Clyde from Scapa Flow to disembark the Polish personnel
brought back from Murmansk with convoy QP. 6. She
departed the Clyde on the 4th to return to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 5th.
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Heavy cruiser LONDON arrived at Scapa Flow from the Tyne on completion of refitting.
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Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK arrived at Hvalfjord from
patrol in the Denmark Strait.
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Destroyer ICARUS arrived at Hvalfjord from Scapa Flow at 1100 to operate with the
Home Fleet.
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Destroyers FAULKNOR and INTREPID arrived at
Seidisfjord from Hvalfjord for ocean escort of convoy PQ.9 and PQ.10.
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Destroyer CALPE arrived at Scapa Flow at 0800 on return from
Operation EW in which she had been providing anti-aircraft protection to
armed merchant cruisers CAPE SABLE and CITY OF DURBAN.
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Convoy ON.62 departed Liverpool, and was joined on the 2nd
by destroyer WATCHMAN and corvettes ANCHUSA, ARABIS, DAHLIA, MONKSHOOD, and
SNOWFLAKE. WATCHMAN detached on the 6th when the convoy was joined by
destroyer ST LAURENT and corvettes KAMSACK, NAPANEE, RIMOUSKI, TRAIL and TRILLIUM.
The original corvettes were detached on the 7th when American destroyer
GLEAVES joined. GLEAVES detached on the 13th, and the convoy dispersed on the
15th.
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U.109 sank steamer TACOMA STAR (7924grt) in 37-33N, 69-21W.
The entire crew of 85 were lost.
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Steamer SEDULITY (490grt) was damaged by German
bombing off Cromer.
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Submarine TEMPEST departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on the 8th.
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Escort destroyer HURWORTH arrived at Alexandria from the Canal Area for duty
with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla.
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Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank Italian steamer ABSIRTEA
(4170grt) six miles 320° from Cape Dukato.
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Convoy HX.173 departed Halifax, escorted by destroyer ST
CLAIR, corvettes MIDLAND, NASTURTIUM, and
minesweepers GANANOQUE and QUINTE. The minesweepers detached on the 2nd.
American destroyers BERNADOU, DECATUR, EDISON, LEA, and NICHOLSON joined on the
3rd, while the rest of the initial escort detached on the 4th. Destroyer
WATCHMAN joined on the 9th and corvette SNOWFLAKE. The American destroyers
detached on the 10th, and corvettes ANCHUSA, ARABIS, DAHLIA and MONKSHOOD
joined on the 12th. The escorts all detached on the 13th and the convoy
arrived at Liverpool on the 14th.
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American naval forces attacked Kwajalein, Wotje, Maloelap, Jaluit and
Mili in the Marshalls, and Makin in the Gilbert Island groups.
Aircraft from aircraft carrier YORKTOWN, escorted by heavy cruiser LOUISVILLE, light cruiser ST LOUIS and destroyers HUGHES, SIMS,
RUSSELL, and WALKE, struck Makin Island.
Aircraft from aircraft carrier ENTERPRISE, escorted by destroyers
RALPH TALBOT, BLUE and MCCALL, struck Wotje, Maloelap, and Kwajalein.
Heavy cruisers NORTHAMPTON and SALT LAKE CITY with destroyer DUNLAP
bombarded Wotje.
Heavy cruiser CHESTER with destroyers BALCH and
MAURY bombarded Taroa and Maloelap.
Oiler SABINE with destroyer MAHAN was the tanker unit
for the task forces. Earlier on 28 January, a second oiler PLATTE was detached with destroyer
CRAVEN.
Aircraft carrier ENTERPRISE was damaged when a Japanese
plane crashed into her in 10-33N, 171-53E. One enlisted man was killed and
three wounded.
Heavy cruiser CHESTER was damaged by a Japanese
dive bomber in 8-45N, 171-33E. Seven enlisted men were killed and twenty
wounded. Of the Cruiser Scouting Squadron 5 staff aboard the cruiser, LT A L
Ekberg was killed and one enlisted man wounded.
Ensign W M Heywood Jr in destroyer SIMS was wounded by
a Japanese bomb near miss.
One enlisted man on cruiser NORTHAMPTON was wounded by shellfire.
From YORKTOWN, one enlisted man in Torpedo Squadron 3 was
wounded. LT G L Bellinger, LT (jg) M P. Fishel, and two enlisted men from
Bombing Squadron 5 were lost when their bombers collided over Jaluit. LT F X
Maher, Jr, LT J C Moore, and the four enlisted men of their respective planes
of Torpedo Squadron 5 were lost when their planes collided shortly after take
off. Two more planes of Torpedo Squadron 5 were lost when they ran out of
gasoline, and LT H T Johnson, Ensign H Hein, and four enlisted men were taken
prisoners by the Japanese. A seventh plane, piloted by Ensign T A Reeves, of
Bombing Squadron 5 went down returning to the carrier. Reeves and his
enlisted man crewman were rescued by an American destroyer.
From ENTERPRISE, LT (jg) E J Kroeger was
wounded and Ensign J J Doherty and an enlisted man were lost on the 1st from
Bombing Squadron 6. Ensign D W Criswell of Fighter Squadron 6 was lost when
his plane spun into the sea. Ensign E R Donnell, Jr, LT (jg) C T Fogg, LCDR H
L Hopping, Ensign D Seid, and four enlisted men from Scouting Squadron 6 were
lost at Roi. LT (jg) R E Laub of Torpedo Squadron 6 was wounded on 31
January.
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Heavy cruiser EXETER with destroyers JUPITER and
VAMPIRE departed Batavia with US transports WAKEFIELD and WEST POINT for the Sunda
Straits. The escorts then returned to Tanjong Priok and the transports safely
arrived at Colombo on the 6th.
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Convoy MS.1 with British steamers CITY OF MANCHESTER, DERRYMORE,
GORGON, PEISANDER, and Norwegian PAN EUROPE and Tanker WAR SIRDAR, escorted
by light cruiser HOBART and destroyers TENEDOS and STRONGHOLD, arrived at Singapore.
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Heavy cruiser CORNWALL arrived at Colombo.
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Submarine TRUANT departed Colombo for Batavia via the Sunda Strait.
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Australian minesweeper MARYBOROUGH and armed patrol
vessels MEDUSA and CIRCE departed Singapore for Batavia.
2 February, Monday
Minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to embark the Russian trade
delegation. She arrived in the Clyde on the 4th, and after embarking the delegation,
departed on the 5th for Murmansk.
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Light cruiser ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow for Chatham for refitting prior to
joining the Mediterranean Fleet, and arrived at Chatham on the 3rd.
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Light cruiser KENYA departed Hvalfjord for
patrol in the Faroes-Iceland Channel.
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Light cruiser SHEFFIELD (CS.18) departed patrol in the
Faroes-Iceland Channel for Hvalfjord, arriving on the 3rd.
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Destroyer CALPE departed Scapa Flow at 1400 to rendezvous with
armed merchant cruisers CITY OF DURBAN and CAPE SABLE to the northeast of the
Shetlands to provide anti-aircraft protection for their return to Scapa Flow. CALPE was unable to meet the ships
on the 3rd and proceeded to Sullom Voe to refuel, arriving at noon on the 4th. The ships were
met later on the 4th, and all three arrived at Scapa Flow at 2200/5th.
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Convoy ON.63 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers
CHELSEA, VERITY, WITCH and corvettes ARBUTUS, CAMELLIA, COLUMBINE, and
PIMPERNEL. ARBUTUS detached on the 5th, and the remainder of the escort when
the convoy was joined by American Coast Guard cutter INGHAM and destroyers
DALLAS, ROPER, and UPSHUR. The convoy was dispersed on the 13th.
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Minesweeping trawler CAPE SPARTEL (346grt, Lt J. R. Grundy RNR) was sunk by German bombing
in 53-28-42N, 0-49-12E in the Humber. There were no casualties.
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Minesweeping trawler CLOUGHTON WYKE (324grt, Temporary
Skipper C. S. Larter DSC, OBE RNR) was sunk by German bombing
in 52-59-N, 1-18-30E in the Humber. Four ratings were lost and Skipper Larter
wounded.
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U.751 damaged Dutch tanker CORILLA (8096grt) from
convoy HX.173 in 44-49N, 61-37W.
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U.103 sank American tanker W L STEED (6182grt) in
38-25N, 73-00W. Thirty five crew were lost and only three rescued.
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Submarine P.39 departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on the 11th.
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Corvette RHODODENDRON departed Gibraltar to rendezvous with steamers
CRESSADO and EMPIRE PANTHER off Cape Razo and escorted them to join
convoy HG 78.
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Submarine REGENT, which departed Ponta Delgada after emergency repairs on
the 2nd, was attacked in error by Submarine CLYDE. Two torpedoes were fired,
but both missed.
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Convoy AT.23 departed Alexandria, escorted by destroyer
AVONVALE and corvette HYACINTH, and arrived at Tobruk on the 5th. There was
no convoy AT.24.
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Submarine TURBULENT arrived at Malta from Gibraltar.
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Aircraft carrier INDOMITABLE and destroeyrs NIZAM,
NESTER, and NAPIER arrived at Trincomalee from operation OPPONENT.
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Australian light cruiser HOBART and destroyer TENEDOS
departed Singapore for Batavia.
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Destroyer SCOUT was ordered to return to Singapore from operations at Sabang.
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Submarine TRUSTY departed Singapore for patrol in the southern
part of the Gulf of Siam. On completion of patrol,
she was to proceed to Batavia.
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Convoy MR.2 departed Madras with steamer ELLENGA
(5196grt), escorted by Australian armed merchant cruiser MANOORA, Indian
sloop INDUS,and patrol vessel SONAVATI.
The convoy dispersed on the 5th and the escorts were detached.
3 February, Tuesday
Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to land
contaminated cordite before proceeding to refitting at Chatham. She arrived at Rosyth on
the 4th.
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Light cruiser NIGERIA (CS.10) departed Scapa Flow to meet and escort convoy
PQ.9 and PQ.10 to Murmansk.
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Destroyers ESCAPADE and PANTHER departed Hvalfjord at
1400 for Scapa Flow. ESCAPADE was proceeding to Immingham for refitting
and PANTHER completing working up. ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow at 0815/5th and sailed at
1200 for Immingham, while PANTHER arrived there at 1200 after carrying out
gunnery practices in Pentland Firth. ESCAPADE arrived in the Humber at 1130/6th for refit.
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Destroyers FAULKNOR and INTREPID departed Seidisfjord
to escort convoys PQ.9 and PQ.10 to Murmansk.
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Minesweeper NIGER arrived at Scapa Flow at 1000 to carry out a
“Short Programme of Practices” (Home Fleet Destroyers War Diary) prior to her
departure for Northern Russia.
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U.106 sank Swedish steamer AMERIKALAND (15,355grt) in
36-36N, 74-10W. Four crew were lost.
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U.86 attacked a convoy in mid-Atlantic and reported
explosions which may have been the torpedoes exploding at the end of their
runs.
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Convoy AT.25 departed Alexandria, escorted by destroyers
HEYTHROP and HURWORTH, and arrived at Tobruk on the 5th.
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U.431 attacked a Tanker near Sidi Barrani at 2305. A
torpedo hit without detonation and was heard in the submarine. A few minutes
later, the submarine fired torpedoes against the escorting destroyer. At the
same time – 2305, U.73 attacked a destroyer near Sidi Barrani. These attacks
were against empty ships, which had departed Tobruk, escorted by destroyers
SOUTHWOLD, DULVERTON and HASTY. No damage was done to the convoy or the
destroyers and no mention of either attack appears in the War Diary.
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Submarine P.35 sank Italian steamer NAPOLI (6142grt) off Kuriat.
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Convoy HG.78 of two steamers departed Gibraltar escorted by corvettes
GARDENIA and SAMPHIRE and anti-submarine trawler LORD HOTHAM. Corvette
RHODODENDRON joined on the 5th with two steamers near Lisbon. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 14th.
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Convoy JS 1, whose ships had arrived independently at Colombo at the end of
January,departed Colombo with British steamers
ADRASTUS (7905grt), ALICE MOLLER (4986grt), FILLEIGH (4856grt), LULWORTH HILL
(7628grt), MODASA (9070grt), YOMA (8131grt), HERMION (5202grt) and PROMINENT
(2282grt). Norwegian steamer HAI LEE (3616grt) departed Colombo on the 4th and joined the
convoy on the 5th. ALICE MOLLER returned to Colombo with defects.
The convoy was escorted by heavy cruiser CORNWALL to the 10th and minesweepers
BATHURST and LISMORE to the 5th, after which they
detached to screen battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN and netlayer PROTECTOR en route
to Trincomalee from Addu. On the 10th, light cruiser HOBART joined the escort
and remained until the 13th. On the 11th, heavy cruiser EXETER joined and remained until
the 13th. On the 12th, destroyer ELECTRA and sloop JUMNA joined. HOBART and JUMNA arrived on the 13th at
Oosthaven with steamers FILLEIGH, YOMA, LULWORTH HILL, HAI LEE and HERMION. JUMNA remained there to provide
anti-submarine patrol with Australian minesweepers GOULBURN and BURNIE.
Meanwhile ELECTRA and steamers ADRASTUS, MODASA, and PROMINENT arrived at Batavia on the 14th. CORNWALL arrived back at Colombo on the 13th.
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Australian destroyer VENDETTA (Acting Lt W G Whitting
RANR) departed Singapore in the tow of tug ST JUST. Two more officers, Gunner J
C Lace and Commissioned Engineer N J E Lark and eighteen ratings made up the
crew. Off Keppel Harbour, destroyer STRONGHOLD took
her in tow. The three ships arrived at Palembang on the 4th and STRONGHOLD
proceeded to other duties.
VENDETTA was towed on the 8th by ST JUST, arriving at Batavia on the 10th and anchored at
Tanjong Priok, remaining there until the 17th. She then left in tow of two
tugs and was met by auxiliary patrol ship PING WO outside the harbour. PING WO took over the tow and
they joined convoy SJ.3 escorted by destroyer ELECTRA and sloop YARRA. On 24
February off Christmas Island, light cruiser ADELAIDE relieved YARRA in the
escort. YARRA returned to Batavia.
On 3 March, tug NEWCASTLE from Fremantle took over the
tow and they arrived at Fremantle next day. VENDETTA at Melbourne on 15 April.
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Steamer NORAH MULLER (4433grt) was sunk by Japanese
bombing off West Nangka Point in the Banka Strait. Seventeen crew were killed,
but eight European survivors, 13 passengers, all the naval gunners, and 31
Chinese were rescued. Australian light cruiser HOBART took off 57 survivors
and destroyer TENEDOS took off thirteen. Six wounded died of wounds before
the ships arrived at Tanjong Priok on the 4th.
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Steamer KATONG (1461grt) was sunk by Japanese bombing
four miles from Bar Light Vessel, Palembang. Only five crew members were
rescued.
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Steamer CITY OF CANTERBURY (8331grt) and
French liner FELIX ROUSSEL (17,083grt) of convoy BM.12 received extensive
superficial damage and casualties from Japanese bombing in Banka Strait.
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Steamer LOCH RANZA (4958grt) was sunk by Japanese
bombing at 00-37N, 104-14E. Of a crew of fifty, including nine gunners, and
four RAF passengers, five crew were killed. The survivors were taken to Palembang in steamer SUBADOR
(5424grt). One crewman and one gunner died later, and two crew were taken
prisoner.
Tanker PINNA (6121grt) was damaged by Japanese bombing
at 00-52S, 104-19E, attacked again the next day, run aground and abandoned.
Of 51 crew and two passengers, 20 crew were killed and 23 crew and two
passengers taken to Palembang by steamer SUBADOR, and
later made prisoners of war.
Australian minesweepers TOOWOOMBA and BALLARAT and
auxiliary minesweeper GEMMA, en route from Singapore to Palembang, went to the assistance of
the two British ships.
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Steamer MADURA (9032grt) was damaged by Japanese
bombing in the Dutch East Indies.
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Japanese submarine I.62 damaged tanker SPONDILUS
(7402grt) in 6-16N, 79-38E, which in turn claimed to have damaged the
submarine with gunfire, but no damage was found. Sloop FALMOUTH and armed patrol whaler
OKAPI searched for the submarine without success.
Wednesday, 4 February
Destroyers FAULKNOR (D.8) and INTREPID departed
Seidisfjord to rendezvous with combined convoys PQ.9 and PQ.10 of steamers ATLANTIC
(5414grt), EMPIRE SELWYN (7167grt), Russian IJORA (2815grt), Russian
REVOLUTSIONER (2900grt), TREVORIAN (4599grt), Panamanian EL LAGO (4221grt),
Russian FRIEDRICH ENGELS (3972grt), Norwegian NOREG (7605grt), Russian
TBILISI (7169grt), and American WEST NOHNO (5769grt) and join light cruiser
NIGERIA as ocean escort to Murmansk.
Minesweepers BRITOMART and SHARPSHOOTER joined the
escort on the 7th.
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Destroyer PAKENHAM (D.12) departed the Tyne at 0945, and after carrying
out trials, proceeded to Methil for the night.
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Minesweeper HEBE departed Scapa Flow at 2100 to refit at
Immingham, where she arrived at 1000/6th.
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U.751 sank steamer SILVERAY (4535grt) in 43-54N,
64-16W. Of a crew of 49 and nine gunners, seven crew and one gunner were
lost.
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U.103 sank Panamanian steamer SAN GIL (3627grt) in 38-05N, 74-40W.
Of a crew of 41 and one passenger, two were lost. The survivors were rescued
by US Coast Guard cutter NIKE.
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British steam trawler AQUARIUS (187grt) was damaged by
German bombing five miles east by north of Aberdeen.
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Destroyers JERVIS, JAGUAR, KELVIN, LANCE, GRIFFIN,
HERO, ARROW and HAVOCK departed Alexandria at 1700 for an anti-submarine
sweep to the westward in conjunction with ASV Swordfish and Wellington
aircraft maintaining an anti-submarine patrol five miles ahead in Operation
MBD.4.
U.561 had been attacked by aircraft twice early on the
4th in 32-00N, 25-50E.
Destroyers HEYTHROP and HURWORTH departed Alexandria with the destroyers and were
detached off Tobruk to escort a convoy to Alexandria.
U.561 attacked a steamer east of Sidi Barrani.
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Escort destroyer BEAUFORT arrived at Aden from the United Kingdom and sailed for Alexandria.
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Polish troopships BATORY and SOBIESKI arrived at Gibraltar, escorted by British
destroyers LIGHTNING, WIVERN, ACTIVE and ANTHONY.
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Convoy SC.68 departed Halifax escorted by covettes
LUNENBURG, THE PAS and minesweepers CLAYOQUOT and RED DEER. The
escorts detached on the 7th when the convoy was joined by destroyer BURWELL
and corvettes CHICOUTIMI, MATAPEDIA, NANAIMO, NASTURTIUM and SUDBURY. CHICOUTIMI detached later that day,
while BURWELL, MATAPEDIA, NANAIMO and NASTUTIUM detached on
the 16th. The convoy was joined on the 16th by destroyer BOADICEA and
corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS. Corvette SUDBURY detached on the 17th and
anti-submarine whaler BODO joined on the 20th, arriving with the convoy at Liverpool on the 20th.
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French submarine SURCOUF arrived at Bermuda from Halifax to embark personnel and
charts, before sailing on the 12th for Tahiti, via the Panama Canal.
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American heavy cruiser HOUSTON and light cruiser
MARBLEHEAD were damaged by Japanese bombing in Madoera Strait, Borneo, in
7-23S, 117-47E. They were in a force with Dutch cruisers DE RUYTER, TROMP,
American destroyers BULMER, STEWART, JOHN D EDWARDS, BARKER, and Dutch
destroyers VAN GHENT, PIET HEIN and BANCKERT.
HOUSTON was struck by a bomb near
number three turret. Shrapnel penetrated the turret and set off an explosion.
Warrant Officer J B Bienert, LT G E Davis Jr and forty three enlisted men
were killed. Twenty enlisted men were wounded with three dying of wounds.
On MARBLEHEAD, LT E M Blessman and twelve
enlisted men were killed. Chief Warrant Officer H M Andersen, Ensign C H
Coburn Jr, LT (jg) W H Cranford, CDR W B Goggins, LT A A Goodhue, LCDR M
Smellow and eighty seven enlisted men were wounded. Four enlisted men later
died of wounds.
Dutch cruiser DE RUYTER was damaged by near misses
which put her anti-aircraft fire control out of action.
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Light cruiser EMERALD arrived at Trincomalee.
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Minelaying cruiser ABDIEL departed Trincomalee for Colombo.
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